John Vanbrugh

Sir John Vanbrugh was an English dramatist and architect whose outspoken plays from the Restoration period became enduring stage favorites, though they originally caused significant controversy. His works often championed women's rights within marriage and featured sexual explicitness, challenging the conventions of his time. Vanbrugh's radical spirit extended beyond his writing; his bold architectural designs, which came to define English Baroque, were as daring and opinion-jarring as his early political activism and his theatrical themes.