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

PREFACE

The

scopeofthisbookrequiresawordofexplanation,

sincefromaverysimple purpioseithasdeveloped

to

a

rathercomplicated issue. Myintention hadbeen

toformulatethe chief principles of classical design

inarchitecture. Isoonrealised thatinthe

present

stateofourthoughtnotheoryofartcouldbemade

convincing,orevenclear,toanyonenotalreadyper-

suadedofitstruth. Theremay,atthepresenttime,

bealack ofarchitectural taste: thereis, unfortu-

ately, no lack of architectural

opinion.

Architec-

ture,itissaid,mustbe

'

expressiveofitspurpose

.'

or

'expressiveofits true

construction,' or 'expressive

ofthe materials it employs' or

'

expressive of

the

national

life' (whethernoble or otherwise) or

'

ex-

pressiveofanoblelife'

(whethernationalornot)

;

or

expressive

ofthe craftsman's temperament,

or the

owner's or the architect's,

or, on the contrary,

'

academic'andstudiously

indifferenttothesefactors.

Itmust,we

are told,besymmetrical,orit

must

be

picturesque

—

^thatis,above

allthings,unsymmetrical.

It must be

'

traditional' and

'

scholarly,' that is,

resemblingwhat

has already been done by

Greek,