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

HUMANIST

VALUES

233

Saveforafewfaultsofdesign

inthelowerbays,there

ishardlyanelement

in the church

whichdoes not

proclaimthebeautyofmass,

andthepowerofmass

togiveessential simplicityanddignityeven

tothe

richestandmost

fantasticdreamsofthebaroque.

--

/in architecture, then, the

principal conditions of

mass

arethese. In the firstplacetheeffectofthe

wholemustpredominateover

thatoftheparts

;

the

partsmust

enforcethegeneralcharacterofthewhole

andhelpustorealiseitsbulk

;

theymustnotdetach

themselvesfrom

themassinsuchawayastodetract

fromitsapparentunityN This, forexample, is the

groundofthe

Renaissanceinsistenceuponcrowning

cornices

and otherdevices fortyingtheelementsof

abuilding, and forcingit asa singleimpressionon

the

eye.

/Secondly, thedisposition ofthe whole mustcon-

form

to

our sense

of

powerfully adjusted weight

Hencethecarefulstudywhichthebaroquearchitects

gavetotheeffectofrecedingplanes,and

the

influence

ofupward perspectiveupon mass. Hencealso,ob-

viously,the

use

of rusticatedbases,batteredplinths,

pyramidalcompositionandthe

subordinationofthe

Doric

tothelighter

IonicandCorinthianOrders.

/Finally, itisnecessarythattheseveral

partsofa

buildingshould
be

keptinproper

'

scale.'\Scale,

in

anydesign, isthat relation ofornament

(or minor

features) tothe largerelements,whichcontrols

our