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

RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE

33

Theyhad animmediatepreferenceforcertain com-

binations

ofmassandvoid,oflightandshade,and,

comparedwiththis,allother motivesinthe forma-

tionoftheirdistinctivestylewereinsignificant. For

these other motives, being accidental,

exerted no

ccHisistentpressure,and,consequently,wereabsorbed

orthrustasidebythesteady

influenceofaconscious

tasteforform. Asanarchitectureoftaste,then,

we

mustletit

rest,whereourhistoriansaresounwilling

toleaveit,orwhere,

leavingit,theythinkitnecessary

to

condemn: as though therewere

something de-

'
graded in liking

certainiotms-for their own sake

and

valuingarchitecture

primarilyas

the

meang.by

whichthey

maybeobtained.

What

is the cause of

this prejudice? What is

the reason

ofthe persistent

attempt toforce upon

architectural art

such external standards, and to

explainitby

suchexternal

influences? Clearly,itis

this.

Taste is

supposed tobe a mattersovarious,

socapricious,

soinconsequent,

andsoobscurethatit

is considered

hopeless to argueabout

it in itsown-

terms.

Either,"it is

thought, we

must resign our-

selvesto chaos, or

wemust

exclude taste fromour

discussion,

orwemust

reducetasteto

terms

of

some-

thing

more constant

and

reliable. Onlyby sore-

ducingitcanwe

controlit,

orhopetounderstandit.

•niejtendency^

jfLJact,

spring&JroniJthjeJmBatience^.

ofthe

intellectin

the

presenceofafactorwhichseems