iS;39.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



S>17 



lias scarcely ever aeliieved iiiiythiiiLf more elaborate and gorgeous 

 than the interior ol' the cdilice of wliicli we are here ]irescntcd with 

 a specimen. Yet, gorgeous as are the elements ol" this style of 

 decoration, it is so far frunr being dclieient in harmony that even its 

 multiple variety resolves itself into a unity of expression. Pro- 

 digious must; have been the labour of such performance —scarcely 

 less prodigious must be tlic enthusiasm which prompted its author 

 to engage in it. Still, thougli thus far disposed to award him un- 

 qualified commendation for his exertions, we nmst remark that we 

 should have been belter pleased with his work upon the whole, luuUhe 

 general effect been less hard. Besides which, the merit of the draw- 

 ing as a work of art, is greatly impaired by gold itself being made 

 use of instead of the ell'ect of gilding being produced by colour. 

 Hence, altbongh there can be no nii-.take as to what is intended for 

 gilding, the brilliancy and sparkle of it are quite lost, the metallic 

 lustre showing itself only as tlie eye happens to catch the surface in 

 a particular direction. Actual gilding is allowable enough in mere 

 patterns of detail, because there it cannot possibly be expressed by 

 colouralone; for iustaiu-c, such asidijeet asNo. 1131 (the "Northside 

 of the Gilt Kooni Holland House," by J. C. Richardson), which is a 

 mere elevation ; but when ajiplied to what pretend to be pictures, it 

 becomes qnile contradictory to artist-like treatment. That all the 

 effect of gilding is attainable even in water-colour drawings, would 

 lie sufficiently proved by Zanth's interior of the Chapel lioyal at 

 Palermo, the Cathedral of Monreale, &-c., exhibited last year at 

 the institute; and which, though possessing greater breadth of effect, 

 were still more highly finished than this drawing by Mr. Jones. 



There are one or two other interiors, yet so utterly^ insignificant 

 and devoid of merit as drawings, as to be rather injiu'ious tliau not 

 to the exhibition, since the titles of them in the catalogue serve only 

 to excite expectations that are miserably disappointed by the things 

 themselves. Wretched as is the taste shown in the " Library at 

 Strawberry Hill," which forms the subject of No. I15ti, still an 

 artist miglit havi.' conferred on it sosne pictorial value ; instead of 

 which its want of beauty is here rendered positive ugliness. Auain. 

 when we look at No. lI9o, " Inlerno della Easilica di S. Pietro," 

 we are almost bewildered, an<l ask ourselve,-. hoiv it is possible that 

 such trumpery and paltriness, such utter insigniticance as arc there 

 manifested, can be received as a representation of the Roman 

 Basilica, whicli w ith all its gross vices and defects, is at least magni- 

 ficent. This drawing has, moreover, not the slightest pretension to 

 novelty of subject, the only thing that could have excused its utter 

 want of merit in all other respects. Such excuse, however, does 

 exist for No. 1211, " Perspective of the Interior of the Church of the 

 Madeleine at Paris, from actual measurement," by C. J. Pierce. 

 We cannot contradict this drawing's being made from actual 

 measurement ; but we may be allowed to question the utility of 

 actual measurement, if it is to give us sucli persjiective as here 

 makes the skylight of the central dome in a plane inclined to that of 

 the picture ? Either measurement or perspective, perhaps both, 

 are notoriously at fault here. In other respects, too, the drawing 

 evidently does not do justice to the subject; therefore the most that 

 can be said in its favour, is that it serves to convey some idea of the 

 design and style of decoration of the building itself, which is not 

 witliout rielmess in its genera! character. 



Other interiors there are none ; not a single original design of the 

 kind — for that from Goldsmiths' Hall hardly answers to such 

 character, being a view of an executed design, not an idea that 

 remains to be embodied. How it happens that there are invari.ably 

 so exceedingly few subjects of this class, either designs or views, we 

 are so far from being able to explain that we cannot even conjecture ; 

 for when we ccmsider the vast scope they afford, the variety and 

 novelty of which they admit, the abstincncemanifested with regard to 

 them becomes only all the more unaccountable. We may, indeed, 

 guess at one or two reasons — one of which is that they rcijuire some- 

 thing more than that kind of jiutting parts together by which an 

 elevation may be concocted out of architectural points. Some may 

 perhaps think that if subjects of this class are so rare, it is because 

 there are very few opportunities for interior display, cither on a 

 superior scale, or demanding superior quality. It may be so; but 

 then how are we to account for the exceeding strange, out-of-the- 

 way, and impracticable designs, of which there are not a few in 

 almost eveiy exhibition — senate houses, palaces, mausoleums, and 

 other things of that sort ; and which are besides seldom better than 

 architectural bombast — the most common-place ideas wrapped up in 

 extravagant pretension ? 



