326 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



July 



the wbole mass will be in a fit state for rolling. Instead of yellow 

 metal, brass may be emploved. And the same process may be em- 

 ployed with lead and tin, the lead being first poured out, and then the 

 tin,' the proportion being four or five parts of lead and one of tin, or 

 tin and lead combined. This sheet metal will be very suitable for 

 water cisterns, &c. 



The third part of the invention is for preventing the corrosion of 

 metals, and preserving wood and other materials by combining metals 

 togetlier, and tlien applying them as a paint on the surfaces of the 

 metal or wood, wliicli paint consists of regulus of antimony and cop- 

 per, mixed together in the proportion of one part of antimony to two 

 or three of copper; to be well mixed and melted togetlier, and run 

 out into water, and afterwards dried by a gentle heat. Then about 

 two parts of oxide of copper is added, and the whole ground together 

 and moistened during grinding with naphtha, sulTicient to bring it into 

 a thick pasty state. A solution, composed of tar and naphtha in 

 equal parts, is then made, and mixed with the metallic compositions, 

 in sufficient quantity to bring the composition into u suitable state to 

 be employed as a paint. 



When preparing paints in which zinc or lead is employed, antimony 

 in the proportion of 1 J part of antimony to 1 part of zinc or lead is 

 to be used; and when tin is used, the proportion is two of antimony to 

 one of tin. These materials are to be first melted together, then 

 poured into water, and ground as before described, leaving out the 

 oxide of copper, and when ground they may be brought into the pro- 

 per state to be employed as a paint, by mixing with either a sufficient 

 quantity of oil and turpentine and suitable drying ingredients, or they 

 may be mixed with the naphtha and tar as before described. 



Another composition for the same purpose is prepared as follows:— 

 Take 30 lb. of tar, 30 lb. of pitch, 201b. of dried soot, and 41b. of 

 tallow or sperm oil, and melt the whole together, adding naphtha to 

 it in the proper quantities, so as to bring it into the suitable consis- 

 tency required for the purposes to which it is to be applied. 



Another part of the inventinn for the prevention of the corrosion 

 of mrtals, is by immersing sheets of copper or zinc, and also copper 

 and zinc nails, in a solution of muriatic acid and other materials in 

 the following proportions :— Take about 60 lb. of muriatic acid of 

 commerce, about 10 lb. of oxide or old copper, and about 3 1b. of 

 regulus of antimony, and mix the whole well together, and place the 

 sheets or nails therein, and allow them to remain for two or three 

 days — the solution being at a temperature not less than 70° Fab. 



SCHINKEL'S REMARKS ON ART, ART-CULTURE, AND 



ART-LIFE. 

 By Dit. G. F. Waagen.* 



Havin<r been called upon by many artists and art-friends to publish my 

 disconrse", uttered .m this vear's anniversary of Schinkel's birthday, I have 

 undertaken mv task tho more eagpiiv, as his remarks possess not only a 

 suhjeclive value, dprivcd as tlipy are from such a man, but may also bave a 

 great n;y>c*;iv utility for art-pupils, who earnestly desire to strengthen 

 thcnisplves in sentiment and activity. , . • 



That glonmy— vet, after all. elatins and fine feeling, of celebralins,' the 

 memory of a'nobln mind, which that unavoidable transition to higher ex- 

 istencefcalled, perhaps improperly, death) has deprived us of,— pervades, 

 I am sure, the breasts of all in this solemn meeting. A nature so rich as 

 that of Srhinkel, presents always new aspects for consideration. I intend, 

 therefore, to fix attention to some observations, which have been found 

 amongst the papers of the departed— albeit merely detached leaves ; sti 1, 

 most fit to show his character as an artist in a very clear light. I hardly 

 think it necessary to observe, that some slight inaccuracies of diction must 

 not be taken into account ; as, in the first place, the handling of the pen 

 may not be considered the very province of the forming fartist {Bddenden 

 KumtUr). What these remarks may want in this respect, a certain 

 touch of genius will greatly recompense. , ^ , . , , . i • i 



Amongst one of the most distinguishing qualities of Schinkel, by whicu 

 his great exertion in art has been caused— is bis great moral strength, 

 his healthful and spirited vivacity, his rigid, unrelaxed tendency to pro- 

 gress • on which account, nothing seemed so averse from him as the reposing 

 on one's laurels, the so much wanted otium cum dimnitatc. How inuch he 

 knew that how great were his self-imposed duties on that account, his own 

 words will best illustrate. "The conditions of a perfect existence (Ziis- 

 liauk) are real liveliness and stirringness ; phlegma, be it bodily or mimny, 

 is a suiful situation for him who lives in a civilised nation— an nnimai for 

 them who live in times of barbarism ! Only that artwork, which has en- 

 tailed the spending of noble forces, and in which appears the highest ten- 

 dency of man— a noble sacrifice of noble powers— imparts true interest 

 and edification. AVherever it is seen that a inastet^bas^takeo^hrngs^ 



"^MEinige Acuesserangen K. T. .Schinkel's uber Leben, Kunst uiid Bildung. Von Dr, 

 G.F.Woagen. Berlin: Gropius', 184i), evo. 



easily, that he has not striven after something extraordinary and novel, but 

 has abandoned himself to routine and stale and stable arl-roles-even if 

 he has succeeded in displaying all known form-beauiies-hc will not over- 

 come, it appears to me, the ennui of the beholder ; and such works, how- 

 ever superior in many respects to those of inferior minds, are nevertheless 

 unworthy of him who could have achieved more. In the physical as well 

 as art world, we are only then really living when something novel is cre- 

 ated • and wlienever we go too securely on trodden paths our exertions 

 become ambiguous, as we then have perfect knowledge of what is to be 

 done-do, therefore, something which already exists: hand e somelhuig 

 second-hand, as it weie-and repeat repetitions. ' This surely is already 

 a half dead vilality.'* Wherever we are yet uncertain, but feel the impulse 

 towards, and the presentiment of, something beautiful, which is to be pro - 

 duced-there, therefore, where we seek, we are really alive and vivified. 

