J847.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL* 



397 



great evil, and to equalise them would be a great good achieved. Uutil 

 the difficulties attendant upon the operations of art are understood, and un- 

 just prejudices removed— until painters in oil, water, encaustic, and fresco, 

 cease to disparage each other's work, and to exaggerate the importance of 

 their own, until all aristocracy in practice of art shall be dissipated, and 

 art, in humble garb of plaster and clay, be looked upon as kindly as if in 

 marble, until some new energy shall have swept away these prejudices, 

 as unreasonable as unjust, and a combination of artists in one emulative 

 course of comprehensive inquiry and dispassionate reasoning, shall contri- 

 bute to that one great purpose called art — we must not, it was contended, 

 look for a positive and marked progressive feature to be developed in our 

 times. It was then explained, that art being essentially based upon ideal- 

 ity, with an accurate presentment of effects in form and colour, after na- 

 ture, is constituted and regulated by certain principles in harmony with 

 the prevailing taste, education, or fashion, so as to excite pleasing emo- 

 tions ; and that it is therefore necessary to specially advance education and 

 train the mind, before the really beautiful in art can be properly appre- 

 ciated, or the genius evinced receive a just and fair criticism. Several in- 

 stances were referred to, showing the power of art in expressing clearly 

 and intelligibly to all whatever sentiment it is intended to impart, — as the 

 " Laughing Faun" and the " Dying Gladiator," in sculpture ; or the 

 " Creation of Adam," by Michael Angelo ; the "Transfiguration," by Raf- 

 faelle ; and the " Last Supper," by Leonardo da Vinci, in pictures. These 

 examples, it was said, testify to a mental or reasoning ideality, combined 

 with a skill in depicting the essence of things material, and should there- 

 fore rank far above imitative skill in the abstract. Ideality is yet more 

 severely tasked in connecting the several ideal embodiments into a grand 

 whole, or complete picture, as in the " Last Judgment," by Michael Angelo. 

 Art such as this, he said, might be called kijh art ; but the qualification 

 ought not to be attached to the works of an ordinary artist, whose vanity 

 leads him to lay a surreptitious claim to take rank under such a banner. 



The characteristics of Greek art, it was stated, are quite distinct from 

 the examples last mentioned, although both have received great and well 

 deserved admiration. The Cireeks, however, approached only to a perfect 

 embodiment of physical beauty, without evolving the attributes of the 

 higher powers of mental reasoning : this would arise simply from their pro- 

 gressive refinements being based chiefly on skilful imitation. Art had un- 

 doubtedly been extensively encouraged by the Greeks, from the great 

 number of their works ; and if, instead of pursuing the heroic vein, they 

 had sought to impart a moral purpose (expressions to be taken in their 

 broadest sense), then, indeed, would their productions have attained to a 

 truly glorious eminence. It was Mr. Dwjer's opinion that their wonder- 

 ful skill, when receiving additional purpose and meaning, would have 

 created much nobler works through their embodiment of mental attributes. 

 The frieze of the Parthenon, he contended, while he had the fullest appre- 

 ciation of its beauties, ought not to be viewed iu any other light than as a 

 production in imitative art. Nature, he said, had been so faithfully studied 

 and delineated, tliat very few inaccuracies could be discovered ; but he 

 deduced from this and the pervading similarity of features and vacant ex- 

 pression, not only that the moikls must have been of a superior class, but 

 also that the Greek artists had relied upon their powers of imitating ob- 

 jects as they were seen by them. 



The second part of this paper was read by Mr. Dwyer on October 27. 

 His plan of trealmeut sought rather to embody generally, than to judge 

 of art in its details. Simplicity with purpose constitutes perfection in 

 art; and although these are tlie most rarely developed, they are most 

 readily recognised by the public. What constitutes historical art ? Is it 

 represented by battle scenes, massacres, processions, or reviews ? He 

 thought we ought to find a combination of characteristics in persons, time, 

 and place, harmonising with the event represented, and with mental attri- 

 butes commanding reverential attention, and exciting a feeling of emulation 

 in the spectator. In painting, the accredited substitutes are too commonly 

 portraits and gatherings from old prints. The recent exhibitiou at West- 

 minster Hall, professedly of historical art, was iu point. The painting of 

 " Alfred the Great inciting the Saxons to prevent the Landing of the 

 Danes," displayed a high purpose, — an attempt to show in a simple fact 

 what our navy once was, and lead us to respect him who by his genius 

 improved the bulwarks of our country, and laid the foundation of our pre- 

 sent mercantile greatness. On the other hand, " The Battle of Meeauee" 

 could only excite a feeling of horror, and was better fitted for the Horse 

 Guards than for a decoration in the new palace at Westminster. A moral 

 lesson might he discovered in " Richard Coeur de Lion forgiving Bertrand 

 de Gourdon," — an embodiment of a noble principle in Christianity. On 

 the other hand, ''Edward's geuerosilij to the People of Calais during 

 the Siege of 1346," is too problematical. He called attention to a scriptu- 

 ral picture, by Mr. Riviere, relating to the " Seven Acts of Mercy," in 

 which the conditions of sickness, hunger, and the houseless, were expressed 

 through the means of English associations — appealing in English garb 

 to English understandings, and thus rendering art more sympathetic. 



