INDEX OF SUBJECTS.
Advice to Young Architects
Aitchison, Prof., Advice to Young Architects
Altamura, Basilica at,
Ango, Manoir d'
Apulia, Doorways from
" Windows from
Architectural Education
Architectural Schools
Columbia College
Harvard University
Mass. Inst. of Technology
Ateliers in New York City
Athens, Erechtheion, Cap and Base from
" Parthenon, Cap from
" Propylæa "
Bari, Cathedral of, Window in
" S. Gregorio, Window in
Beaux-Arts Architects, Society of
Bittonto, Cathedral, Window in
" Window in
Boston Public Library, Decoration of
Building Exhibit
Byzantine-Romanesque Doorways
Byzantine-Romanesque Windows
Capitals, Monreale
" Ravenna
Case, John W., Hints to Draughtsmen
Catalogues of Exhibitions
Clark Medal Competition
Cleveland Architectural Club
Cloister of Monreale
Club Notes
Architectural Club of Lehigh University
Architectural Club of San Francisco
Architectural League of New York
Art League, Milwaukee
Baltimore Architectural Club
Boston Architectural Club
Buffalo Chapter A.I.A.
Chicago Architectural Club
Cincinnati Architectural Club
Cleveland Architectural Sketch Club
Denver Architectural Sketch Club
Detroit Architectural Sketch Club
"P.D.'s"
Rochester Sketch Club
Sketch Club of New York
Society of Beaux-Arts Architects
St. Louis Architectural Club
St. Paul Architectural Sketch Club
T Square Club, Philadelphia
Columbia College
Competition for Advertising Design
Competitions, Awards in
Competitions, Brochure Series
" " " No. 1,
" " " No. 2,
" " " No. 3,
Conversano, Doorway of Cathedral
Cosmaiti Work
Country Houses of Normandy
Country Houses, English
Doorways, Byzantine-Romanesque
Ecole des Beaux-Arts, diplomas
England.
Hanover, Old Houses
Lythe Hill
Mayfield, Sussex, Middle House
Saintesbury Hall
Smithells
Speke Hall
Stokesay Castle
Worsley, Old Hall
English Country Houses
Epidauros, Tholos, Cap and Fragment from
Farmhouses, French
Florence, Baptistery, Pavement from
" Palazzo Guadagni, Lantern from
" S. Miniato, Pavement from
" Strozzi Palace, Lantern from
Florentine Pavements
Gothic Palaces of Venice
Greek Detail, Fragments of
Harvard University
Hints to Draughtsmen
Italian Wrought Iron
Lanterns, Wrought Iron
Lucca, Palazzo Brocella, Lantern from
" " Baroni " "
Mass. Institute of Technology
Messina, Cathedral, Pulpit
Monreale, The Cloister of
Mosaic Floors, Modern
Mosaic Work
Normandy, Ferme de Turpe
" Ferme la Vallauine
" Manoir at Archelles
" Manoir d' Ango
" Manoir de Vitanval
" Porch of Church at Beuvreil
Pavements, Two Florentine
Palermo, Capella Palatina, Pulpit in
"P.D.'s" The
Perugia, Chamber of Commerce, Panel from
" Renaissance Panels from
" S. Pietro, Panels from
Personals
Piano Case, Competition for
Pulpits of Southern Italy
Ravello, Cathedral, Pulpit and Ambo in
" S. Giovanni, Pulpit in
Ravenna
Museum of Acad. Bel. Arti, Cap from
S. Vitale, Caps from
Ravenna Capitals
Reproduction of Architect's Drawings
Roman Scholarship
Rome, American School of Architecture at
Rome, S. Lorenzo Fuori, Ambo in
Rotch, Arthur, Bequest of
Rotch Scholars, C.H. Blackall
Rotch Travelling Scholarship
Salerno, Cathedral, Ambo and Pulpit in
Siena, Wrought Iron Torch Bearers from
Terlizzi, Entrance to Church of the Rosary
Torch Bearers, Wrought Iron
Trade Notes
Trani, Doorway of Cathedral
" " Madonna di Loreto
Turpe, Ferme de
Venetian Palaces
Venice
Ca D'Oro
Ducal Palace
Palazzo Cavalli
" " Window-tracery in
Palazzo Cicogna, Window-tracery in
Palazzo Contarini Fasan
Palazzo Pisani
Windows, Byzantine-Romanesque
Wood Floors
Wrought Iron, Italian
THE BROCHURE SERIES
OF ARCHITECTURAL ILLUSTRATION.
| VOL. I. | JANUARY, 1895. | No. I. |
THE GOTHIC PALACES OF VENICE.
