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

58 THE

ARCHITECTURE OFHUMANISM

neglect,andbymisinterpretation. Itwasinevitable

that Romantic criticism should

neglectthe Renais-

sancestyle.

I

Itsantiquarianenthusiasts foundin it

no free scope, because the field was already well

explored, the subject well formulated: they were

revolted,moreover,bytheunconventionalusewhich

theRenaissanceartistsoftenmadeofclassicaldesign

;

and,attractedtothemediaevalbyitswealthofunex-

ploreddetail,theyfollowedallthemorewillinglythe

summons

of the romantic impulse which, by an

accidentofculture,hadnowset towardsthemiddle

ages. Its poeticenthusiasts, equally,

were repelled

from the Renaissance tradition because it was in-

sufficiently remote, insufficiently invested with the

glamouroftheunknown

;

because

it

could

bemade

symbolic

ofno popularideas, and because it could

not, liketheGreekorthe Gothic,

be fittedat

once

into aready-made, poeticalconnection. And thus,

insensibly,theRenaissancestyle,

since

symbolic

ithad

tobe,becamesymbolic

ofideasthatwereunpopular.

The conditions in which it had

grown up seemed

relativelyprosaic.

Prosaic, therefore, and dull the

Renaissanceforms

mustnecessarily

befound

.'^

\

»

Cf.Mr.Lethabyinarecent

work:

'

Itmust,Ithink,

be

admitted

bythosewhohaveinpart

understoodthegreatprimary

styles,

Greek

orGothic,thattheRenaissance

isastyleofboredom.

...Gothic

artwitnessestoanationintraining

hunters,craftsmen,

athletes;the

Renaissanceistheartofscholars,

courtiers.

..."

Such

astatement,

inahistorywhichiscontent

todismissthewholeperiodineight

pages(orratherlessthanisdevoted

tothearchitecture

ofBabylon),