New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-07-13
REVIEWS OF NEW BOOKS.
THE SEVEN LAMPS or ARCHITECTURE ~ lof
kCsKfS New iOrs JOIN Wiley.

work Oh Il" " )dern Painters, as an earneS' pro-
found, and brilliant writer somewhat addicted 70
paradox, but always suggestive Of fresh, orgins.
thought Is fully sustained 10 the present volume
To many instances, be advances opinions o. Art
al Morals, which fnd no response u our previous
IDEAS he suddenly dis,urbs the corren, o. our
associations; bot 'e is 80 clearly master o; his
sYbiect which seems indeed 10 form portion RI
his deepest life aai being. he writes so sincerely
from the inspiration Of large interior experience,
that We cannot bat think it aiser, As y ell as more
modest 20 place ourselves 70 him in the relation Of
learners. rather than Of critics Even when We
are compelled mos, strongly to Withhold our assent
from his conclusions, ms msnner Of expression is
50 winning. so persuasive, 50 forclb.e, and 50
deeply 10 earnest, that we differ from BIN Hitn
hesitancy, and never fail to yield him the tribute
Of oor admiration. The following passage from
the Introduction, presents key to tie spirit Of
the work.
The aspect ofthe years that approach ne A. sfinn
Dc j. ful Of mystery and the weight n evil against
wnlch ~ have 70 contend u ncreaslng Ike the letting
out u w-trr 10 IL time for ne ldieness OF meta
physcs. OF fbc entertainment 0i the arts me bias
pnemes OF the earth are sounding louder hnd it- mis-
heaped heavier every day ana IT, 10 me must 90
the excrtion which every good man u called upon 10
put forth tor their represon or relief II u lawful 10
ask for a thought, for a moment Tor Aiung Of tr
finger. 10 any direction but mat OF the lHmedlae ana
eerwhemug need II j. az least incumbent upon as 10
approach the questions in which We would engage MN
IN the spirit when has become the habit o. hs mind
and In the hope that neither his zeal nor ms usefulness
may be- checked by the Withdrawal oi Al hour, "ncu
has shown hun how even those things when seemed
mechanical. Indifferent. or cOntempuDle ctPeno ior
their perfection upon the acknowledgment ~ NE
sacred principles Of fifth, truth. and obedience, Tor
which 10 has the occupation OF his lie 10 con
tend
By Architecture, the author understands the
Art which 50 dsposes and adorns the edifces
raised by man, for any purposes, that the usht OF
them may contribute to his mental health, power
and pleasure. AL building is not architecture.
This concerns itself only with those characters Of
al edifce which are above and beyond its com
mon use, and which are venerable or beautiful,
bat otherwise unnecessary. The Seven Lamps OF
Architecture are the grand spiritual principles
fom which every true artistic structure derIvesits
light and glory, and by which it IS elevated above
the plane ofbarren material utlity These are the
Lamps Of Sacrifice, If Truth, OF Power, OF Beauty.
of Life. q Memory. and OF Obedience.
The Lamp, or Spirit Of Sacrifice, prompts rs 10
the Offering Of precious things. merely because
they are precious. not because they are useful or
necessary. Hence, among other practical deduc
tons drawn by the author. the importance Of
making every labor labor Of love, ard putting the
whole soui into the performance
We are none Of good architects AZ TO be able
work hshitusy beneath our strength and yet there
is Is not building that know Of lately raised, where
i'm it is not sufficiently evident that neither architect nor
builder has done his best n Is the especial chsrac.
