New-York tribune., 1905-11-02

scheme adopted and cannot therefore be wholly
credited to the Renaissance architect
1t was NJ Berenson, we believe, who found ~
the church at Todi justification for the phrase
descriptive of architecture as frozen music. ne
is critic of painting, but he apPrehended read
lily enough beauty In this building, which IoE
years has drawn architects and architectural
students to Tedi as to q shrine. Professor Moore
brings no passion for beauty, no kindilns emu
ton, to the consideration Of his SUBJECT. he
seems to be conscious of nothing the fact
that Renaissance church palace is neither
Gothic cathedral Roman temple. AN
that he find TO say at Vicenza is that Pai-
Iadio had great versatility in scenic and struc-
turally meaningless composition" a deplorable
confession of insensitiHeness TO the charm OF
concession or InsenstlVenesg TO Ine CHARM 0f
work Which no architect of judgment regards as
laWless. but which architect Of taste anu
feeling can help viewing with admiration But
Professor Moore viii not be comforted. When
ne leaves the Italians, toward the close OF MS
book, with parting fling at their architectural
carving, he giances at the French Renaissance
only to sniff at its achievements, and passes on
10 brief note on the English designers, In which
irllSo Jones is summarify dismissed as man
who had no true conception of the principles
Of classic art, architects of the Renais-
sance ever had" Of Jones's great Banquetng
Hall he says that 1.-The design exhibits no ;nven-
to new conditions, and therefore reason for
the use of such elements We suppose it would
be useless to tell Professor Moore that in spite
of his criticisms the Banqueting Hall is very
handsome building. The climax in his deprecia-
ton of the English architect is reached In this
sentence: II have characterized the spirit of
much of the architecture of the Renaissance as
theatTical that of lingo Jones is pre-ennently
so, and it is significant that he was extensively
employed in his early career, in designing ar cri-
tectural backgrounds for the stage" II this
effort to connect Joness work for the court
masques with his work a monumental archi-
tect is not pueriIe. then do not know pueril-
ity when we see It.
1t is great pity that Professor Moore has so
steadfastly persisted in putting the cart before
the horse, in hammerng away at the side OF
Renaissance architecture which is open to criti-
csm without doing anything to initiate the
reader into the immensely more important
phases of the subject. The Renaissance. espe-
cially in Italy. has had and still has profound
influence upon architecture, and there
is every reasen why it's strength and beauty
should be umnously interpreted to both the
laynlan and the student. With all his learning
Professor Moore ought to have risen to the
great opportunity placed before him, and he
could have done this without any sacrifice of
his critical point Of view if he had only en-
barked upon his task with sympathy and with
a sense of proportion. As it is. his book will
be most effective in teaching those readers who
do not know the proper deductions to make, how
not to appreciate the character Of Renaissance
architecture.