DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0368
304
EOMAN ARCHITECTURE.
Book YII.
over-ornamentation, is so well arranged as to appear just suited to the
work it kas to do. The acantkus-leaves, it is true, go to the very verge
of that degree of direct imitation of nature which is allowakle in archi-
tectural ornaments ; hut tkey are disposed so formally, and there still
remains so much that is conventional in them, that, though an extreme
example, they are not perhaps justly open to criticism on this account.
The entahlature is not so admirahle as the column. The architrave
is too rickly carved. It is evident, however, that this arose from the
art-ist having copied in carving what the Greeks had only painted, and
thus produced a complexity far from pleasing.
The frieze, as we now find it, is perfectly plain; hut this undoubt-
edly was not the case when originally erected. It either must have
heen painted (in which case the whole order of course was also
painted), or ornamented with scrolls or figures in hronze, which may
prohahly have heen gilt.
The cornice is perhaps open to the sarne criticism as the architrave,
of being over rich, though this evidently arose from the same cause, of
repeating in carving wliat- ought only to he painted; and to our
northern eyes at least it looks more appropiiate for intemal than for
external arckitecture, hut, under the purer skies where it was invented
and used, this remark is perhaps hardly applicable.
The order of the portico of the Pantheon is, according to our notions,
a nohler specimen of what an extemal pillar should he tkan that of
the Temple of Jupiter Stator. The shafts are of one block, unfluted;
the capital plainer; and the whole entahlature, though as correctly
proportional, is far less ornamented, so as to suit the greater simplicity
of the whole.
The order of the Temple of Antoninus and Paustina is another
example intermediate hetween these two. The columns are in this
instance very similar to those of the Pantheon, and the architrave is
plain. The frieze, liowever, is ornamented with more taste than any
ot.her in Rome, and is a very pleasing example of those conventional
representations of plants and animals wliich are so well suited to archi-
tectural purposes—more like nature than those of the Greeks, hut stiil
avoiding direct imitation sufficiently to prevent the affectation of the
ornament pretending to appear what it is not and cannot he.
The Maison Quarree atNismes presents an example of afrieze orna-
mented with exquisite taste, while at Baalbec, and in some other ex-
amples, we have friezes so over-ornamented that the effect is far more
offensive, from utter want of repose, than even the haldness of the
frieze of the Temple of Jupiter Stator in its present state is, from the
opposite extreme.
Besides t-hese there are at least 50 varieties of Corinthian oapitals
tohe found either in Rome or in various parts of the Roman Empire,
all executed within the three centnries during which Rome continued
to he the Imperial cit.y. Some of these are remarkahle for an elogant
simplicity, evidcntly hetraying the hand of a Grecian artist, hut somo
of them sliow a lavish exuherance of omament, too characteristic of
Roman art. in general. Many of them contain, however, the germs of
EOMAN ARCHITECTURE.
Book YII.
over-ornamentation, is so well arranged as to appear just suited to the
work it kas to do. The acantkus-leaves, it is true, go to the very verge
of that degree of direct imitation of nature which is allowakle in archi-
tectural ornaments ; hut tkey are disposed so formally, and there still
remains so much that is conventional in them, that, though an extreme
example, they are not perhaps justly open to criticism on this account.
The entahlature is not so admirahle as the column. The architrave
is too rickly carved. It is evident, however, that this arose from the
art-ist having copied in carving what the Greeks had only painted, and
thus produced a complexity far from pleasing.
The frieze, as we now find it, is perfectly plain; hut this undoubt-
edly was not the case when originally erected. It either must have
heen painted (in which case the whole order of course was also
painted), or ornamented with scrolls or figures in hronze, which may
prohahly have heen gilt.
The cornice is perhaps open to the sarne criticism as the architrave,
of being over rich, though this evidently arose from the same cause, of
repeating in carving wliat- ought only to he painted; and to our
northern eyes at least it looks more appropiiate for intemal than for
external arckitecture, hut, under the purer skies where it was invented
and used, this remark is perhaps hardly applicable.
The order of the portico of the Pantheon is, according to our notions,
a nohler specimen of what an extemal pillar should he tkan that of
the Temple of Jupiter Stator. The shafts are of one block, unfluted;
the capital plainer; and the whole entahlature, though as correctly
proportional, is far less ornamented, so as to suit the greater simplicity
of the whole.
The order of the Temple of Antoninus and Paustina is another
example intermediate hetween these two. The columns are in this
instance very similar to those of the Pantheon, and the architrave is
plain. The frieze, liowever, is ornamented with more taste than any
ot.her in Rome, and is a very pleasing example of those conventional
representations of plants and animals wliich are so well suited to archi-
tectural purposes—more like nature than those of the Greeks, hut stiil
avoiding direct imitation sufficiently to prevent the affectation of the
ornament pretending to appear what it is not and cannot he.
The Maison Quarree atNismes presents an example of afrieze orna-
mented with exquisite taste, while at Baalbec, and in some other ex-
amples, we have friezes so over-ornamented that the effect is far more
offensive, from utter want of repose, than even the haldness of the
frieze of the Temple of Jupiter Stator in its present state is, from the
opposite extreme.
Besides t-hese there are at least 50 varieties of Corinthian oapitals
tohe found either in Rome or in various parts of the Roman Empire,
all executed within the three centnries during which Rome continued
to he the Imperial cit.y. Some of these are remarkahle for an elogant
simplicity, evidcntly hetraying the hand of a Grecian artist, hut somo
of them sliow a lavish exuherance of omament, too characteristic of
Roman art. in general. Many of them contain, however, the germs of