1841.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



3D3 



are as little in want of foreign artists to represent our history and express 

 our feelings, as of foreign soldiers to defend our liberties. Even the question 

 of ability (allliough that ability is not to be doubted for a moment) is uninv 

 portant ; for, to trust to our own resources should be, under any eircum- 

 gtances, the only course. Ability, if wanting, would of necessity follow. 

 Many may renienilicr the time, before the British army had opportunities to 

 distinguitsh itself, when continental scoffers atfected to despise our pret'-n- 

 sions to military skill. In the arts as in arms, discipline, practice, ami oppor- 

 tunity are necessary to the acquisition of skill and confidence; in both a 

 beginning is to be made, and want of experience may occasion failure at first; 

 but nothing could lead to failure in both more effectually than the absence 

 of sympathy and moral support on the part of the country. Other nations, 

 it may be observed, think their artists, whatever may be their real claims, 

 the first in the world, and this partiality is unquestionably one of the chief 

 causes of whatever e.tcellence they attain. It is someTimes mortifying to find 

 that foreigners are more just to English artists than tlic English themselves 

 are. Many of our artists who have settled or occasionally painted in Italy, 

 Germany, Russia, and even in France, have been highly esteemed and em- 

 plcyed. The Germans especially are great admirers of English art, and a 

 picture by Wilkie has long graced the Gallery of Munich. 



If, however, we are to look to the Germans, the first quality which invites 

 cur itnitation is tlieir patriotism. It may or may not follow, that the mode 

 of encouraging native art which is now attracting attention at Munich is fit 

 to be adopted here. We have seen that a considerable degree of imitation 

 of early precedents is mixed up with the German efforts ; this of itself is 

 hardly to be defended, but the imitation of that imitation, without sharing 

 its inspiring feeling, would be utterly useless as well as humiliating. The 

 question of fresco painting is in like manner to be considered on its own 

 merits, without reference to what the Germans have done, except as an ex- 

 periment with regard to climate. The fresco painters of Munich geneially 

 work on the walls from May to September oidy ; the greater part of tlie year 

 is thus devoted to the preparation of the cartoons. Five months in the year 

 "would probably I)e the longest period in which it would be possible to jiaint 

 in fresco in London. But assuming tlie new Houses of Parliament to be 

 thus decorated, and that the works could not be completed before the rooms 

 would be wanted, the paintings could he continued annually in the autumn 

 vrithout inconvenience. The climate of England and Germany might in some 

 respec'rj be more favourable to the practice of fresco than Italy. The surface 

 of the wall is in the fittest state to receive the colours when it will liarely 

 receive the impression of the finger (when more moist, the ultimate effect of 

 the painting is faint) ; this supposes the necessity of a very rapid execution 

 in a warm climate, where the plaster would dry more quickly. 



Fresco painting, as a durable and immoveable docoration, can only be fitly 

 applied to buildings of a permanent character. Not only capricious altera- 

 tions, but even repairs cannot be attempted without destroying the paintings. 

 There can be no doubt that the general introduction of such decorations 

 would lead to a more solid style of nrchitectiu-e; at the same time the im- 

 possibility of change would be considered by many as an objection. This 

 objection would not, however, apply to public buildings. In case of fire, 

 frescos would no doubt be more or less injured or ruined, but they might not 

 be so utterly effaced and destroyed as oil pictures in the same circumstances 

 would be. On the whole, the smoke of London might be found less preju- 

 dicial than that of the candles in Italian churches. The Last Judgment of 

 Michael Angelo could hardly have suffered more in three centuries from coal 

 fires than from the church ceremonies, which have hastened its ruin. The 

 superior brilliancy (looking at this quality alone) of frescos which adorn the 

 galleries of private houses, where they have not been exposed to such in- 

 jurious influences, is very remarkable ; as, for example, in the Tarnese ceiling. 

 The occasional unsound state of some walls, even in buildings of the most 

 solid constiuction in Uome, is to be attributed to slight but frequent shocks 

 of earthquake. A ceiling painted, by one of the scholars of the Carracci in 

 the Costaguli Palace in Rome, fell from this cause. Such disadvantages 

 Blight fairly be set against any that are to be apprehended in London. With 

 regard to the modes of cleaning fresco, the description of the method adopted 

 by Carlo Maratti in cleaning Raphael's frescos when blackened with smoke 

 happens to be preserved ; but no doubt modern chemistry could suggest the 

 best possible m'^^ans. 



The general qualities in art which fresco demamls, as well as those which 

 are less compatible with it, have been already considered. It may be assumed 

 that it is fittest for public and extensive works. Public works, whether con- 

 nected with religion or patriotism, are the most calculated to advance the 

 character of the art, for as they are addressed to the mass of mankind, or at 

 least to the mass of a nation, they must be dignified. Existing works of the 

 kind may be more or less interesting, but there are scarcely any that are 

 trivial or burlesque. This moral dignity is soon associated in the mind of 

 the artist with a corresponding grandeur of appearance, and his attention is 

 thus invohmtarily directed to the higher principles of his art. In my evi- 

 dence, I expressed the opinion that alttiough a given series of frescos must 

 be under the control of one artist, it would be quite possilde to combine this 

 very necessaiy condition with the employment of a sufBrient number of com- 

 petent artists by subdividing the general tiieme. Thu<, if we suppose the 

 general subject to be Legislation, it might combine the symbolic and drama- 

 tic styles, and even subjects of animated action. It might be subdivided, for 

 example, into the history and progress of legislation, founded on religion and 

 morals, and producing its effects in peace and war j exemplified in the one by 



industry .and commercial enterprise, in the other by instances of the courage 

 which results from a due appreciation of natic.nai benefits, and the feelings of 

 loyalty and patriotism. Any subject of great and universal human or na- 

 tional interest might be made equally comprehensive. It has been assumed 

 that the practice of fresco vjould be beneficial to English artists techuically; 

 we proceed to consider how it would affect them in other respects. 



