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

148

THE ARCHITECTURE

OF HUMANISM

architectural structure. It is

rapid and inexact.

It reveals, therefore, a slovenly

character andcan

onlypleaseaslovenlyattention.

Thefactsaretrue,but

the

deduction

isfalse. If

thebaroquebuildershadwishedto

savethemselves

trouble it would have been easy to refrain from

decorationaltogether,andacquire,it

maybe,moral

approbation for

'

severity.*

But

theyhadadefinite

purposeinview,andthepurposewasexact,though

it required

'

inexact

*

architectureforitsfulfilment.

Theywished to

communjicate,

througharchitecture,

asenseofexultantvigourandoverflowingstrength.}

Sofar, presumably, their purpose wasnot ignoble.

Anunequalled knowledgeofthe aestheticsof

archi-

tecture determined the means which theyadopted.

First,

for

strength,the building

must

be realisedas

a

mass,

athingwelded together,not parcelled,

dis-

tributed and joined. Hence, the composition (the

aestheticunityofparts) must

beimposing; and

no

one has yetsuggested that the baroque architects

lackedcomposition—eitherthezealfor

it

orthepower.

Next,again forthe

effectofmass,the partsshould

appear to flow together, merge into one another,

springfromoneanother,andform,

asitwere,afused

gigantic organism through

which currents of con-

tinuousvigour might beconceived

to run. A lack

of individual distinctness

in the parts—^a lack of

theintellectual

differentiation which

Bramante,

for