The Country House. 275 



down for the ornamenting of a country house, in Mr. Rogers's ' Invitation to a 

 Priend;' indeed, looking to his intimate knowledge of the whole circle of fine 

 arts, and, lastly, the specimen of refined taste which his own town house 

 exhibits, my beau ideal is a house decorated under his direction ; but, as this 

 cannot be obtained, I trust that you, who possess so much of his spirit and 

 refinement, will, as far as may be compatible with your engagements, afford 

 me the benefit of your assistance." (p. 51.) 



Letter XII., by Mr. Eastlake, is, in our opinion, worth more than all the 

 rest of the volume, because it lays down in the clearest manner principles 

 either self-evident or reasonable. 



The word decoration, however appropriate to fantastic ornaments, and in 

 some degree to insulated figures, has been considered vilifying when applied to 

 works that are addressed to the mind. We must be content to use it in both 

 meanings ; remembering that no work of art, however elevated, can dispense 

 with the appeal, impressive or winning, to the eje. 



As a general principle, the eye should be solely or chiefly addressed where 

 a passing glance only can be given to the work; and the attention should be 

 more taxed where leisure and surrounding circumstances permit or invite 

 contemplation. 



In art, the augmenting excellence ascends from sense to thought ; but the 

 indispensable condition is, that a gradation should still be maintained. 



Halls. In the pavement of halls, the forms and hues employed should be 

 merely calculated to gratify the sight ; mosaic histories under the feet are 

 therefore objectionable. A pavement, however decorated, should still express 

 the characters of firmness and solidity. The lowest kind of life, even that of 

 plants, and every approach to perspective, should l)e banished. Geometrical 

 forms are alone admissible : their variety is infinite ; but, even here, abrupt 

 and irregular contrasts of colour should be excluded, because they have 

 sometimes the effect of making the evenness of the surface doubtful. The 

 same remark will apply in the case of carpets and oilcloths. These principles 

 harmonise with those laid down by Pugin, as quoted in our Supplement to 

 the Encyclopcedia of Cottage Architecture, pp. 1283 — 1285. ; the difference 

 between the two authors being, that the one is guided by feeling and reason 

 conjoined, and the other (Pugin) chiefly by feeling. 



Door Sills. The ancients placed inscriptions on the threshold of the prin- 

 cipal door of the house (salve), and sometimes even on the mosaic floor of 

 the entrance to bedrooms (bene dormio) ; but 



Letters are only ornamental in architecture when disposed symmetrically, 

 and enclosed in a regular framework. 



Statues have the advantage of being seen in various points of view, and 

 thus command attention in situations where paintings could not. Bas-rehefs 

 recommend themselves from their rich effect, and, like statues, are naturally 

 connected with the classic materials of marble or bronze. In general, archi- 

 tecture seems to acquire additional solidity by the presence of sculpture. 

 Works of sculpture, of the first excellence, should be admitted to the library 

 or drawingroom. In the hall, mixing mural painting and sculpture is not 

 advisable, because the former competes injudiciously with the latter, that is, 

 with bas-reliefs. When there are statues or pedestals in a hall or corridor, 

 decorate the walls with arabesques. 



In the staircase employ either sculpture or painting, not both ; the latter is 

 preferable ; but the decoration should be entirely subservient to the architec- 

 tural effect. A great display on the walls and ceiling of a staircase might be 

 defended on tlie ground that a mere passing impression of magnificence is 

 intended ; but they generally destroy the architectural effect. Whatever ma}' 

 be the subject of a painting on a staircase, it should appear to grow out of 

 and complete the architecture. The introduction of painted figures of the 

 size of life on the walls of staircases, or, indeed, anywhere else, where living 

 figures must often come in contact with them, is in the very worst taste. The 

 entire surface of the wall ought not to be covered, because that would destroy 



T 4 



