DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73713#0155
RAPHAEL MENGS. 150
- nor dedicated themselves to superssuous orna-
ments, and luxuries, but contented themselves
with the limits of reason, and in this medium
consists the beauty of Architecture. The foun-
dation of that art began by necessity, and srom
the use of building ; its beauty is in the charac-
ter correspondent to the end proposed in the
forms and ornaments ; and its limit is reason. The
Greeks in their beautiful times obferved all that.
The Romans,(a nation more rich and luxuriant
than the Greeks,) loaded their architecture with
ornaments, and introduced more orders, and
more divisions ; and finally lost that beautiful
simplicity and solidity, breaking oss the princi-
pal members with capricious contours. When
sinally they lost the esteem os the Belle Artsin the
Roman Empire, by being-occupied by continual
wars; and when the invasion of the Moors de-
stroyed even the principles of good taste, camethe
time which we know under that of Gothic Ar-
chitecture ; not because that tribe of barbarians
trahsported into Italy any natural style of archi-
tecture, but that they used their own buildings,
wishing to imitate without rule the ancient edi-
fices which they had themselves destroyed ;
and framing the ideas which discovered to them
their natural ignorance, and in order quickly to
iinilh their buildings, they neglected the
itudy of good taste, and of beautiful propor-
tions.
Also the translation of the Imperial residence
from Rome to Constantinople, and the division
of the Eastern and Western Empire, contributed
- nor dedicated themselves to superssuous orna-
ments, and luxuries, but contented themselves
with the limits of reason, and in this medium
consists the beauty of Architecture. The foun-
dation of that art began by necessity, and srom
the use of building ; its beauty is in the charac-
ter correspondent to the end proposed in the
forms and ornaments ; and its limit is reason. The
Greeks in their beautiful times obferved all that.
The Romans,(a nation more rich and luxuriant
than the Greeks,) loaded their architecture with
ornaments, and introduced more orders, and
more divisions ; and finally lost that beautiful
simplicity and solidity, breaking oss the princi-
pal members with capricious contours. When
sinally they lost the esteem os the Belle Artsin the
Roman Empire, by being-occupied by continual
wars; and when the invasion of the Moors de-
stroyed even the principles of good taste, camethe
time which we know under that of Gothic Ar-
chitecture ; not because that tribe of barbarians
trahsported into Italy any natural style of archi-
tecture, but that they used their own buildings,
wishing to imitate without rule the ancient edi-
fices which they had themselves destroyed ;
and framing the ideas which discovered to them
their natural ignorance, and in order quickly to
iinilh their buildings, they neglected the
itudy of good taste, and of beautiful propor-
tions.
Also the translation of the Imperial residence
from Rome to Constantinople, and the division
of the Eastern and Western Empire, contributed