DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29898#0449
Part II.
INTEODUCTORY.
413
the outline is sufficiently marked, it may be convenient, as the French
do, to speak of the style of the 13th century 1 as applied to their own
country. The terms they use always seem to be better than 1st, or
2nd, Middle Pointed, or even “ Geometric,” “ Decorated,” or “ Perpen-
dicular,” or such general names as neither tell the country nor the age,
nor even accurately describe the style, though when they have becomc
general it may seem pedantic to refuse to use them. The system of
using local, combined, and dynastic names has been followed in de-
scribing all the styles hitherto enumerated in this volume, and will be
followed in speaking of those which remain to be described ; and as it
is generally found to be so convenient whenever it is possible it will
be adhered to.
In order to carry out these principles, the division proposed for this
part of the subject is—
lst. To begin the history of Christian Art by tracing up the suc-
cessive developments of the earliest perfected style, the Byzantine, in
the countries lying to the eastward of the boundary line already
defined. Owing to the greater uniformity of race, the thread of
the narrative is far more easily followed to the eastward than
we shall find to the westward of the line. The Byzantine empire
remained one and undivided during the Middle Ages ; and from that
we pass by an easy gradation to Russia, where the style continued to
be practised till Peter the Great superseded it by introducing the
styles of ’Western Europe.
2nd. To treat of the early Christian style as it prevailed in Italy,
down to the age of Charlemagne, so long, in fact, as it remained a
debased Roman style influenced only by its connection with the
Eastern Empire. Continuing our description of the various phases
of the style as practised in Italy and in Istria and Dalmatia (the
two countries with which she was so intimately connected) down to
the revival of classic architecture : subdividing it into those sections
which are suggested by the predominant influence of Lombardic,
Byzantine, or Gothic art, and keeping as far as possible to a chrono-
logical sequence.
3rd. To take up the Romanesque style in France, and to follow it
through its various phases whilst it was being gradually absorbed in
the predominant impetus given to its successor, the Gothic style, by the
adoption of the pointed arch in intersecting vaulting during the 12th
century, and then its subsequent development in succeeding centuries,
till it perished under Francis I.
If this arrangement is not quite logical, it is certainly convenient,
1 As a matter of fact, 12th century
would be more exact; nearly all the
eliief problems of pointcd arch construc-
tion in intersecting yaulting having been
workcd out before the close of that
century.
INTEODUCTORY.
413
the outline is sufficiently marked, it may be convenient, as the French
do, to speak of the style of the 13th century 1 as applied to their own
country. The terms they use always seem to be better than 1st, or
2nd, Middle Pointed, or even “ Geometric,” “ Decorated,” or “ Perpen-
dicular,” or such general names as neither tell the country nor the age,
nor even accurately describe the style, though when they have becomc
general it may seem pedantic to refuse to use them. The system of
using local, combined, and dynastic names has been followed in de-
scribing all the styles hitherto enumerated in this volume, and will be
followed in speaking of those which remain to be described ; and as it
is generally found to be so convenient whenever it is possible it will
be adhered to.
In order to carry out these principles, the division proposed for this
part of the subject is—
lst. To begin the history of Christian Art by tracing up the suc-
cessive developments of the earliest perfected style, the Byzantine, in
the countries lying to the eastward of the boundary line already
defined. Owing to the greater uniformity of race, the thread of
the narrative is far more easily followed to the eastward than
we shall find to the westward of the line. The Byzantine empire
remained one and undivided during the Middle Ages ; and from that
we pass by an easy gradation to Russia, where the style continued to
be practised till Peter the Great superseded it by introducing the
styles of ’Western Europe.
2nd. To treat of the early Christian style as it prevailed in Italy,
down to the age of Charlemagne, so long, in fact, as it remained a
debased Roman style influenced only by its connection with the
Eastern Empire. Continuing our description of the various phases
of the style as practised in Italy and in Istria and Dalmatia (the
two countries with which she was so intimately connected) down to
the revival of classic architecture : subdividing it into those sections
which are suggested by the predominant influence of Lombardic,
Byzantine, or Gothic art, and keeping as far as possible to a chrono-
logical sequence.
3rd. To take up the Romanesque style in France, and to follow it
through its various phases whilst it was being gradually absorbed in
the predominant impetus given to its successor, the Gothic style, by the
adoption of the pointed arch in intersecting vaulting during the 12th
century, and then its subsequent development in succeeding centuries,
till it perished under Francis I.
If this arrangement is not quite logical, it is certainly convenient,
1 As a matter of fact, 12th century
would be more exact; nearly all the
eliief problems of pointcd arch construc-
tion in intersecting yaulting having been
workcd out before the close of that
century.