The decorations for the new palace at Westminster, according to the 

 comprehensive system laid down by the Commissioners of Fine Arts, 

 aflford an unexampled opportunity to artists to gratify the desires of all 

 ■who venerate painting only in its noblest workings. He hoped the term 

 " decorations" would not continue as hitherto to be misunderstood and re- 

 stricted in its meaning, by artists generally, and that the time had returned 

 when all branches of the arts would be considered honoured in their appli- 

 cation as decorations. M hat has lately been the general estimation of a 

 painting on a wall ? why, mere ornamentation, whereas, if removed from 



such a position and framed as a picture, it is recognised as of fine art, or 

 high art. He further remarked that artistic works iu metal, such as 

 jewellery, kc, would, if iu marble, take rank as fine art. These false 

 distinctions, he contended, had led to an overflow of followers into certaia 

 divisions of art called professional, while in others, deemed industrial, a 

 scarcity equally evident prevails. A skilful designer for manufacturers 

 is as much an artist as the painter of landscapes or portraits, and the de- 

 signer requires for his purpose abilities both mentally and manipulatively 

 superior to the other. He pointed out Holbein, who, as a portrait painter, 

 imitated admirably, but as a designer, he invented nobly. He also named 

 Quentin Matsys. Successful works in art emanate only from a congenial 

 source, and the taste of a nation must always influence their production. 

 Whatever is truly great or practically useful is always based upon simpli- 

 city. The simple outlines of Greek and Etruscan vases, have caused, 

 perhaps, more abstruse geometrical investigations into conic sections than 

 even the planetary systems ; yet, he thought, geometry had not beeu 

 brought to assist art in their formation. 



ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. 

 Nov. 1. — Samcel Angell, Esq., V.Pi, in the Chair. 



The Chairman addressed the meeting on the occasion of the opening of 

 the new Session, and alluded to the generally improved character and style 

 of many new buildings in progress, and to the sanitary measures that now 

 so properly engage much of the public attention. He adverted to the loss 

 the Institute had sustained by'the death of Mr. George Allen, Fellow, and 

 likewise to the recent death of Mr. L. N. Cottingham, an architect whose 

 talents had justly brought him into considerable notice. 



A paper was read by Matthew Dioby Wyatt, Esq., on " Mosaics ai 

 applied to Architectural Decoration," which he illustrated by a large col- 

 lection of prints, and his original drawings and sketches of mosaics ia 

 various Italian churches, some rare Roman and Florentine mosaics, and a 

 variety of specimens of those of modern manufacture by Messrs. Minton 

 and Co., Mr. Alfred Singer, and Mr. Jeakes. 



Nov. 15. — Charles Fowler, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mons. Firmin Epellet, and Major-General Howard Vyse, M.P., wera 

 elected honorary and corresponding members. Mons. Epellet is the archi- 

 tect of the department of the Pas de Calais, and he has recently completed 

 the town-hall of St. Omer. 



Mr. T. L. Donaldson remarked on Mr. Knowles's plan of the Parthe- 

 non, which was among the drawings exhibited, that it showed ajointia 

 the pavement under the centre of each column of the naos, which is quit< 

 contrary to modern practice. Mr. Donaldson always considered that there 

 must have been some communication between the naos and the opisthodo- 

 mos, for the latter was used as the treasury, and it was necessary that the 

 priests should have access v\'ithout having to go round to the outside and 

 other end of the building. 



Sir. Penrose did not think that this hypothesis could be established, for 

 there were no signs of such a doorway in the remains of the Parthenon. 



Mr. C. H. Smith gave an account of a kind of trap or porphyritic build- 

 ing stone used in Devonshire, where Crediton church was built of it. He 

 presented specimens to the Institute. It belongs, he said, to the igneous 

 formations, and is formed chiefly of melted felspar, but having many bubbles, 

 afterwards filled up with carbonate of lime. Its colour and durability 

 vary very much. That of a light grey colour is least to be depended upon. 

 The line of bed could not, he observed, be detected, so as to atiTord any 

 inference as to its indication of the durability of the stone. He took the 

 opportunity of remarking that with respect to limestones, such as Bath 

 stone, the oolites, Caen stone, &c., setting them in the line of their beds 

 made no difl'ereuce ; it was only in the case of sandstones that any benefit 

 was gained. It is quite impossible for any person to say from an inspec- 

 tion of a block of Caen stone, what is the way of its bed. The best looking 

 stone is the least durable, and the darker the most durable ; and generally 

 speaking, the finer grained oolites are the least durable, and the coarser 

 grained the most durable. 



Mr. George Godwin called the attention of the meeting to some experi- 

 ments on Caen stone at Mr. Cubitt's. Without reference to the action of 

 the weather, a piece of Caen stone of the size of a brick, laid with the bed 

 parallel to the pressing surfaces, required a crushing force of 50 tons ; 

 another piece laid with the bed perpendicular to the pressing surfaces was 

 crushed by a force of 30 tons only. 



Mr. Ambrose Poynter thought it well worthy of notice that the mul- 

 lions in the windows of Henry the Seventh's Chapel stood, throughout, 

 contrary to the way of the bed, and yet they are in the best state of pre- 

 servation. 



The Vice-President thought this statement of Mr. Poynter's might be 

 reconciled with the experiments detailed by Mr. Godwin, for the mullions 

 had little or no weight to carry, and consequently no crushing force, while 

 they were best preserved from absorbing wet, by having the bed-line of the 

 stone placed vertically instead of horizontally. 



In the course of the discussion it was remarked that Caen stone was 

 very variable, containing hidden veins and faults, and nodules of clay, 

 which were liable to be affected by frost. 



Mr. Donaldson laid before the Institute an account of the church of 

 Santa Maria del Fiore, at Florence, and of the design for completing the 



