The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-07
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE.
Prof. A. T. Van Laer Took That as
the Subject of the First Lee
ture of the Series.

The first in the series of four illus
trated lectures on art was given last
night in st. Lukes parish hall by Pro-
feSsor a. II. Van Laer the well known
lecturer and authority on art. The sub
ject was Gothic Architecture" and
the audience represented much of the
culture and highest social standing of
Scranton.
Professor Van Laer seemed to be
laboring under the disadvantage Of
hoarseress last evening and his man.
ner of speech was a tritlle halting at
times, but the subject matter of his
lecture was fascinating, while the
stereopticon views shown were fault
| less. In beginning the subject he gave
a rapid review of the early architecture
speaking of the simplicity of Egyptian
temples with the two supports near
together, with the archtrave above
built with a view to solidty and dur
ability alone, and illustrating by a
picture of a temple at Luxor, and incl
dentally mentioning the one at Karnac
and the singular ruins at Stonehenge,
England.
From these he passed on to the Greek
architecture, showing the Parthenon
/
with the capital and abacus to illus,
trate the marvellous skill in fitting the
great stones so that no cement or NOR
tar was required.
The Coliseum portrayed early Roman
architecture with the first knowledge
of the arch. Then followed the basilica
of the early Christian period illustrated
by the Church of San Lorenzo and suc-
ceeded by the Romanesoue, an example
of which we have in Trinity church
Boston, built by Richardson.
From the development of the Roman
esque was shown the gradual evolln-
ton of the Gothic, the plasters giving
way to the fying buttresses and the
round to the pointed arch. The piers
We're capable of indefinite extension
creating any number of bays and the
arch hnally became the support of the
| ceiling. the walls being merely screens
Byzantine architecture was not touched
upon as having no influence in the
Gothic.
The French Gothic was described at
some length in the famous burial place
of kings, st. Denis, and a comparative
view Of the ROmanesque and Gothic
was given in which the piers of the
latter occupied but one-tenth of the
ground space while the former takes
up from one-fourth to fifth.
The advantage of the distribution Of
weight on the flying buttress was ex-
planned with the additional space CIV
en- to the clere-stOry by the added
height of the ground arch.
Exquisite views of Notre- Dame, the
Cathedrals of Chartres, Cologne,
| Worms and Sienna were shown with
the cathedral of st. Ouen and the Pal
ais de Justice at Rouen. The cathe-
drals Of Seville and Burgos were giv-
en- as representing Gothic architecture
in Spain where, however, the ugly re-
| naissance choro destroys the harmony
of the interior.
But by far the most interesting por-
| ton of the lecture was the mastery
| description of the Gothic art in Eng
! land, where it is found to greater
or less extent in Lincoln, Lichfield, SAL
! isbury, the most pleasing of all in its
unity of design and its beautiful cen
trail tower, Wells with it's lovely west
ern screen and inverted arch. West.
minister Abbey, Ely. with the wond-
rous fan vaulting Of the Henry VII
Chapel and the Angel Choir of Lin
| coin.