The location of Venice upon a group of islands, sufficiently removed from the mainland to make it impossible to effectually attack it from this side, and naturally defended on the side towards the sea by a long chain of low islands, separated by shallow inlets and winding channels, making it difficult to approach, has rendered the city peculiarly free from the disturbing influences which were constantly at work in the neighboring cities of Italy during the Middle Ages. While her neighbors were building strong encircling walls, each individual house a fortress in itself, Venice rested secure in her natural defences and built her palaces open down to the water's edge, with no attempt at fortification. Her hardy and adventurous inhabitants rapidly extended their trade to all quarters of the world and accumulated vast wealth, which was freely lavished on public and private buildings. The magnificence of the former was only equalled in the days of ancient Rome, and it is doubtful if the latter have ever been surpassed in sumptuousness and splendor. The palaces of Venice form an architectural group of great interest, in many respects quite distinct from the contemporary buildings on the mainland. They were carefully planned to satisfy the demands for comfort and convenience as well as display. Most of them have the same arrangement of plan, and were commonly built of two lofty and two low stories. On the ground floor, or water level, is a hall running back from the gate to a bit of garden at the other side of the palace, and on either side of this hall, which was hung with the family trophies of the chase and war, are the porter's lodge and gondoliers' rooms. On the first and second stories are the family apartments, opening on either side from great halls, of the same extent as that below, but with loftier roofs, of heavy rafters gilded or painted. The fourth floor is of the same arrangement, but has a lower roof, and was devoted to the better class of servants. Of the two stories used by the family, the third is the loftier and airier, and was occupied in summer; the second was the winter apartment. On either hand the rooms open in suites. The courtyard at the rear usually had a well in its centre with an ornamental curb; and access to the upper floors of the house was gained by an exterior staircase in the court, which was often elaborately enriched with carved ornament.
The materials used in construction are mostly red and white marbles, used with a fine color sense, and the desire for abundance of color was frequently further gratified by painting the exterior walls with elaborate pictorial decorations.
The earliest palaces are Byzantine, but with the growth of the Gothic movement these were gradually superseded, although the Gothic influence worked more slowly here than on the mainland. The richest and most elaborate work was built at this period. Finally the Renaissance took the place of Gothic; and the later palaces, built in this style, show strongly the debased condition into which the art of Venice fell in the Dark Ages.
We have selected for the illustrations of this number of the BROCHURE SERIES some of the most widely known examples of the fifteenth-century Gothic palaces, built at the time when Venice was at the zenith of prosperity as the principal commercial power of the world.
I. The Southwest Angle of the Ducal Palace, Venice.
I.
SOUTHWEST ANGLE OF THE DUCAL PALACE, VENICE.
Although the Ducal Palace is much larger than the other palaces of Venice, and intended for general civic uses as well as a residence for the Duke or Doge, it follows closely the type already described. It has undergone so many changes since its first foundation in about the year 800 (813 according to Ruskin), having been destroyed five times, and as often re-erected in grander style, besides having been added to and the dilapidated portions restored, that it is impossible to assign a comprehensive date to cover the building of the present structure. In fact, the earliest portion was gradually added to, carrying it further and further around the quadrangle until it reached the point of beginning, when this process was repeated, partially replacing the older Byzantine work with Gothic and then with Renaissance, the present building still having examples of all three styles.
The portion shown in our illustration is said to have been erected between the years 1424 and 1442, by Giovanni Buon and his sons Pantaleone and Bartolommeo Buon the elder; although Mr. Ruskin states that in 1423 the Grand Council sat in the Great Council Chamber for the first time, and in that year the Gothic Ducal Palace of Venice was completed.
This angle, which faces the Piazetta and the Riva, is called by Mr. Ruskin the "Fig-Tree Angle," because of the group of sculpture representing the fall of man. The figure above the angle capital of the upper arcade is that of Gabriel. The richly decorated capitals of the lower arcade represent personifications of the Virtues and Vices, the favorite subjects of decorative art, at this period, in all the cities of Italy. The capitals of the upper arcade, no two of which are alike, are also richly wrought with figure sculpture, the one on the angle containing representations of the four winds.
The arrangement of the tracery above the upper arcade is worthy of note as the placing of the quatrefoils between the arches, which is characteristic of earlier examples, is more reasonable, from a constructive point of view, than the later practice of placing them above the centres of the arches.
The use of the rope moulding as a decorative finish for the angle of a building is also characteristic of the palace architecture of Venice, and may here be seen most effectively applied.
II. The Palazzo Contarini Fasan, Venice.
II.
