I84i8.J 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



131 



" Institute" done towards promoting and disseminating architec- 

 tural taste among the public? The answer must he — just nothing 

 at all. The mere idea of anything of the kind does not appear to 

 have even so much as occurred to them. Nay, the " Institute' might 

 be extinguished to-morrow, and neither the art, nor the profession, 

 nor the ])ublie would miss it. Although I do not pretend to be a 

 particular admirer of the " Institute," I am, in one sense, its 

 warmest well-wisher, since most earnestly do I %vish that it would 

 signalize itself, by doing, or attempting to do, some real service to 

 architecture, as a branch of Fine Art. At present, that body is not 

 only exceedingly drowsy itself, but its torpidity has a benumbing 

 effect which extends beyond its own immediate sphere. Still, I am 

 not for having the " Institute" abolished ; but I do wish that it were 

 entirely re-constructed. If I cut it up, it is only for the purpose of 

 its being thrown into Medea's cauldron, to be resuscitated in a 

 better form, and come forth again vigorous and energetic. Or if 

 a fresh and more genial spirit — if greater activity, and greater 

 sympathy with Fine Art, can be infused into it, without resorting to 

 the ])rocess of re-construction, the sooner it be done the better. 

 VV^ere I less devoted than I am to architecture, the " Institute" 

 would not be thus reproached by me ; and if to be so enthusias- 

 tically devoted to that art, as to be quite regardless whom I ])lease 

 or offend while advocating its interests, should subject me to re- 

 proacli in return, I can endure it with far more of pride tlian of 

 shame. 



VI. The natural death of Ludwig the First of Bavaria would 

 have been many degrees less distressing than is his moral and 

 political one, by which he has terminated his career that forms an 

 epoch in the history of art, as an infatuated old dotard. Scarcely 

 ever before has so much been done by an individual prince for the 

 embellishment of his ca]iital, as has been accomplislied by Ludwig 

 for Munich ; whose name has in consequence become a familiar 

 household word in the mouths of artists throughout all Europe. 

 What other princes have done for art has been in a great measure 

 out of either ostentation or policy ; but the ex-king of Bavaria 

 seems to have been all along warmly attached to art for its own sake. 

 It was himself personally that originated the idea of, and sedulously 

 watched through their progress, monumental structures, some of 

 which would of themselves highly sufficed for recording architec- 

 turally an entire reign. No very excessive hyperbole is it to say, 

 tliat the reign of Ludwig has been equivalent to the lengthened rule 

 of a dynasty, when we compare Munich with what it was some thirty 

 years ago and now is. And )iow ! — why now, the tears shed over 

 his coffin would have been far less painful than the sigh wliich we 

 give to his folly and his fate. 



VII. There is a vast deal of prate and palaver about Propor- 

 tions, as if all beauty in architecture were referable to them 

 alone, independently of all other qualities that go to make up 

 beauty, and independently of all circumstances. It is so conveni- 

 ent to have what looks like irrefragible and authoritative doctrine, 

 and a theory so compact tliat it may be put into anutshell, or 

 carried on the tip of one's tongue, ready to dart out the magic word 

 — Proportions. Vet, so far from being on that account a simple 

 one, such theory is an exceedingly complicated and abstruse one. 

 If we ask what are beautiful Proportions, we shall be told "just" 

 ones ; when, if not satisfied with such elucidation, we return to 

 the charge and inquire what are just Proportions, we shall, perhaps, 

 be furtlier enlightened by being assured that they are those which 

 are harmonious and conduce to beauty. For the human figure and 

 otlier jinimal forms, there are standards of normal Proportions, 

 fi.xed by nature herself. But in architecture, there is no immut- 

 able standard of Proportion for any one style, much less one ap- 

 plicable to all styles alike. In the Greek orders, we find the very 

 extremes of proportion — such as could not be exceeded either way 

 without falling into deformity and disproportion — in the Psstum 

 Doric, and the slender, comparatively too ■ slender, Corinthian. 

