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

32

THE

ARCHITECTUREOF

HUMANISM

Theirmarbles and

theirstonesare

often

of

paintedi

stucco. When the

blocks of masonry

with which!

theybuiltwerenotinscalewith

theprojected

scheme,^

the real joints were concealed

and false

ones

were

introduced

.1

Andthese practices

werebynomeans

confined,

asissometimessuggested,to

thelaterand

supposedly

decadent phases of the art. MaterialfJ^

then^3ras.utterlysubservientto

style.ax**( s4vj^

Enoughhasnowperhapsbeensaidtosuggestthat

Renaissancearchitecturein Italy

pursueditscourse

and assumed its various forms rather from an

aesthetic,
and,

so

to say,

internal impulsion than|

under the dictates of any external agencies.

The

architecture of the Renaissance is pre-eminentlyan

architectureofTaste., The menofthe

Renaissance|

evolved a certain architectural style, because they

liked
tobe

surrounded

by

formsof

a

certain kind.

These forms, as such, they preferred, irrespective

oftheir relationtothe mechanicalmeansby which:

theywereproduced,irrespectiveofthematerials

out

of which they were constructed, irrespective somcn.^

timesevenoftheactualpurposestheywere
to

serve.

^

e.g.intheStrozziPalacemanyapparentlyvastblocksofstone

aremadeupofshorteroneswithconcealedverticaljoints. Inthe

Cancelleria,

conversely,

longstonesaremadetoappearshorterthad

theyare,by

'

joints,'

whichareinrealityonlychannelsonthesurface^

Inbothcases

thepurpose

istomaintain

'

scale

'

; theunitofdesignj

thatistosay,

isnotmaterial

butsesthetic.

f