Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Art Collections At South Kensington, Considered In Reference To Architecture.
ing and suggestive works of Domestic origin . I may specify the numerous and diversified series of coft ' rets or caskets in every possible decorative material , iron , brass , Avood , ivory , leather , & c , carved , painted , embossed , chiselled : every variety of manipulation Avith the hammer and file , the graving-tool , or the gouge , may be here seen ; each instrument fashioning its appropriate
material into forms of beanty ; differing as widely as possible in their decorative expression or styles one from another ; modified again by the different modes of view of the respective nations of Mediaeval Europe . Here we may note French Gothic , differing with an infinity of shades of variation from the neighbouring Flemish and German contemporary versions ;—England ,
again , displaying its own beautiful peculiarities ; and Italy and Spain , southern lands where the Gothic never fairly struck root , nevertheless offering us occasionally motives of admirable originality and beauty . Then let us take into consideration the goldsmiths' or metal workers' craft , Here are splendid altar-crosses , relinquariesmonstranceschalices & cin rich
drink-, , , , array ; ing cups , salt-cellars , mazer-bowls ; and in the more robust art of the blacksmith , —what an admirable series of locks , handles , hinges , knockers , coffers , & c , does this collection offer for the direct practical study of the architect and designer for industrial art ! How
completely in this phase of arc , for instance , may w e study the natural aud consistetent , and , therefore , most artistic treatment of wrought as opposed to cast metal ? How completely may we note that the hammer and the file have , as it were , a language of their own , whilst , at the same time , we never see this language misapplied ? In wood and ivory carving the Museum also possesses
fine works of Gothic art ; and here , again , their use to the architect and the art-workmen is often direct ; but I must dwell no longer on this stylo . We will pass to the next great phase—the Renaissance—tho Quattrocento and Cinque-cento of the Italians , and , as I suppose , I ought to say , the Elizabethan of our own country ; though this last designation , applying , as it does , only
to one particular period , by no means adequately responds to the foreign terms which , from the poverty of our English art momenclature , ive are obliged to make use of . We are now coming nearer to our own times ; and naturally we have a greater abundance and variety of art-monuments than of the earlier epochs . The diversity of stylesgenericnationalor local and
indi-, , , vidual , not less than the vast variety of modes and processes , now renders it hopeless even to attempt any general review of the specimens in this extensive category ; and , as our time is limited , I shall select for notice one or two classes of works only , which seem to bear upon matters of special interest at the present moment .
My own predilections are strongly in favour of Italian art of that truly wonderful epoch the fifteenth century ; and I agree with , as I think , the majority of writers and connoisseurs , that the so-styled Fine Arts—painting , sculpture , aud architecture—at the close of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century , attained in Italy , to a crisis or pitch of'perfeetion , beyond which , speaking
iu a general manner , it was impossible to carry them , and at which level they could not be permanently maintained . Our eloquent president , if I recollect rightly , in his opening address , somewhat discountenanced the idea of crisis or culminating points in art ; nevertheless , I am almost tempted to adopt the notion that there is some occult law of development for society , or the world at large ,
analagous to that of the growth and decay of individuals : that the world of art , at all events , does in reality pass through repeating cycles , as it were , of 3 * outhfnl progress , manly perfection , and the decrepitude of age ; and that , for instance , attained to its culminating point in the age of Phidias and Praxiteles , and then for meny centuries gradually declined ; the sacred flame of art at last Avaning to the feeblest glimmer in the dark night ot
universal barbarism , so having reached the lowest point ; , then again there was a slow but certain revival , till at last it grew again to a second sun-like blaze , in the full light of which stand out the giant forms of Donatello , Brunelleschi , Michelangelo , RaffaelJe , & c . Have we passed the lowest point of decline since this ? I would fain believe that we are again marching onwards in a-
fresh career , and that the next great dwelling-place of art will be in this our own England . But , I am digressing when there is no time to lose . It is now not a little difficult to choose amongst the mass of treasures in this division of our collection .
