DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0750
686
FRENCH ARCHITECTURE.
Book TIT.
been made to replace it by still more ■vulgar iron-work, leaner and
poorer than almost anything else of modern times.
In the preceding pages, all mention of the cathedrals of Bazas and
Bourges has been purposely omitted, because they belong to a different
type from the above. The first (woodcut No. 554) is one of the most
perfect specimens of the pure Gothic style in the south of Trance. Its
noble triple portal, filled with exquisite sculpture, and its extensive
chevet, make it one of the most beautiful of its class. It shows no trace
of a transept, a peculiarity, as before pointed out, by no means un-
common in the South. This, though a defect as far as external effect
is concerned, gives great value to the intemal dimensions, the appear-
ance of length being far greater than when the view is broken by the
intersection of the transept.
This is still more striking at Bourges, where the cathedral, though
one of the finest and
largest in France,
covering 73,170
square feet, is still
one of the shortest,
being only 405 ft.
in extreme length;
yet, owing to the
central aisle being
wholly unbroken,
it appears one of
tke longest, as it
certainly is one of
the most majestic
of all. This cathe-
dral possesses also
another Southem
peculiarity of more
questionable advan-
aisles in three dif-
ferentheights. The
section (woodcut
No. 556) will ex-
plain this. Tlie cen-
tral aisle is 117 ft.
in height, those
next to it 66 ft.
high, the two outer
only 28. These last
appear to destroy
the harmory of the
whole, for on an inspection of tlie building, the outer aisles do not appear
to belong to the design, but look more like afterthouglits. At Milan,
Bologna, and other places in Italy, where this gradation is common, this
555. Plau of Cathedral at Bourges. From Girardot, Description de la
Uathedrale. Scale 100 feet to 1 inch.
FRENCH ARCHITECTURE.
Book TIT.
been made to replace it by still more ■vulgar iron-work, leaner and
poorer than almost anything else of modern times.
In the preceding pages, all mention of the cathedrals of Bazas and
Bourges has been purposely omitted, because they belong to a different
type from the above. The first (woodcut No. 554) is one of the most
perfect specimens of the pure Gothic style in the south of Trance. Its
noble triple portal, filled with exquisite sculpture, and its extensive
chevet, make it one of the most beautiful of its class. It shows no trace
of a transept, a peculiarity, as before pointed out, by no means un-
common in the South. This, though a defect as far as external effect
is concerned, gives great value to the intemal dimensions, the appear-
ance of length being far greater than when the view is broken by the
intersection of the transept.
This is still more striking at Bourges, where the cathedral, though
one of the finest and
largest in France,
covering 73,170
square feet, is still
one of the shortest,
being only 405 ft.
in extreme length;
yet, owing to the
central aisle being
wholly unbroken,
it appears one of
tke longest, as it
certainly is one of
the most majestic
of all. This cathe-
dral possesses also
another Southem
peculiarity of more
questionable advan-
aisles in three dif-
ferentheights. The
section (woodcut
No. 556) will ex-
plain this. Tlie cen-
tral aisle is 117 ft.
in height, those
next to it 66 ft.
high, the two outer
only 28. These last
appear to destroy
the harmory of the
whole, for on an inspection of tlie building, the outer aisles do not appear
to belong to the design, but look more like afterthouglits. At Milan,
Bologna, and other places in Italy, where this gradation is common, this
555. Plau of Cathedral at Bourges. From Girardot, Description de la
Uathedrale. Scale 100 feet to 1 inch.