134 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[April 



crvnii-ast in composition ])roilucc<l by tlie four recumbent figures upon 

 lofty socles, projecting out diagonally from the central mass or pedestal. 

 Executed upon a commanding scale, tbis design would form an im- 

 posing objcci in the centre of the square, witbout at all_ interfering 

 ■with the surrounding buildings. Nevertlieless we conceive it would 

 have been greatly better, would have been mnre appropriately char.ic- 

 tcristic, and possessed witlial greater novelty of form, had there been 

 only three figures, emblematical of the three grand vieteries of the 

 Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar, forming the three points of a trian- 

 gular plan below, the principal one of which, or that allusive to the 

 battle of Trafalgar, should be facing towards Charing-cross ; which 

 disposition vvouk! accord exceedingly well with the obIir|iie line of the 

 bouses, right and left, forming the embouchure into Parliament-street. 

 To say the truth, we were not a little surprised at finding that innot 

 one (if the designs — not one, at lea^t, which we observed — has the idea 

 been adopted of indicating the three menioraKIc victories, by a corre- 

 sponding number of points in the composition ; althoughit might have 

 been accomplished various ways, and apart from its significancy, with 

 exceedingly good effect. 



On the sul'ject of Mr. Rally's model we need not say much, as we 

 agree in the opinion generally cxjuessed as to its merit as a graceful 

 assemblage of scu'pture, save to remark tliat, though abstractedly coa- 

 .sidered, it is exceedingly tasteful, it seems deficient in energy of meaii- 

 ing. A similar remark apidies to that by Pitts, which, while it 

 exhibits much talent and mastery as a piece of sculpture, is too enig- 

 matical for the intended purpose. jVo. 38, by Wcstmacott and Nixon, 

 has great merit as it is, yet would be improved by being somewhat 

 simplified. And in No. 40, by C. II. Smitli, there is considerable 

 cleverness and originality; yet tliis, too, would, in our opinion, be 

 improved by hollowing out the blank arches on three sides of the base- 

 ment, so as to cinivert them into rrcesses for the figures, which are 

 now merely placed before ihcni. Very likely this would require some 

 further modification of the whole of the lower part, so as to obtain 

 sufficient depth for the purpose, yet very little difficulty, we conceive, 

 would attend such alteration. Mr. E. J. Papworth's design, No. 36, 

 a colunui on a perforated rock, within which are figures, would, on the 

 cnntraiy, have been better, had only the sides of the rocks been hol- 

 lowed out. 



We do not profess to understand Mr. Patrick Park's model, nor 

 have we seen his exjdanation of it, wherein, we are informed, he speaks 

 at length of the " princi]dcs'" which directed him in designing. Very pos- 

 sibly it may be replete with meaning, or wliat is intended as siich, hut 

 it is certainly f.ir too recondite; and therefore, as a design, it struck 

 us chiefly as a strange array of figures posted about, which jumbled 

 appearance is further increased by a number of huge lions walking in a 

 circle round the whole. "Whatever ingenuity there may be in the ideas 

 intended to be thus expressed, the result is any thing but a hajipy one, 

 which remark applies to several other designs wherein parts or orna- 

 ments, intended to have it symbolic meaning, produce more or less 

 awkwardness of form. However appropriate the ideas attempted to 

 be conveyed may be in ihemselvcs, tbey had better in all such cases be 

 abandoned, if they cannot be reconciled with beauty of form— with 

 cither picturesque or arehitecturaf effect. It is poor satisfaction, 

 when we look upon incongruous whims, to be told that they are in- 

 tended to indicate such or such qualities and circumstances, especially 

 as, after all, meritof that kind, unless accompanied with refined artisti- 

 ca'l feeling, is of too fantastical a kind. Most unquestionably the 

 mind ought to be satisfied, but at the same time the eye ought to be 

 satisfied equally well— certainly not offended. 



While considered as a model, that by Salvin and Smith, is one very 

 striking in point of size, and exceedingly beautiful in execution ; it is very 

 far from recommending itself as a design, being an ornamental structure 

 in an exceedingly florid but im|)ure style of architecture, and, therefore, 

 on that account alone would be highly exceptionable for such a situation 

 as the centre of Trailrlgar-square, where it would be altogether out of 

 keeping with the other buildings, and would cause them to appear more 

 naked "than they do at present, while they in turn would occasion it to 

 look whimsically grotesque in taste. The same observation applies 

 even still far more forcibly to the design, No. 44, with the motto, 

 " England expects every man will do his duty." In thi? drawing 

 extraordinary diligence has been employed in producing an assemblage 

 of all the most licentious caprices of the Italian school, at its most 

 corrupt period. It is an Italianized pagoda, bedizened out from top 

 to bottom with as much architectural finery— such as it is — as could be 

 crammed into it. It is the very q\nntessence of that gorgeously bad 

 taste which is now gone out of vogue, even in Italy itself; and as a 

 monument to Nelson, Gibbs's church in the Strand, would be about as 

 appropriate. 