THE PALAZZO CONTARINI FASAN, VENICE.
This is one of the most notable examples of domestic Gothic architecture in Venice, and dates from the fifteenth century. Ruskin refers to it as follows: "In one respect, however, it deserves to be regarded with attention, as showing how much beauty and dignity may be bestowed on a very small and unimportant dwelling-house by Gothic sculpture. Foolish criticisms upon it have appeared in English accounts of foreign buildings, objecting to it on the ground of its being 'ill proportioned'; the simple fact being that there was no room in this part of the canal for a wider house, and that its builder made its rooms as comfortable as he could, and its windows and balconies of a convenient size for those who were to see through them and stand on them, and left the 'proportions' outside to take care of themselves, which, indeed, they have very sufficiently done; for though the house thus honestly confesses its diminutiveness, it is nevertheless one of the principal ornaments of the very noblest reach of the Grand Canal, and would be nearly as great a loss if it were destroyed, as the church of La Salute itself."
This building is popularly known as "Desdemona's House."
III. The Palazzo Cavalli, Venice.
III.
THE PALAZZO CAVALLI, VENICE.
This palace, situated opposite the Academy of Arts on the Grand Canal, also dates from the fifteenth century. Its balconies and tracery are of the later Gothic period, showing marked tendencies towards the Renaissance.
It has been recently restored by its present owner, Baron Franchetti, and is frequently spoken of as the Palazzo Franchetti.
IV. Window Tracery in the Palazz, Cavalli, Venice.
IV.
WINDOW TRACERY IN THE PALAZZO CAVALLI.
In Venetian tracery it will always be found that a certain arrangement of quatrefoils and other figures has been planned as if it were to extend indefinitely into miles of arcade, and out of this colossal piece of marble lace a portion in the shape of a window is cut mercilessly and fearlessly: what fragments and odd shapes of interstice, remnants of this or that figure of the divided foliation, may occur at the edge of the window, it matters not; all are cut across and shut in by the great outer archivolt. This is of course open to serious criticism as construction, but its beauty and effectiveness, as used here, cannot be gainsaid.
V.
WINDOW TRACERY IN THE PALAZZO CICOGNA, VENICE.
This is an example of early Gothic work in Venice and is quite unlike later examples. Ruskin speaks of it as the only instance of good complicated tracery to be found in Venice. The fact that it is moulded only on the face is considered evidence of its early date.
In this view, as, in fact, in all of the examples which we have selected, the moulding formed of alternating blocks or dentils, projecting first on one side and then the other, which is peculiar to Venice, can be seen. It was commonly used as a frame about a window or group of windows, and is very effective, especially when used, as it frequently was, relieved against a flat wall surface.
VII. Portion of the Facade of the Ca D'Oro, Venice.
VI. and VII.
TWO PORTIONS OF THE FACADE OF THE CA D'ORO, VENICE.
This, next to the Ducal Palace, is the most elaborate and it might be said the most beautiful of the Gothic Venetian palaces. It has been considerably changed in the various restorations to which it has been subjected, but still has enough of its original features to remain a wonderfully beautiful building. It is an extreme example of the characteristic disregard of the ordinary principles of building construction to be found throughout the work we have been considering. Fergusson's remarks upon this failing of the Venetian architects is pointed and well considered. He says: "Most of the faults that strike us in the buildings of Venice arise from the defective knowledge which they betray of constructive principles. The Venetian architects had not been brought up in the hard school of practical experience, nor thoroughly grounded in construction, as the northern architects were by the necessities of the large buildings which they erected. On the contrary, they merely adopted details because they were pretty, and used them so as to be picturesque in domestic edifices where convenience was everything, and construction but a secondary consideration."
The Cà D'Oro was probably built about the middle of the fourteenth century.
Evidences of the use of color in this façade can be plainly seen in the photographic views, and the contrast of the deep shadows and flat wall surfaces is strikingly beautiful.
VIII. The Palazzo Pisani, Venice.
VIII.
THE PALAZZO PISANI.
This palace is of the late Gothic period, nearly approaching the Renaissance. It is situated on the lower reach of the Grand Canal.
In all of the examples here selected a marked predominance of horizontal treatment will be observed. The roofs are flat, and arcades and balconies all help to emphasize the horizontal direction in the design. This, it will be observed, is distinctly different from the contemporary Gothic of the rest of Europe.
Notable examples of American buildings modelled after or in the style of the Venetian palaces are the Chicago Athletic Club, the Montauk Club, Brooklyn, and the new building adjoining the Hoffman House, Madison Square, New York.