 From these reflections, may be explained the often apprehensive, anxious 

 and even humble temper of the greatest talents on earUi— compared wiUi 

 the bouncing, over-bearing, and self-sufticient conlentment of the success- 

 ful and purse-proud cobbler and handicraft-man." 



These forcible expressions of Schinkel are not only most characterislic 

 of the whole artmiud of the departed— but, perhaps, never before 

 has that trepidation and hesitation, those pangs of parturition, felt in 

 the holy privacy of the man of genius- who constantly feels his aim is 

 infinite merely attained at by approximation— been so truly and con- 

 cisely expressed as here. If it has been repeatedly remarked, that one ol 

 the chief characteristics of Schinkel's art-genins ronsisled in the combina- 

 iou of the nianifold and most pregnant practical crealions tosether wilh 

 he imrelaxed study of the general and eternal laws of art- viz. theory^ 

 the ollowing extract, derived from an unpublished work of the great 

 architect will show how early he felt what others never do 



"Iperc" ied.when I began my architectural apprenticeship a great 

 treasure of forms, which, for scores of centuries past, have guided nations 

 n?he various phases of their culture, in the execution of heir buildings and 

 structures But I saw. at the same time, that our use of this treasure was 

 arbit ary and that what produced a most pleasant eflect ,n its primitive 

 usage w;s quite inappropriate in its present application to structures of 

 hi' age Especially clear became the conviction to me that in the arb>- 

 inis age. r v „■ .^s- the real cause of want of character and style in so 

 mZ:rou "d'e rn'"ftructu;es is to be sought for. It became a vital 

 TesUon wi?h me to arrive at the bottom of these anomalies ; but the deeper 

 rpenetraTed on this topic, the larger and more comprehensive it appeared 

 to me At first I fell into the error of pure, fundamenta abstraction and 

 developed the whole idea of any given structure from its nearest trivial 

 obiect and scope, and the three laws of construction. In following this 

 course drvtnd tiff works will result, wanting in freedom, and excluding 

 the ' two .^rand elements of architecture-the historical and poet cal. I 

 further°nqui.ed in how far the mere rational principle be sufficient for fix- 

 inethe mere mechanical and trivial basis o an edifice and how much 

 hfre be required of the higher influence of the historica and poetical to 

 e evite it to the conception of an art-work . It became c ear to me, that I 

 had arrived at that point iu architecture, where the real element of art is o 

 be placed which, in every other respect, ' was and would be but a trade 

 oe pidceu, '■'"'^ > ,, •. . ,, (|„,e t became clear to me, that in 



rs'^tatr.^ 't on Uhert a'tn r; other' art), the dognias of a doctrine 

 became difl^cut to be uttered, and were perhaps reducible to a culture of 

 feeltn" and intuition-qualities of the mind which c^omprehend in archi- 

 tS a very wide compass, and require to be much and most variedly 

 developed if their products are to yield great results.f I\ «PPf ".^ <o. •"<' 

 necesarv to ascertain properly the diflerent spheres in which the feelings 

 and intuition of the architect are to be developed, which will also enable 

 us properly to survey the extent of this art-branch. 



'?We iave, therefore, to consider, first, what are the desiderata of our 

 time in architecture ; secondly, a retrospect on previous periods wil show 

 v^°at has been then used for similar purposes and what of ^at (con- 

 deed in its perfection) may be useful and adequate now. Next the 

 mod ficat"ons of approved expedients are to be properly weighed It is, 

 Twfvrr chiefly necessary, that (fourtli) we mquire how imagina^^^^^ 

 to act in the assimmilation and modification of these exped.ents how, 

 thence the new product is to be treated in form and essence. This, how- 

 Tver is to be done thus, that it may still possess some historical basis, and 

 ^hat the conception of the new may arise without taking away the ,m- 

 'p're si of an architectural style-by -hich doing te c-bined feelings 

 of style and something primitive, and even ingenious, will arise in the 



""'Froin'ilds it is to be seen what general path Schinkel has traced out for 

 the budd o p esent times. But for complete success, he has pointed o 

 a seHe o abstract intuitions-from which the principles according to 

 thlc. beartis has,oact,areto be deduced. These intuitions are the 

 hiddt point of crystallisation {punctum .aliens) o( eyery mind destined 



for, or tending after, greatnes s. 



-;^„..;bV,a7, th^tlu'ch remarks a.eu„p.„fi.ab.^^^^ 



and achieve so h gh » I'"'';* ° /^^^^^^Xdly "u". Sly to\now one's own i/feriority " 

 reacli as luRh as he can. It is ""n""'"'"'^ J' ■ „„, honest, unpretending men who 



^::::^^^:itx.:::s^^^^or,Xi- -""'■''- -" p-te.ding,_[Dr. 



%°rylppear stiU nio. discouraging tban^heprenousren. 



i:r:;srii^t^rsir Ci^^£«^gc:^--- -" »- -- 



things, will be led at times, but n«ver driven.-iur. n aagcu-J 