There are others who have proposed buildings, and not merely orna- 

 mental structures, but such as, if executed, would totally change the 



character of Trafalgar-square. Among the rest is Mr. Haydon, whose 

 design — forming a most singular contrast to the one we have j\ist been 

 speaking of — is for a plain (irecian-Doric building with a portico, and 

 forming, within, a large hall, divided into two separate compartments by 

 colcunns, each of which would be lighted from above, and decorated not 

 with fresco paintings on the walls, but large historical pictures in frames, 

 commemorating ditt'ercnt events in the life of the hero. Whatever else 

 may bethought of such ideas, it is characteristic enough : — " Vous etes 

 orfevre, M. Josse, ct votre conseil sent son homme qui a envie de se 

 defaire de son machandise. " What may be the proposed dimensions 

 we are unable to state ; yet either it would be an insignificant little 

 edifice planted by itself in the centre of the square, or if as lofty as the 

 buildings around it, so large as to block up the square, and cut ofl^tlie 

 view of St. Martin's church, and the National Gallery, from C'ockspur- 

 street and Spring Gardens. 



No. 89 is another whimsical piece of absurdity, the author of which, 

 however, has had the discretion not to reveal his name ; which'is,the only 

 sensible thing he has done, for the design itself is neither more nor less 

 than a square campanile in the Italian style, divided into several 

 stories ; but whether a statue of Nelson is imprisoned in any part of the 

 inside, we have not the means of saying. 



There are not a few other extravagances — things without the slightest 

 mark or likelihood, and w hich are only curious as displaying poverty of 

 invention, sterility of imagination, and exquisitely bad taste ; things, in 

 short, at which the sub-committee must have stood aghast ; although 

 their oddness must, at the same time, have extorted from them cordial 

 smiles, though not of approbation. Not so No. 116, that being, at all 

 events, no laughing matter, for a piece of more egregious dulness than 

 that strange house-front design docs not present itself in the whole 

 exhibition. 



Well, of course the authors of all these deplorable performances 

 will now retire; and many, wo have no doubt, will now be 

 able greatly to improve their designs, should not entirely fresh 

 ideas occur to them. One of the best of those in which a column 

 forms the principal, if not sole feature, is No. 102, by Marsh Nelson, 

 the perspective drawings accompanying which are remarkably clever. 

 This design proposes that the whole of Trafalgar-square should be 

 raised to a uniform level, forming a balustrade terrace, with a spacious 

 flight of steps towards Charing-cross. Still we are of opinion the 

 better mode would be to obtain a level by sinking the ground on the north 

 side, instead of raising it on the south, so as to convert the road in 

 front of the National Gallery into a terrace, elevated above the area of the 

 square, by which means that build.ng would acquire apparent loftiness, 

 at least of situation, while the view ofthe square would not be obstructed, 

 as by the ground being raised it would he, from Charing-cross. If we 

 mistake not, this is iirojiosed by Mr. Goldicutt's design, which is so 

 far worthy of being adopted ; though, as for the design itself, which 

 is for a huge globe, with Nelson standing on the top of it, we cannot 

 say that it is at all to our taste. Among the more eligible designs is No. 

 36 by T. H. Nixon, a bold, sepia drawing— hung rather too high — 

 exhibiting a statue and richly-ornamented pedestal. There is also 

 much to admire in No. 4-2, by T. Bellamy, fir simple elegance of taste, 

 although it perhaps falls as much too short of adequate decoration, as 

 a great majority of the other designs err in being overloaded and 

 crowded with it. 



The subject itself is undoubtedly not a very easy one ; nor is it the 

 least difficulty attending it, that artists are left entirely to their own 

 ideas, without anything to guide them, upon an occasion where fho 

 oiilv existing precedents are confined to insulated monumental 

 columns; still we trust that, though repulsed, they will nut sit down 

 in despair, but that some one will yet produce a design that shall 

 obtain the general suffrages of the public, and of artists themselves. 



SCHOOL OF THE ANTIQUE, 



MARGARET STREET, CAVENDISH SQCARE. 



MWc took the opportimity of attenJing some of the lectures on anatomy, hy 

 jj r. S. T. Fisher, now in" course of delivery at tlie School of Design, in 



argaret street, and we cannot but express our unfeigned giatificaiion at the 

 manner iu which they are conducted. 



We have never heard a lecturer on this tranch of the arts, who, possessing 

 even greater talents and aoipiirements, afforded such a clear view of the sub. 

 ject as was presented by Mr. Fisher. He seemed to give up all that deep 

 "research and extensive "knowledge, which he evidently possessed, to devote 

 himself to the inculcation of his instructions in the plainest manner, and the 

 youngest student could not have left the lecture-room without having under- 

 stood a suliject, which men of greater name can only embarrass and confuse. 



These iustruc tious were illustrated hy most able drawings, casts, skeletons, 

 and the living model, and were condncled with a completeness worthy of an 

 institution, which both in system and material axlTantages has hardly its 

 parallel in London. 



