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

(Ben Green) #1
268 THE ARCHITECTURE

OF

HUMANISM

FAGE

Naturalism

andthephilosophyofrevolution.. 89

Formalitya

condition of successin

architectureasin

politics

......


89

Picturesqueness

isa form ofbeauty, andneed

notbe

foregone

...... 90


But thepicturesque

ideal,byitshostilitytotheformer

principle,isfatalto

design,anddestroysthesyntax

ofarchitecture..

. •


.91

Loosedesigndoesnotachievethebeauty

ofNature
.
92

AndthecultofNatureisthemark,notofa

natural,but

ofanexhaustedsociety... .92

CHAPTER IV

THEMECHANICAL

FALLACY

Materialismandmechanisticphilosophyinthenineteenth

century ......


94

Itsinfluenceonpainting,onliterature,and

onarchitecture
95

ItsprejudiceinfavourofGothic,qua

construction.
96

TndifTerence of Renaissance architects to mechanical


'truth' ......


,98

Mechanisticdefinitionsoftherelationofconstructionto t-../

architecturalbeauty;Architectureasgoodconstrue-

tiontruthfullyexpressed... .100

HowfarGreekorGothicarchitecturecanbecalled

'

good

construction'.

..


.

'

.. 102


Or

'
constructiontruthfully
expressed'.

.

.103

Beautycannotbeidentified
withsincereconstruction. 104

Butperhapsbothare
necessary? DiflScultiesofthisview 104

Architecturedefined
asthevividexpressionofstructural


function

..... .106

But
thevividnessmustbeamatterofappearanceandthe

functionamatteroffact,whiletheconverse
is

not

_^


necessary..

...
. log


Renaissancearchitecturetakes
advantageofthisdistinc-

tion,itappealsfromlogic

topsychology.. no

Historical necessity
and aesthetic advantage of this
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