Studio: international art (6.1896)

Reviews of Recent Publications

tion of Raphael's frescoes. Then the landscape- there begins a new chapter. The history of archr

painter can find magnificent motives in the Cam- tecture from the time of the fall of Old Rome till

pagna, and a climate that will permit him to work the revival of her traditions in the latter end of the

out of doors almost all the winter. Of course the Middle Ages, is the historyof a gradual revelation :

work done here is not quite "in the movement," first, of the easy adaptability of the arch to all

but Professors Costa, Carlandi, Pradilla, to mention sorts and sizes of buildings, and secondly, of its

no others, stand high in the art world. artistic possibilities.

It has been said before, and may be said again,

that every advance in science has been the signal

It is curious to note the growing influence of the for an outburst of emulous activity amongst artists,

modern British school here. Several Roman artists Mr_ Statham's remark as to this may be quoted:

went to Venice to see the international exhibition, « Everything good in architecture is the logical

and came back much interested in and impressed result of a contention with structural problems."

by the artistic seriousness of the examples shown In one of sir Gilbert Scott's Essays there is

there. French art of to-day, on the contrary, is an excellent recipe for a Church of the earlier

but little considered here. After London, Paris; christian order. Take one Greek Temple and

after Pans, Rome. work on the plan of the same. Turn this building

H. inside out so that the walls and the columns change

places. The familiar triunal arrangement of nave

R^TTT_TT_ ^TT„ and aisles is thus obtained. Put a coop at one
EVIEWS OF RECENT PUB- , , T f • . f :„
end for the chairman. Insert windows at m-
LICATIONS. tervals. Then raise the central compartment so
Architecture for General Readers. By that the windows overlook' the roofs of the aisles.
H. H. Statham. (London : Chapman The result is an edifice good enough for all ordi-
& Hall. \2s.) One can do little more in a nary municipal business, but scarcely a work of
limited space than cordially recommend a good art. It only remains to consecrate this same build-
book. In the generality of works of this descrip- ing to other and holier uses, and to call in an
tion with which we are familiar the arrangement architect. The story of the finer art of building
is geographical, ethnological, chronological, or a begins here, and will end, it may be hoped, in Mr.
jumble of all three together. The " personally con- Morris's Promised Land. From this point and
ducted " student of architecture is kept skipping onwards the general reader can have no safer guide
from country to country entirely against his own than the author of this altogether excellent and
will, and only to be told in the end that this build- much needed book, through whose aid he will come
ing and that are synchronous and therefore come by the shortest way to a well-nigh complete under -
properly into one chapter. There may after all be standing of the loveliest of architectural styles,
not the remotest relationship between them. Ernest Radford.

The prevalence of a vague and confused idea The Christ upon ihe Hill. A Ballad by Cosmo

that there have been as many distinct styles of Monkhouse. Illustrated with nine Etchings by

architecture as kingdoms in the universe is due to William Strang. (London : Smith, Elder & Co.)

such books, and it is delightful to have so sure an Price £2 2s.)—Mr. Strang's work is always

authority for saying that there are and can be but serious and always powerful, and in his illustrations

two styles. to this allegorical ballad by Mr. Monkhouse he has

" As one means towards the elucidation of the displayed a full sense of the pathos of the subject,

thought which is at the bottom of all architectural To those who are weary of the shallow prettinesses

design worth calling such," says Mr. Statham, " I of the more popular forms of modern art, and have

have given an analysis of the two most logical the eye and the mind to appreciate better things,

and complete styles that have existed, the Greek we cordially recommend this book,

and the Gothic." The Quest. No. 4. (Birmingham : G. Napier

Greek architecture, even when refined to the & Co. Price 2s. 6d.)—In the latest number of

utmost, is simplicity itself. In the bare idea of this excellent serial Mr. William Morris writes in a

two uprights and a cross-beam there is every most entertaining manner upon his " Old House

suggestion of its artistic possibilities. With the on the Upper Thames." Without any pretence of

adoption by the Romans of the arch as the domi- architectural greatness, this old country place at

nant constructive feature in all their great buildings, Kelmscott has about it a charm, shared by many
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