CONTENTS.
VOL. I.
| [LECTURE I.] The Claims of Mediæval Architecture upon our Study | |
|---|---|
| Introduction—Art follows the course of civilisation—Three primâ facie claimsGothic Architecture has upon Study—Additional claim, that it is ChristianArchitecture—Objections to the title—Explanations of the term—Byzantine theearliest Christian style—Summary of the Historical claims of Mediæval Architecture—Itsintrinsic claims—Abstract beauty—Advantages of an arcuated overa trabeated style—Facility in decorating construction, and in converting structuralfeatures into elements of beauty—Adaptability to varied climates—Unitesall arts in one—Painted glass—Sculpture—Foliated sculpture—Gothic Architecturesuited to the severest and most elegant styles—Beauty of external outline—Delicacyof mouldings—Religious solemnity of the interior of its temples—Thespirit with which the study of Mediæval Architecture should be undertaken—Howto be pursued—Practical objects for which it should be followedup | [Page 1] |
| [LECTURE II.] Sketch of the Rise of Mediæval Architecture | |
| Anomalous state of things in Western Europe after the destruction of the RomanEmpire—Art almost extinct—Saved by the Western Church and the EasternEmpire—Architectural elements of the new races—Charlemagne’s attempts torevive art—Primitive art in England and the north of France—Dawn of betterthings—Architecture of the tenth century—Schools of art and science—BishopBernward’s works—Origin of early styles in France and Germany—Earlyarchitecture of Rome—The arcuated and the trabeated systems—Developmentof Romanesque—Its leading characteristics—Romanesque and Pointed architecturenot TWO styles, but ONE—Barrel vaults—Groined vaults—Oblong bays—Main arches of groined vaulting changed from the semicircle to the pointedarch—Flying buttresses—Groin ribs—The pointed arch arose from statical notgeometrical or æsthetical motives—Wall ribs remain round long after the widerarches become pointed—Two modes adopted to avoid the difficulty of oblonggroining over naves—Sexpartite vaulting | [Page 37] |
| [LECTURE III.] The Transition | |
| Gradual refinement of Romanesque—French architects the earliest to systematisethe pointed arch—The English before the Germans—The Italians from theGermans—Fully acknowledged in France 1140—Suger’s work at St. Denis—Carvingin French churches—Corinthianesque outline of capitals—DistinctlyByzantine capitals—A route by which Byzantine foliage may have reachedFrance—The importation indisputable—Its effects seen in Early English capitals—Westfront of Chartres—Fluting on basement of doorways—Cathedralof Noyon—St. Germain des Pres, Paris—Cathedral of Sens, prototype of theChoir and Trinity Chapel at Canterbury—Nôtre Dame, Paris—A new kind offoliage—The capital “à crochet”—English transition—Incipient specimens—RefinedNorman—Pointed style, with reminiscences of Romanesque—Williamof Sens—William the Englishman—Influence of French work—Oakham Castle—GlastonburyAbbey—Cathedral of St. David’s—Temple Church, London—ChichesterCathedral—Tynemouth Abbey—Hexham Abbey—Unfoliatedcapitals—Round moulded capitals—Characteristics of English and Frenchtransition—The German transition—Practical lessons from studying thesechanges—Principles to which the transition was pioneer | [Page 69] |
| [LECTURE IV.] The Thirteenth Century | |
| Mediæval architecture usually classified under heads of centuries—Actual pointsof change do not coincide with these divisions—Auspices for the developmentof the Early Pointed style—Great works in England and France—Artisticdisturbance in Germany—Progress in Italy—Energy pervades every branchof art—Perfected Early Pointed a natural growth from Romanesque—Leadingcharacteristics—Columns—Bases of Columns—Capitals—Plan of the abacus—Circularplan—Whence this arose—Moulded capitals—Windows—Bases ofbuildings—Cornices and foliated bands—Doorways—French and Englishcompared | [Page 137] |
| [LECTURE V.] The Thirteenth Century—continued | |
| St. Saviour’s, Southwark—Choir of Temple Church, London—Chapel at Lambeth—WestminsterAbbey—Its Italian mosaic work, monuments, and ancient reredos—Chapelof St. Etheldreda, Holborn—St. Alban’s Abbey—Priory Church,Dunstable—Stone Church near Gravesend—Waltham Cross—Jesus Chapel,Cambridge—Ely and Peterborough Cathedrals—Warmington Church—WestWalton Abbey—Crowland Abbey—St. Mary’s and All Saints, Stamford—Ketton,Grantham, and Frampton Churches—Lincoln Cathedral—SouthwellMinster—Newstead Abbey—York Cathedral—St. Mary’s Abbey, and St.Leonard’s Hospital, York—Skelton Church—Beverley and Ripon Minsters—Fountains,Rivaulx, Whitby, Kirkham, and Guisborough Abbeys—Chapel ofthe Nine Altars, Durham—Hexham and Dryburgh Abbeys—Chapel ofHolyrood—Elgin and Glasgow Cathedrals—Furness Abbey—Southernexamples—Most great churches in France vaulted, not so in England—Universalexcellence of workmanship from 1175 to 1400—Domestic architectureof France, Germany, Italy, and England—Influence of thirteenth century workon our artistic practice | [Page 170] |