 Yet, utterly dissimilar as they are, all the orders may be said to 

 be admirably proportioned in themselves ; which, however, instead 

 of at all simplifying the matter, only renders the subject of Pro- 

 portion the more abstruse and perplexing. The very best Propor- 

 tions are only relatively good, for differently applied they might 

 be far from pleasing, or even be absurd ; — at the utmost, only 

 average proportions, suitable for general guidance and foi ordinary 

 cases ; and so far from being abided by, such average may frequently 

 be greatly exceeded with the happiest effect. What, for instance, 

 is loftiness but an unusual degree of height in comparison with 

 breadth, or height exceeding the usual relative proportion which it 

 bears to width .'' To attempt to fix invariable Proportions by rule 

 is worse than nugatory, sinceitispositivelymischievous,anddetracts 

 from the privileges of art ; rendering that a merely mechanical pro- 

 cess which ought to be determined very differently. After all, it 



is the eye which judges of Proportions ; therefore, surely the eye 

 of the architect — supposing him to be at all wortliy of such name 

 — ought to be able to decide what are pleasing Pro])ortions quite 

 as well as that of other people. And so that they be pleasing, it 

 matters not at all liow much they deviate from ordinary routine 

 and its rules. Undue stress is laid upon Proportion, because it is 

 generally spoken of as if it were all-sufficient in itself alone, and ca- 

 pable of ensuring excellence ; whereas, it is only one element of 

 beauty in design. Besides which, the term itself is usually under- 

 stood in only a very limited meaning — namely, with reference to that 

 mechanical species of it which concerns itself with merely parts 

 and individual members or features, without that higher artistic 

 one being included in the idea of it, which regulating the whole 

 of a composition, stamps it to the eye at once as a "captivating 

 ensemble, all whose parts are in perfect keeping. That kind of 

 Proportion is quite beyond the reach of rules. I'hose wlio cannot 

 find out for tliemselves how to produce it, nmst dispense with it, 

 trusting that it will never be missed by those who are content with 

 Proportion in jiieces and bits, — by hairbreadth measurers of 

 columns and mouldings. 



VIII. Odious as the Window-tax may be as a tax, I cannot at all 

 agree with thoso who consider it, or talk as if they did consider it, 

 to operate injuriously upon architectural design. So far is ap- 

 pearance from being at all benefitted by a multiplicity or frequency 

 of windows, that the fewer tlie windows the more satisfactory is 

 external appearance ; for unless sparingly introduced, such open- 

 ings sadly interfere with breadth and repose. We certainly do not 

 find that in designs produced as specimens of their author's taste, 

 consequently comjiosed without the slightest regard to the W^indow- 

 tax, they are at all prodigal of windows. If the Window-tax be felt 

 a peculiarly onerous and oppressive one, let it by all means l)e got 

 rid of ; but in the name of common-sense, don't let its effect upon 

 architectural design be urged as a reason for its removal, because 

 if taste is to liave any voice in the matter, it might find a very 

 strong plea for the obnoxious tax being doubled, or even trebled. 

 With regard to the purpose for whicli windows are necessary at 

 all, rooms may have too much light, or too much window-surface, 

 as well as too little. The cheerfulness of a room does not depend 

 so much upon the quantity of light admitted into it, as upon many 

 other circumstances ; and foremost among them is the air of com- 

 fort, or of both combined, which it exhibits itself. Much also de- 

 pends upon situation ; for the latter may be such as to render the 

 minimum of exposure to our view of it desirable. Again, the sort 

 of cheerfulness derived from window-light is entirely dependent 

 upon the weather : if that be gloomy and cheerless, — triste and 

 dull. In dismal weather — no very great rarity, by the by, in 

 this climate, — a blazing fire is far more exhilarating than the mere 

 daylight. Of quantum of window or aperture for light in a room, 

 there may be excess just as weU as deficiency. Yet, because light 

 is indispensable, it is thought that there cannot possibly be too 

 much of it. 



IX. While some of the studies and qualifications enumerated 

 as requisite for the architect are very remotely connected with 

 either the practice or theory of his art, even if they can be said 

 to be connected with it all, others there are which are overlooked — 

 at least passed over in silence. It is difficult to repress a smile 

 when we find History and Biography included among the studies 

 which an architect ought to be conversant with — for why not Geo- 

 graphy also — more especially Poliography, or descriptions of cities 

 and tlieirpublic monuments. The quantum of History, however, is 

 so far from being formidable, that it dwindles down into a mere 

 honiEeopathic dose, — no more of it being insisted upon than what 

 relates to architecture. Just the same is it with Biography ; for 

 architectural biography is exceedingly scanty indeed, and does not 

 at all tend to encumber biographical dictionaries. Mr. Donaldson 

 points only to one source for it — to Milizia alone, without so much as 

 mentioning Temanza, Quatremere de Quincy, and Cean-Bermudez. 

 Of biography in general, it may safely be predicated tliat it is " a 

 most attractive branch of history ;" but the same cannot possibly 

 be averred of architectural biography as a particular species of it, 

 because, as it has hitherto been treated, it is particularly dry ; a 

 fault that might be forgiven, were it not also particularly ie/wn*. 

 Biography, says Mr. Donaldson, when speaking of its importance 

 to the architect, " teaches us the course by which great men have 

 attained to eminence ;" yet that cannot be said of the species of it 

 which he must be supposed to have had exclusively in view. On 

 the contrary, it leaves us wholly ignorant of the studies and 

 mental impulses to which the " eminent" in the profession have 

 been indebted for their ability, and their distinction in the art. 

 Nay, we very rarely learn what were the external matter-of-fact 

 circumstances that shaped out and attended their professional 



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