82 



The Country House 



The "over-door" was a feature used in most of tlie early examples, even up to 

 about a century ago. It consisted of various devices intended to connect the door 

 with the ceiling. Sometimes this took the form of the pediment; sometimes 

 columns running to the cornice enclosed elaborate panels over the door; and 

 sometimes, too, a window or transom light took the place of the panel. These 

 motives combined with the window motives in giving apparent support to the 

 cornice of the room. 



The past century introduced low doors, which were sometimes pleasing and 



more often not. The great trouble is 

 that the low doorway is simply a hole 

 in the wall, without any architectual 

 connection with the lines of the room. 

 Of course it w r ould be unwise to empha- 

 sise too strongly a door which, like a 

 closet door, was unimportant and yet 

 had to exist. 



Raphael largely influenced the 

 Italian style of his time and, in fact, 

 of the present day. Marquetry was 

 abandoned, and doors, now panelled, 

 were painted. This painting was much 

 influenced by the work of the classic 

 fresco painters. 



While Italy embraced the classic 

 tradition and made free use of it in her 

 doors and doorways, she made little 

 use of wood carving. The French, on 

 the other hand, generally avoided the 

 severe lines of the orders and adopted 

 carving to a great extent. The Italian 

 style was severely architectural, while 

 that of the French was more free and 

 buoyant. Thus the temperament of a 

 people finds expression in its art. 



Doorway of old Custom-house, Portsmouth, N. H. This 

 fine example has a touch of the Gothic in the entablature. It is 

 perhaps a little light in composition with brick. 



Architraves were usually of wood, often richly carved an entablature supported 

 by wooden brackets and the overdoor motive was sometimes a painting, a paint- 

 ing and stucco combined, or a bas-relief and carving. During the earlier Gothic 

 period France created, in this style, some delightful specimens of design and 

 wood carving, vying with the Germans in this respect. Gothic being par- 

 ticularly the style of the carver, great variety of design and conception was 

 the result. 



In the time of Louis XIV. much painting was used, and frequently 

 combined with carving in a very pleasing way. During this period, too, 

 locks and hinges became an important factor of the design, a revival of 

 the mediaeval idea. Marvellous creations in bronze and wrought iron were 

 brought forth. 



