208 ARCHITECTURE. 
theatres, not alone among the Greeks and Romans, but in modern times ; 
and there has been an effort to give them an exterior adequate to thie 
sumptuous splendor which characterizes the modern dramatic art. In the 
division of this work devoted to the Fine Arts we shall speak of the plans of 
theatres, and especially of their interior construction, and therefore will 
here record only one of the most beautiful German theatres, begun in 
1837 and finished in 1840, the theatre in Dresden, designed and executed 
by Semper (pl. 57, jig. 4), and one of the largest theatres, that of St. 
Petersburg, built about thirty years ago by Montron (fig.5, front view; 
jig. 6, ground plan). 
The appearance of the Dresden Theatre is unique in this, that its exterior 
is of the same form as the interior. The chief entrance is at the end of the 
ellipse, while the carriage portico is at the side. The upper part of the 
facade is rather heavy for the fine, light arcades of the lower. In the 
interior arrangement, the judicious distribution of the apartments, and the 
spacious vestibule and foyer, deserve unqualified praise. The latter are 
remarkable for their beautiful fresco paintings. 
The Theatre in St. Petersburg was built under the Emperor Alexander, 
and is singularly regular. By the arrangement of the rear, it is susceptible 
of being enlarged upon special occasions. As it is 360 feet deep in itself, 
enlargement is, however, very rarely required. The facade, with its eight 
Ionic columns, is imposing. 
St. Charles Theatre, in New Orleans (jig. 7), fails in its exterior, and 
may be quoted as an example of bad arrangement of the facade. The por- 
tico reaches through two stories, and is covered with a heavy gable. There 
are Corinthian columns above, ee upon high “pedestals. It is much 
too heavy for the open wall behind, which seems hardly calculated to sup- 
port the heavy superstructure. 
4. Musrums. 
During the two last centuries, the care for the better arrangement and 
preservation of objects of art, like the sense of true art, had apparently lost 
all vitality. Only recently have objects of art begun to be collected in 
buildings specially constructed for the purpose, and affording greater con- 
venience of observation and study. We have selected a few of the best 
buildings of this kind for special notice. 
The Museum in Cassel (fig. 18), which contains also the library, was 
planned by du Ry. It is 294 feet long, and its facade is decorated with 
Ionic pilasters, and has a portico of eight Ionic columns. Over the large 
round hall is a tolerably high dome, with a drum, surrounded by Corin- 
thian pilasters. Although the whole makes a pleasant impression, yet the 
details belong to a period whose predominant corrupt taste precludes the 
possibility of anything very beautiful. Nevertheless, the building has just 
claims to admiration from its perfect interior arrangement. 
King Louis L., of Bavaria, in order to collect into appropriate buildings 
208 
