C. R. (Charles Robert) Cockerell

Born in London in 1788, Charles Robert Cockerell trained as an architect and then spent several years traveling through Greece, Asia Minor, and Italy. During those journeys he studied classical sites firsthand and became known for serious archaeological work as well as for architectural drawing and design.

Back in Britain, he built a distinguished career as an architect whose work included the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and important public and institutional buildings. His reputation rested not only on what he designed, but also on the depth of his knowledge of ancient architecture and ornament.

Cockerell later became a leading figure in the British architectural world, serving as a professor at the Royal Academy. He died in 1863, remembered as a rare combination of practicing architect, traveler, scholar, and interpreter of the classical past.