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

232

THEARCHITECTURE

OF

HUMANISM

adequacy,and

satisfiesavital

instinctin ourselves.

It

exacts

thisadequacyin

thedetailofits

decoration,

inthe

separateelementsthatgo

tomakeitsstructure,

inthestructure

itself, andinthe total

composition.

The

Salute at Venice—to

take a single instance-

possessesthe valueof mass

in allthese particulars.

Thesweepingmovement

suggestedbythecontinuous

horizontal

curve ofthe Grand

Canal is brought to

restbythestatic

massofthechurchthatstandslike

itsgateuponthesea. Thelines

ofthedomecreate

a

sense

of

massivebulkatrest; ofweightthatloads,

yetdoesnotseemtocrush,

thechurchbeneath

;

as

thelantern,initsturn, loadsyetdoesnotcrushthe

dome. The

impression ofmass immovablyat rest

isstrengthenedbythe

treatmentofthesixteengreat

volutes. These,

by

disguising the abrupt division

betweenthedomeandchurch,givetothe

wholethat

unityofbulkwhichmassrequires. Theiringenious

pairingmakesaperfect transitionfrom thecircular

plan to the octagonal. Their heaped and rolling

formis
like

that

ofa

heavy

substancethathas

slidden

toitsfinal andtrueadjustment. Thegreatstatues

and pedestals which
theysupportappearto

arrest

the outward movementofthe volutes,and to pin

them down upon the church.

In silhouette

the

statuesserve(like
theobelisksofthelantern)togive

apyramidalcontourtothecomposition,
alinewhich

morethananyother
givesmassitsunityandstrength.