John Louis Petit (1801–1868) was an English clergyman and architectural artist.
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He was born at Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, the son of John Hayes Petit, by Harriet Astley of Dukinfield Lodge, Lancashire. He was educated at Eton College, and contributed to the Etonian. He was elected to a scholarship at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1822,[1] graduated B.A. in 1823 and M.A. in 1826, and on 21 June 1850 was admitted ad eundem at Oxford. He took holy orders in 1824, but was never a parish priest.
Petit was one of the founders of the British Archæological Institute at Cambridge in 1844. He was also Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, an honorary member of the Institute of British Architects, and a governor of Christ's Hospital. A learned writer, he was best known as an artist.
He died at Lichfield on 2 December 1868, and was buried in St. Michael's churchyard, where there was a monument with a Latin inscription to his memory.
Petit sketched old churches, and spent much time visiting them. In 1839 he made his first extensive tour on the continent. The results appeared in his ‘Remarks on Church Architecture’ (1841, 2 vols.), with illustrations. To the journal of the British Archæological Institute he contributed an account of St Germans Cathedral in the Isle of Man and other papers.
In 1846 he published ‘Remarks on Architectural Character;’ and in the same year a lecture delivered on 24 February 1846 to the Oxford Society for promoting the study of Gothic architecture, under the title ‘Remarks on the Principles of Gothic Architecture as applied to ordinary Parish Churches.’ It was succeeded by the ‘Architecture of Tewkesbury Abbey Church,’ 1846; ‘Architectural Notes in the Neighbourhood of Cheltenham,’ and ‘Remarks on Wimbourne Minster,’ 1847; ‘Remarks on Southwell Minster,’ with numerous good illustrations, 1848; ‘Architectural Notices relating to Churches in Gloucestershire and Sussex,’ 1849; ‘Architectural Notices of the curious Church of Gillingham, Norfolk,’ and an ‘Account of Sherborne Minster,’ 1850. In 1852 Petit published an ‘Account of Brinkburn Priory,’ a paper on coloured brickwork near Rouen, and some notices on French ecclesiastical architecture. On 12 July 1853 he read before the Architectural Institute of Great Britain a paper on the ‘Architectural History of Boxgrove Priory,’ which was published the same year, together with some ‘historical remarks and conjectures’ by W. Turner.
In 1854 appeared Petit's major work, ‘Architectural Studies in France’. It was illustrated with woodcuts and facsimiles of anastatic drawings by the author and his companion Philip Henry Delamotte. It threw light on the evolution of the Gothic style in France, and on the differences between English and French Gothic. A new edition, revised by Edward Bell, F.S.A., with introduction, notes, and index, appeared in 1890 (text unaltered). but the illustrations were reduced in size, and a few added from Petit's unused woodcuts.
In 1854 Petit published a valuable lecture on ‘Architectural Principles and Prejudices.’ In 1864–5 he travelled in the East, and brought home drawings. He produced a few etchings on copper. His oil paintings, which were not many, were collected by Albert Hartshorne and B. J. Hartshorne, with many of his water-colour sketches. A poem by Petit, entitled ‘The Lesser and the Greater Light,’ was printed for the first time by his sister in 1869.
The Staffordshire Museums and Art Gallery now have many of his works.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Petit, John Louis". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.