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

178

THE ARCHITECTURE OF HUMANISM

sofarasthey havepurposes in

common. Weshall

compare them with regard to their command of

architectural space

and logical coherence,and here,

no doubt, Brunelleschi is tentative

and

immature.

Butthat doesnot exhausthisindividuality: these

qualities

were

nothis totalaim. The more stress,

then, that we layon the sequence the less justice

shall wedotoquattrocentoarchitecture. Thehabit

ofregardingBrunelleschisimplyas Bramante's
pre-

cursorlongallowedhis geniustoremain inshadow.

Notsoverylongagotheassertionofhisindependent

rights,hisunrepeatedmerit,wasreceivedasapara-

dox. Hecamefirstinalongsequence,and

'

without

experience

'

;

how

couldhe,therefore,besupremely

great?

The evolutionary criticism which belittled

the

period of Brunelleschi

—and from the same uncon-

sciousmotive—wassomethingmore

thanjusttothe

periodofBramante

: the

'

primeandclimax

'

ofour

architecture's
life. Noble asit wasinthehandsof

itsfinest architects, thecentral
styleofthe Renais-

sancehad,nonethe
less,itsvice. Itistooterrified

lest itshould offend. Bramante, Raphael, Peruzzi,

speakashavingauthority
;

but

the stylespeaksas

thescribes. Astylehasthe

righttobejudgedatits

highest

inspiration,

yet,tobefully

understood,

must

bewatchedatitscommontask.

Atmoments

—

^but

atmomentshowinfrequent

!—

^thisarchitecturemakes