The painters employed on an extensive series of frescos would have to de- 

 vote a considerable portion of their lives to the object. Such an undertaking 

 would require great perseverance on their part. It is needless to say that 

 they ought not to encounter any impatience or want of confidence om the 

 p.irt of their employers : the tri.d should be a fair one. It would hardly be 

 possible for the artists to undertake any oil iiictures while so employed, and 

 I confess I have some fears that, when debarred from the exercise of oil- 

 painting, and confined to a severer and drier occupation, they might find their 

 task irksome. One of the first artists at Munich, in writing to me not long 

 since, said he sighed to return to oil-painting. If the German fresco painters 

 can feel this regret at giving up their first occupation, for so many years, it 

 may be supposed that the Knglish artists would exjierience such a feeling ia 

 a greater degree. When the King of Bavaria honoured me with a visit in 

 Rome, he told ine he had made an arraitgemeiit witii Schnorr, and had given 

 him employment in fresco for ten years : that excellent artist has now been 

 occupied at Munich in public works for a much longer period. No hopes 

 could be held out to the princip.Tl painters that they would find time for oil- 

 painting as well, for their designs and cartoons would take up all their spare 

 time. After a few years, when assistants were well formed, more leisure 

 might be gained, and it was under these circumstances that Raidiael painted 

 in oil when employed by Julius the Second in Rome; but for the first three 

 years after he began the frescos in the Vatican, he confined himself entirely 

 to those labours ; and Michael Angelo, as is well known, painted the ceiling 

 of the Cappella Sislina alone. 



The more general practice was however to employ assistants, and this is 

 one of the serious considerations connected with the present inquiry. Owing 

 to the self-educating system of painters in this country, the younger artists 

 are more independent than they are elsewhere, and they might have some 

 reluctance to co-operate in works in which their best efl'orts would only con- 

 tribute to the fame of the artist under wiioin they worked. In Italy, and in 

 recent times in Germany, this subordination was, however, not felt to be irk- 

 some, and the best scholars were naturally soon intrusted with independent 

 works. It is possible the talents thus created would be employed to decorate 

 private houses, but the Government would incur a sort of obligation not to 

 leave a school thus formed unemployed, especially as the artists, from want 

 of practice, might be less able to cope with those who had been exclusively 

 employed in oil-painting. The result, however, might be that the school 

 would gain in design, at some sacrifice of the more refined technical processes 

 in colouring, in which the English painters now excel their Continental rivals. 

 It is true some Italian painters, for example, Andrea del Sarto, the Carracci 

 and their scholars, were equally skilful in oil and in fresco. The earlier mas- 

 ters were, however generally stronger iu the latter; and Sir Joshua Reynolds 

 observes that Raphael was a better painter iu fresco than in oil. — Athenaum, 



PROCEEBSKGS OF SGSEWTIFIC SOCIETISS. 



INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. 

 May II. — (continved.J 



" Exjierimmfs on the strength of Brick and Tile Arch's," By Thomas 

 Cubitt, Assoc. Inst. C. E. 



In the course of his extensive building engagements, the author had oc- 

 casion to construct some fire-proof floors ; he therefore wished to ascertain 

 how the greatest amount of strength could be attained, with a due regard to 

 the space occupied, and the cost of the structure. 



Two arches were built, each with a span of 15 feet 9 inches, and a rise of 

 2 feet. 



The brick arch was 2 feet wide, and composed of half a brick in thickness, 

 with cement. 



The tile arch was 2 feet 4 inches wide, and built of 4 tiles, set in cement, 

 forming a thickness of 4J- inches. 



The spandrels of the arches were filled up level to the crown with rubble 

 work and cement. A load of dry bricks was placed along the centre of both 

 arches, and gradually increased at stated periods, from 12 cwt. 3 qrs. up to 

 lliO cwt. at the end of 75 days, when the abutments of the brick arch gave 

 way ; and the tile arch broke down while loading. 



the deflection at three points is given in a tabular form ; and although, 

 from the circumstance of there having been no tie bars across- the arches, 

 the experiments cannot be considered satisfactory, they are valuable, as sup- 

 plying data hitherto rarely recorded. 



Drawings of the arches accompanied the paper. 



" Descriplmi of a Stone Bridge on the Middlesborovgh Railway." — By 

 John Harris, M. Inst. C. E. 



The bridge described in this communication is only remarkable for the 

 flatness of the arch, the rise being 5 feet for a span of 30 feet. 