No. uro, " Elevaticm of the principal Front of a design for a 

 College," by W. Nicld, is ,an affair of the sort; and No. 1205, termed 

 (n'e di) not understand why), "A //on'co/ifa/ Section of a design for 

 a Museum," is another; — a museum with the dome of St. Paul's 

 raised upon it ! The more lavish exaggeration lliuu real grantknu- 



and richness manifested in designs of this class, becomes quite pre- 

 posterous when compared with the [larsiinony which marks those 

 intended for actual execution Hardly can they be sai<l to have any 

 value even as mere studies, because they evidently set at dtliance all 

 idea of practicability; whereas the object of studies ought lobe to 

 show how charater and cll'cct may be infused into the simplest ele- 

 ments. The juxtaposition of the draw ings, No. 1 IG'J and 1 170, is no 

 doubt entirely acciilental, but it serves to convince us of the prodi- 

 gious difference between the romance iind the redliti) of architecture ; 

 for while Mr. Nield's is one mass of carving and sculpture, Mr. 

 Raillon's "Residence now erecting at Ripon'for the Bishop of the 

 Diocese,'' is so very homely ;ind unpretending a building, that, 

 unless informed by the catalogue, no one would suspect it to be in- 

 tended for an episcopal palace. Yet, though its extreme plainness 

 might be exacted by rigorous economy, it was not economy that 

 prevented the architect from imparting to it more nobleness and 

 more character — it excluded neither variety of outline nor piquancy 

 of expression; whereas there is nothing whatever either in the con- 

 ception or treatment that indicates any ability on the part of the 

 architect. On the contrary, even as a mere house— one that might 

 have served well enough in the days of Gothic Wyattism, it looks as 

 if merely set down in a held. 



Angels and ministers of grace defend us ! Oh Royal Academy ! 

 Oh poor architecture ! to w'hat pass must you both become, wdien we 

 are permitted to behold such an enormity as No. UTd. " The Ship, 

 Torbay Tavern,'' (situate at the corner of the new street, and the 

 Greenwich I'ier, as erected from the design of Mr. Thomas Finden, 

 by G.Mayhcw! Besides Mr. G. Mayhew, no one would have set 

 down to make the likeness of such a design. 



After that drawing it is absolutely refreshing to look at No. I2I;3 

 " Eagle Tavern, City-road," by P. S. Paunet ; which independently 

 of such comparison, is really not without considerable merit ; in fact 

 in much beflertaste than many thmgs, onlhe side of which the supe- 

 riority ought to lie: but if w'e mistake not, there are one or two 

 minor dillercnces beiwecu this drawing and the buildhig itself. 

 Well, ;u length we are come to a turning, and have lighted upon 

 something we arc disposed to commend. We cannot bestow any 

 compliment on No. 108'J, ■• Design the Entrance Front to the St. 

 Elhelburga Society Cliarity Schools," by W. Grellier, but willingly 

 admit that he has shown' some ability in No. lOJl, "The Norili 

 M'ing of the Tilers' and I5ricklayers' Company's Almhouses, Ball',-, 

 Pond," which as hero vepresented, although very plain and humble 

 as to style, possesses much propriety of character, and pictiiresque- 

 ness of'etVcct ; at the same time we question whether the building 

 itself will produce anything like the effect given to it in this richly 

 coloured drawing ; it being not at all unlikely that what i.s here 

 rendered attractive, may in reality have a poor appearance in the 

 building itself. Nos. 1106 and 7, " The West of London and West 

 ininstcr Cenictry, Earl's Court," by B. Baud, is more striking at the 

 first view than it is satisfactory when it conies to be inspected. The 

 general arrangement and plan, which bear some similarity to an 

 ancient hippodrome, are well calculated for architectural effect, but 

 the style itself, and the design of the elevation, are poor. We may 

 here notice Allom's model of a design for the same purpose in the 

 Italian style, consisting of three chapels placed u.pou a terrace, and 

 connected by open arcades, enclosing three sides of a court, at the 

 inner angles of which,' are towers rising above the other buildings. 

 The whole is well combined, and forms a rich architectural group, 

 the picturesipieness of which is considerably enhanced by the por- 

 ticoes of the two lesser chapels Iieing turned towards the court, so as 

 to face each other, and show thems'clves in flank, while the larger 

 one of the central chapel is seen in front. This design we should 

 conceive, would be more economic than the one w^hich it seems has 

 been adopted ; because although the buildings themselves are more 

 rich, they do not extend over so much space. >Ve perceive by the 

 catalogue there is a third design for the same purpose. No. 1134, by 

 H. Case ; but having overlooked it can say nothing at present as to 

 itsmeribs. Another subject of the same kind, and very similar in 

 style, though different in composition, is No, I 'iti I, '"Intended Chapels 

 at the Rochester and Chatham General Cemetery," H. E. Kendall. 

 This has a lofty Italian tower in the centre, with an arcade extending 

 on either hand from it to one of the chapels. No. 1 186, ■• Pcasmorsh, 

 Sussex, now erecting for Dr. Buckland," W. S. Douthorn, is one of 

 the best designs of its class in the room. The next No. 1187, 

 '• Design for the facade of a Chapel in the style practised liy the 

 scholars of Giotto, in Upper Italy ; intended to illustrate the poly- 

 chromatic, decoration of the end of the 14th century," W. Dyce, 

 is carefully executed, and owing to the singularity of its subject, a 

 rather striking drawing, but being merely an elevation without back- 

 ground, it Aoea not enable us to judge of the actual effect attending 

 such juotk of decoration. 



