The Gothic style of the preceding periods was followed by the Italian,
or classical, represented in the works of Inigo Jones and
Sir Christopher Wren. It was a revival, in modified form, of the
ancient Greek and Roman architecture. St. Paul's Cathedral, the
grandest church ever built in England for Protestant worship, is the
best example of this style. Many beautiful manor houses were built in
the early part of this period, which, like the churches of the time,
were often ornamented with the exquisite wood carving of Grinling
Gibbons. There were no great artists in England in this age, though
Charles I employed Rubens and other foreign painters to decorate the
palace of Whitehall and Windsor Castle.