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

ART

AND

THOUGHT 261

pathofsuchastyle,

mightbetracked

outthelaws,

iflawsthere

be,oftaste.

Inthat studythe

worstobstacles areofourown

making.

Architecturemust

beperceivedsensitively

butsimply

;

the

'

theories

'

ofthearthaveblunted

sensitive perception

without achieving intellectual/

force. Architecture that is

spacious, massive and!

coherent, and

whose rhythm corresponds to our

delight,hasflourishedmost,andmostappropriately,

|

attwoperiods—

^antiquity, andthe period ofwhich-

antiquity

becamethebase

—

^twoperiodswhenthought

itselfwassimple,human,andconsistent. Thecentre

ofthat

ardiitecture_was±heluiniarLhQdy

;

itsmethod,

to transcribe in stone thebody'sfavourablestates

;

andthemoodsofthespirit

took

visibleshapealong

its

borders, powerand laughter,strengthand

terror

andcalm. Tohavechosenthesenobly,anddefined

them

clearly, are the two marks of

classic style.

Ancient architecture excels in perfect definition

;

Renaissance architecture in thewidth and courage

ofitschoice.

Virgil

attendsonDante,andSt.John,inthe

soli-

tude ofthe Adriatic shrine he shares with Venus,^

may

ponderifasceticenergy

isnot

best

matedwith

*

SanGiovanniinVentre—theBaptist

lodgedwithVenus—isja

desertedchurchontheAbruzzicoast. Thestructure

isRomanesque

;

thenamemoreancientstill;butnotuntil

theRenaissancecanits

patronshaveachievedtheirperfect

reconciUation,whichnowthe

browsinggoatsdonotdisturb.