| [LECTURE VI.] The Rationale of Gothic Architecture | |
| Contradictory opinions as to the character and origin of Gothic Architecture—Truecauses of its origin—The arch—The Romans eminently practical—Twodefects in their architecture—Practical improvements—Use of small materials—Archesin rims—Sub-ordinating rims—Imposts—Pilaster capitals—Decorativecolumns—Romanesque arch decorations—Labels—Clustered columns—Weightof arches on columns—Doorways—Windows—Rejection of ancientrules of proportion—Efforts to improve construction and decoration in thetwelfth century—Absolute demand for an arch of less pressure and for an abutmentof greater resistance—Ribbed as distinguished from arris vaulting—Reasonsfor adopting the former—Pointed arch as effecting proportion | [Page 215] |
| [LECTURE VII.] The Rationale of Gothic Architecture—continued | |
| The bases of a thirteenth century church indicate the plan and construction of thevaulting—The system of mouldings—Windows, their development—Rationaleof stained glass—A general principle of ornamentation common to all goodarchitecture—The roof—Secular buildings—Cloth market Yprès—Warehouses,Nuremburg—Windows in secular and ecclesiastical buildings—Trabeatedarchitecture in its truest forms—Fireplaces—Chimney-shafts—Oriel and Dormerwindows—Ceilings—Subordination of external design to internal requirements—Designsadapted to the materials most readily obtained—Conditions demandedof our future architecture—Gothic architecture well fitted to unite theseconditions | [Page 246] |
| A Digression concerning Windows | [Page 276] |
| [LECTURE VIII.] On the Practical Study of Gothic Architecture | |
| Evident ignorance or neglect of those who practise Gothic architecture—Faithfulnessof others—The styles should be learned from ancient buildings—Ourknowledge to be continually revived and added to—Hints to students—Thestudy of Lincoln Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, and examples in London—Librariesand museums in London—Foreign travel—Examples in Paris, andother parts of France—Germany, Italy, Spain, etc. etc. | [Page 290] |
| [LECTURE IX.] On the Study and Practice of Gothic Architecture | |
| Every-day business and practical work to go on hand in hand with the study ofancient buildings—How best to be accomplished—The study from books—Artisticand archæological portions cannot be wholly disconnected—Heraldry—Aknowledge of the history of art absolutely necessary for the study of Mediævalarchitecture—Greek art the parent of Gothic sculpture—Ruined cities ofCentral Syria—Mahometan styles—Our own form of church the direct inheritancefrom the earliest Christian temples—Training as artists—Choice amongspecimens of different Mediæval periods and styles—Examples especiallyrecommended—Practical studies of ancient buildings in connection with theirstructural and mechanical qualities—Vaulting—Timber-work—Stone-work, etc.etc.—The actual practice of Mediæval architecture—The repairs and restorationof ancient buildings | [Page 331] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
CONTAINED IN VOL. I.
ERRATA.
Page 81, Fig. 19, for Temple of Mars, Ultor, read Temple of Mars Ultor.
“ 94, line 26, for Choir at the Trinity Chapel, read Choir and the Trinity Chapel.
“ 170, Contents, line 6, for Stanford, read Stamford.
“ 175, foot-note, for Beavais, read Beauvais.
MEDIÆVAL ARCHITECTURE.
LECTURE I.
The Claims of Mediæval Architecture upon our Study.
Introduction—Art follows the course of civilisation—Three primâ facie claims Gothic Architecture has upon Study—Additional claim, that it is Christian Architecture—Objections to the title—Explanations of the term—Byzantine the earliest Christian style—Summary of the Historical claims of Mediæval Architecture—Its intrinsic claims—Abstract beauty—Advantages of an arcuated over a trabeated style—Facility in decorating construction, and in converting structural features into elements of beauty—Adaptability to varied climates—Unites all arts in one—Painted glass—Sculpture—Foliated sculpture—Gothic Architecture suited to the severest and most elegant styles—Beauty of external outline—Delicacy of mouldings—Religious solemnity of the interior of its temples—The spirit with which the study of Mediæval Architecture should be undertaken—How to be pursued—Practical objects for which it should be followed up.