teris,c OF modern work All old work nearly has been
bard work II may be- the hard work OF children, Of
hsrlarsns. OF rustcs but 10 il always their utmost -
ours has constantly the look Of moneys worth 81
stopping short wherever and whenever We can, Of
ls1y compliance with low conditions never a. is'r
putting iorh o. our strength. Let a. have done with
TINS kind OF working at once cast of every t"fnpta
10 do NOT ID u- degrade ourselves voluntarily
and Thea muiter and mourn over our short comin4-
1T confess poverty or our parsimony, but NOT
belle our human intellect II is not even question %
how much 10 DO but Of how 10 Is 10 b' flre u
l. not question of doing more, but OF dong better
Do not let US boss our roofs with wretched. haiwork
cd blunt edged T0seties do not let us aank our eacs
with rigid limitations Of medieval staiusry such
things are mere insults 10 common sense. and only
unfit Tor feeling the nobility OF their prototypes
have so much. suppose. 20 be spent IN decoration let
us 70 90 the FlsNnan al his time whoever he may be-
and bid him carve Tor us single statute, irleze or
capital or rs many afford, compelling upon
him the one ndition that they shall be- the best he
can do place them where they will be- OF most value
and be content Oar other capitals may be- mere
blocks and our other nches empty No matter bet.
ter our work unfinished than all bad
The Spirit or Lamp OF Truth, should be clear IN
the hearts Of our artists and hsndicrattsmen. not
because the truthful practice Of haudcrsits viii
advance the cause Of truth, but because the handl
crafts themselves should be urged forward as by
the spurs of chvalry by this immortal principle,
in the consulting or forgetting OF which lies hat
the dignity or decline Of every art and Get OF
The Lamp of power grows pale in the poison
Gus atmosphere Of the city.
Architects ought not to live in cities There il
that la their miserable walls which bricks up o.
death mems imsginstions As surely a ever per
ishcd forsworn An architect should live little
IN cities painter. send him 10 our hills, aud 1T
him study there what nature und rstsnds by butires
and what by dome. There something IN the old
power OF architecture which It had from the recluse
more than from the ciuzen. The buildings OF which
have spoken with chief praise rose indeed out OF the
OF the piazzs and above the fury OF the populsce
ana Heaven forbid that Tor such cause we should ever
have lay larger stone. Tlvet hlmer bar IN cur
England But We have other sources II power in the
imagery 81 our iron coasts and azure hills OF power
more yurc. lees serene, than thai OF the hermit
spirit which once lighted with white lines OF costers
the gsdes OF the Alpine pine. and raised into ordered
spires the wild rocks OF the Norman sea which gave
10 the temple gate the depth and darkness OF Elijah
Horcb cave and lifted Out OF the populous city, srry
cfs Of lonely stone into the midst OF sailing birds ana
silent air
The same is true Of the Lamp Of Besuty.
3d. said that the Power OF the human mind had is
grow th in the W derucss much more must the love
and the conception OF that beauty whose every line md
hue have seen 20 be- az the best faded image 40
God daily work and an arrested ray OF some star OF
creation. be given chiefly the places which lie hs.
glsddened by planting there the FIR tree and the pine
Net within the walls Of florence but among the lar away
ncds OF her lilies the child trained who Was T.
raise that hesdsione Of Beauty above the towers OF
watch and war Remember al that he became count
the sacred thoughts with which he tcd the heart ci
Italy ask those who followed him what they learned
his feet and when you have numbered his lAoors,
and received their testimony u seems % you thsi
God hsd verify poured out upon this His servant 30
common restrained portion oi His spirit and thsi
he indeed king among the children Of men. re- |
member also ,hs, the legend upon bis crown WAS that
Of Dsvids - took thee from the shecPcote, an |
from following the sheep.
The Lamp OF Lie is quenched IN tue dead |
routine Of mechanical necessity.
For are not into this world 20 90 anything /
into which into which cannot put orr hearts We |
have certain work do Tor bread and that = O. De-
done streuuously other work o. do Tor our delight 1
snd thst : 20 be done heartily neither : % De done
ny halves or shifts, but with vii and what - not
worth this crort Is not 10 BE- done Al Al Perhaps al
mar We have 10 DO Is meant for nothing more thsn an
exercise Of the hesr and q the viii and 5 useless n
Itself but AZ al events. the hite u has uay vel
Dc spared Il u l. not worth putting our hands and our
MINOR -.