New-York tribune., 1921-01-02
Ceilings
Their Brilliant Role in Spanish
Buildings

The coffered ceiling of the Italian
Renaissance is thoroughly well known il,
this country, and that not only amonc
travellers. 1t has been, indeed, widely
eniulated by American architects, who
have found its rich ornamentation and
its beauty of blue and gold easily adap
table In their structures. Practically
unsuspected here, we imagine, are the
characteristics which are dealt with bv
Arthur Byne and Mildred Stapley in
their Decorated Wooden Ceilings in
Spain C. P. Putnam's Sons. The au-
thors are corresponding members of the
Hispanic Society of America, and we
owe to the wise liberality of that insti
tution this invaluable collection of
photographs and measured drawings.
published in portfolio of fifty-six
plates, each one accompanied by descrip-
tive text. The publication is invaluable
because it makes known a hitherto un-
explored region Of extraordinary decora-
tive suggestion. The Spanish ceiling is
not wholly unfamiliar to architectural
students, but we know of no other book
in which it is treated so fully and so
helpfully as in this instance.
1t differs from the Italian ceiling in
possessing much greater variety. Ital-
ian practice was steadied, if not actually
formulated, by classical influence There
are Moorish elements in some Spanish
60 art bn,
arc purely Moorish but in the pano-
rama framed by the authors Of this book
one is conscious chiefly of a strictly
Spanish idea, passing through all man
ner of enchanting mutations Some of
these ceilings are simple beamed affairs,
in which the coloring is restricted to a
few tints. There is, for example, the
ceiling in the palace at Guadalaj lara
The closely spaced beams seem posi-
lively gorgeous in the plate yet the
authors tell us that the painted dec
oration is confined to but three colors
red and black for background, sill
yer gray for patterning. There are,
to be sure, motifs in the scheme,
which are heavily gilded- The effect,
even in d black and white translation,
is sumptuous. Lettering counts ef-
fectively in some examples, notably in
one chosen from Granada. and heraldlc
sionally the carvings in these ceilings
rise to the dignity Of sculpture. There
is striking instance in the sixteenth
century town hall az Valencia. But con-
dence--with their conventionality raised
| to a higher power by the amazing cour-
age and redundancy of the designer He
had a shrewd way, be it noted, of OBJ
serving the principles Of unity; his cell
ing perfectly fits his ~oom. There is "A
striking example Of this in the Renais-
sance hall which the authors cite from
the law courts at Valencia. They we'll
say of this room that it ia one of the
most sumptuous in Spain. An open
gallery extends around the entire cham
Der. the brackets which support 1t and
the baustrade which In turn supports
It's arches ali being richly carved
:. Growing this gallery comes the heroic
ceiling, divided into twenty-one great
Golfers. each enclosing a secondary dag
onal Golfer 1t would take q genius in
decorative painting even family to rival
the imperial splendor Of the ensemble.
Not in long time have we encoun-
tered a publication which camored as
this one does for the attention of Amer
lean architects. This IN a gold mre of
Inspiration. It has been put forth with
impeceabe thoroughness. The plates
are large and where Mr.. Byns has sup
plsmsntsA hiA photographs with draw