[36] On these points, as may be expected, he differed widely from his friend Mr. Pugin, and warm discussions of principle often arose in consequence.
[37] I can remember his calling attention to the octagonal form of Sta. Maria della Salute at Venice as capable of supplying a hint for English church-building, and referring to certain forms of Norman and Early English, as well fitted, by their spaciousness and unity of effect, for our congregational requirements.
[38] Mr. Ferguson, in his ‘History of Architecture,’ notes in the same way the prominence of the cornice as the characteristic feature of Mr. Barry’s Italian; but, by a slight chronological error, refers to the alteration of the College of Surgeons, designed in 1833, as the earliest instance of it, and to the Travellers’ Club as a later design.
[39] Studies and examples of the Modern School of English Architecture, by W. H. Leeds. (Weale, 1839.)
[40] ‘The Revue de l’Architecture,’ edited by M. César Daly, contained in vol. i., 1840, pp. 333, 334, a careful description (with illustrations) of the Travellers’ Club. Its criticism concludes as follows:—“Le défaut qu’on peut adresser avec raison au plus grand nombre des travaux d’architecture en Angleterre, est le peu de soin apporté dans l’étude des détails; sous ce rapport M. Charles Barry forme une exception. Il suffit d’examiner la feuille des détails du monument qui nous occupe pour y reconnaître les qualités d’un artiste consciencieux, qui étudie toutes les parties en elles-mêmes et dans leur rapport avec l’ensemble.”
[41] Extracted from a paper read at the Institute of British Architects, May 21st, 1860, by M. Digby Wyatt, Esq., V.P.
[42] On this point, it was remarked by the ‘Building News,’ immediately after his death (May 18th, 1860),—“It is the perfection of invention to invest with novelty that which is old, to adapt what has hitherto been useless, to make artistic that which is commonplace, and to impart life and beauty to dead forms. Greater inventive powers are required to accomplish this transformation than perhaps to devise new forms, which will never move or have their being.... Critics who prefer the charge of copyism against him probably mistake eccentricity for originality; in that sense Sir Charles was never original, for he was never eccentric.”
[43] A list, which is believed to be complete, is added in the Appendix.
[44] See p. 9 of Mr. Digby Wyatt’s Memoir, already referred to.
[45] It happened curiously enough that he was near being employed for the new building of the Carlton Club, adjoining and rivalling the Reform Club. He was invited by the committee to enter a select competition for it; and when he declined to do so, and the appointment of architect was put to the vote, Messrs. Basevi and Smirke were preferred only by a slight majority (220 votes against 210).