The architecture of humanism; a study in the history of taste

THEMECHANICAL

FALLACY 103

struction,
for, constructively,
it is often extremely

clumsyandwasteful.

Can

wenowdescribe

it

as

'

constructiontruthfully

expressed
'

?

Noteventhis. FortheGreekdetail,

though of
constructional origin,isexpressive
ofthe

devices ofbuilding
in wood
;

reproduced in stone,

it
untruthfullyrepresents
thestructuralfactsofthe

case.

And

if by

'

truthfullyexpressed construction' it

ismeant thatthe

aesthetic impressionshould bring

hometo us

the primaryconstructive facts (a very

favouriteclicMofourscientific critics),howarewe

tojustify

themuchapplauded

'

aspiring

'

quality

of

Gothic,

its

'

soaring'spiresandpinnacles? Inpoint

ofstructural fact, everydynamicmovementin the

edificeis

adownward one,seeking the earth;

the

architecthas been atpains to impressuswith the

ideathateverymovement

is,onthe

contrary,directed

upwardstowardsthesky. Andwearedelighted

with

theimpression.

Andnotonlydoesthis

definition,that

the beauty

ofarchitectureconsistsin

'

goodconstructiontruth-

fully

expressed,'

notapply

to

theGreekandmediaeval

architecture,notonlydoesitcontradictqualitiesof

thesestyleswhicharesouniversallyenjoyed,butit

does

apply to many an

iron railway-station, to a

printingpress,ortoanymachinethat rightlyfulfils

its

function. Now,

although many machines may