New-York tribune., 1894-03-21
ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE
A SKETCH OF IT'S PALLAD1AN PERIOD.

Decline Of Modern Architecture IN England. Nv
xvi esi New-York: Macmillan & 60
The sixteenth century in ENGLAND was character
tied by fermentation IN matters 81 art similar
to that witnessed the Continent Much Of its
force indeed was derived from foreign example.
ana the genesis Of the best architecture % the t-
Is traccable to Italian sources. just as 'he best
Gothic OF the preceding centuries is trac,ahc n
France. Mr. I0ftie's volume on lingo Jonet ana
Sir Christopher Wren shows nothing more clearly
than the great influence which Palladio had N
| time upon the development u English architecture.
That Influence beneficial on the whole. has long since
been spent. but 1t needs To De- revived. Mr.. Lofic.
in fact is occupied with thc necessity for
such revival than with dlsntcrestci analysis II
Jones. Wren and the other English architects Who
worked in the Pailadian vein. GIis discomfort with
what he calls the mock Gothic style - the present
century breaks out continually in pctulant remarks
that lend an acrimonious tlnge 70 his book The
latter IS diminished thereby Ia critical value leaving
an impression Of snappish temper. AMI T. is also as
an historical monograph. nl-proportoncl. lacking
in depth and grasp Take II for wha; It ls a sim
cere plea for reyersion In contemporary English
architecture 10 the principles employed by Jones and
Wren. and il f. a book 70 study attcntvcly.
one point Mr.. Loftie secs clearly. cnuucIateS with
equal nciiiiy. and places beyond the reach or
argument the crucial point to be considered
Proportion IS the keynote 10 good architecture
Andrea Iallado made this the foundation II his art
and the buildings. chiefly In Vccnza. his birthplace
which have made him famous are crys'allzltons Of
tho inoxorable principles laid down In his still more
famous treatise. Working. however In the twilight
Of the Renaissance. instead Of the MONDAY that
shonc upon the l1bors Of Rramante and Peruzz
Palladio differs from the latter in having more
science than natural genius IN his work This Dis
trction Is felt in the transition OF his style T. Eng
land Jones and Wren. who both felt profoundly the
symmetry AMI elegance Of Pallallo were men of
genius themselves. but their genius IN spite of
some creative power d1 not qualify them for acts
Of positive creation. They did design really new
buildings. The masterpiece or Jones. the celebrated
HanquetIng House Whitehall. is build
ing Wrcn's beautiful churches typical OF London
they are. nevertheless consummate adapta--
tons Of foreign ideas What these men dld do was
- preserve in buildings ntrinslcally artistic and
beautiful Of the best elements OF classic archi-
lecture. They leaned on more less pcdantc for
muae drawn from Vltruvius. via Pallado: but they
used discretion. taste. logic anl n certain amount
OF originality. Tney are therefore 10 this day. in
such buildings as the vandal rcstorer destroyer
has left unhurt. among England's most precious
artistic exompars. Mr.. Iofte would go further
placing them at the head Of the architectural
artists Of his nation and there Is good sense in his
contention. Gothic architecture Is not in harmony
with the needs or spirit Of this in England. ard
the attempts revive II there have lamcntably
failed. No has arisen in this century who has
q
Salisbury. and IT is doubtful If he would have been
permitted to work unhampered had he appeared
upon the horizon. The hl1cousness Of most recent
architecture in England-and II Is a unique hleous-
ness-.s due in great measure TO the fatuous strug
gle Of the designers with Gothic motives II Is due
also u the ecciricsm which has proven so
healthy a growth in America but which is utterly
opposed to the natural drift Of the insuar English
school
The average English commercial public building
knows rhyme nor reason. and only n limited '
number Of architects have found n semi-orglna
wholly delightful style for domestic work. At the
root OF the general disorder Is a disregard OF what
MIR Loftle rightly selects the backbone OF the
Palladian sjy.e-proporton lie argues that a return
to the spirit OF Paadio. as illustrated in Jones.
Wren and their successors, would far 10 counter
act the popular lawiessncss. or course It might be
objected that the same principle IA to be- found In
other and greater architects than him Of Vicenza .
or his English prototypes But the fact remains
that Palladio was accllmated in England by the
latter in a way that could be paraclcd in the case
OF no other Italian and he therefore Is the more
readily appreciated by men who have known Wrcn's |
churches all their lives long. We wish we could say
that Mr.. Loftie had taken these churches. Wrens
other works In England the few remaining edihces .
designed by jones' the buildings OF Lord Burng-
ton Kent. Hawksmoor and the rest. and made OF
them IA rich exhaustive study. lie has. instead.
thrown roughly into shape such observations ana
descriptions both rather thin In character. these
moved him 10 make. The result Is an
amateurish piece of writing in which the person
aios OF the architects Of the sixteenth century
appear in neagrc outline and the legacy they left
to their country Is sketchei without unity. TO say
this however is only 20 return also to what
have said above Mr.. Loftlc has written his book
A protest and a suggestion. He addresses himself
most Of all to those contemplating building ventures
and lmplores them TO lead their architects In the
Paadian path He adjures them not to linger In
that path exclusively to travel on. and. with the
stimulus of originality to reach goal different
from Pallado's. But to follow Pallndios lead. he
agacously concludes Is to follow an ideal OF pro-
portion of symmetry. Of good taste. and there his