The Italian sculptures , I need scarcely say , offer examples of exceeding value to architects . Some of them , such as the marble singing-gallery of Santa Maria Novella , are , indeed , in themselves , complete architectural monuments , practically illustrating numerous points iu the application of decorative sculpture on set architectural forms . Moreover , a careful consideration of other
specimens , which at first sight might appear to have nodirect bearing upon architecture , will , I think , well repay the student ; most instructive facts and suggestions may , indeed , often be gleamed from figures or reiievi viewed asdetached specimens , even when there is no certain record , of the monuments they originally adorned ; for instance ,, in the works cf that trulgreat artistDonatelloand
y , ; . here I am happy to say , that no other museum , not even . that of Florence itself , can boast such a series of original works of Donatello and his scholars as this . What wonderful power there is here displayed of dealing with the principles of relievo . Sometimes , for instance , we maysee apparently the most harsh and abrupt forms in hig h , relief disagreeable and even repulsive in themselves
,, assuming the most beautiful and consistent aspects when placed in their proper light , or considered with reference , to the part they were destined to subserve in a general architectural composition ; and , on the other hand , modes of reliavo so refined and delicate , so very low-- or flat , as to be almost as it were like painting on marble ; and in . this manner we may see the most crowded and elaborate
subjects most distinctly and strikingly rendered , and yet with a repose and tranquility of aspect of itself most beautiful . And this , perhaps , when the work was intended to adorn some plain wall space , enlivening it with , ricbly-storied sculpture , without interfering with its obvious stability and breadth of effect . Here occurs to me a striking and most original instance of this mode of treatment : and I cannot forbear to specify it , both because it is almost unknown and also from its remarkabla
suggestiveness . I instance that most noble and original Italian Renaissance church San Francisco at Rimini , where the entire surface of the marble interior walls of one side of the nave , with its chapels , are covered with ' sculptures , apparently carved in the mass of the walls after their erection , and not laid on or encrusted , —quite ,, in fact , on the principle of the ancient Egyptian and
Assyrian wall-sculptures . Nothing in Italian art ever struck me as more beautiful or more generally remarkable than the grand figures of saints and and angels , of almost colossal proportions , filling the vast wall-spaces of this church ; aud I could uot fail to note the skilful manner in which the degree or style of relief was varied , in every partto suit the liht which illumined its
-, g par ticular position . These noble sculptures are believed to be mainly thework of Luca della Robbia ; and here the mention of this great artist brings me to the consideration of an art which is believed to have owed its origin to him ; whichhas a particular interest for us at the present time , now that elforts are being made to revive itand of which the
; Museum possesses a complete and unrivalled series of specimens;—I mean the works in glazed or enamelled terra cotta , generally known as Della Robbia Ware . But first let me apologise for having dwelt at such disproportionate length ou the matters already passed in review , I find I must give up the idea of taking into consider-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Art Collections At South Kensington, Considered In Reference To Architecture.
ing and suggestive works of Domestic origin . I may specify the numerous and diversified series of coft ' rets or caskets in every possible decorative material , iron , brass , Avood , ivory , leather , & c , carved , painted , embossed , chiselled : every variety of manipulation Avith the hammer and file , the graving-tool , or the gouge , may be here seen ; each instrument fashioning its appropriate
material into forms of beanty ; differing as widely as possible in their decorative expression or styles one from another ; modified again by the different modes of view of the respective nations of Mediaeval Europe . Here we may note French Gothic , differing with an infinity of shades of variation from the neighbouring Flemish and German contemporary versions ;—England ,
again , displaying its own beautiful peculiarities ; and Italy and Spain , southern lands where the Gothic never fairly struck root , nevertheless offering us occasionally motives of admirable originality and beauty . Then let us take into consideration the goldsmiths' or metal workers' craft , Here are splendid altar-crosses , relinquariesmonstranceschalices & cin rich
drink-, , , , array ; ing cups , salt-cellars , mazer-bowls ; and in the more robust art of the blacksmith , —what an admirable series of locks , handles , hinges , knockers , coffers , & c , does this collection offer for the direct practical study of the architect and designer for industrial art ! How
completely in this phase of arc , for instance , may w e study the natural aud consistetent , and , therefore , most artistic treatment of wrought as opposed to cast metal ? How completely may we note that the hammer and the file have , as it were , a language of their own , whilst , at the same time , we never see this language misapplied ? In wood and ivory carving the Museum also possesses
fine works of Gothic art ; and here , again , their use to the architect and the art-workmen is often direct ; but I must dwell no longer on this stylo . We will pass to the next great phase—the Renaissance—tho Quattrocento and Cinque-cento of the Italians , and , as I suppose , I ought to say , the Elizabethan of our own country ; though this last designation , applying , as it does , only
to one particular period , by no means adequately responds to the foreign terms which , from the poverty of our English art momenclature , ive are obliged to make use of . We are now coming nearer to our own times ; and naturally we have a greater abundance and variety of art-monuments than of the earlier epochs . The diversity of stylesgenericnationalor local and
indi-, , , vidual , not less than the vast variety of modes and processes , now renders it hopeless even to attempt any general review of the specimens in this extensive category ; and , as our time is limited , I shall select for notice one or two classes of works only , which seem to bear upon matters of special interest at the present moment .
My own predilections are strongly in favour of Italian art of that truly wonderful epoch the fifteenth century ; and I agree with , as I think , the majority of writers and connoisseurs , that the so-styled Fine Arts—painting , sculpture , aud architecture—at the close of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century , attained in Italy , to a crisis or pitch of'perfeetion , beyond which , speaking
iu a general manner , it was impossible to carry them , and at which level they could not be permanently maintained . Our eloquent president , if I recollect rightly , in his opening address , somewhat discountenanced the idea of crisis or culminating points in art ; nevertheless , I am almost tempted to adopt the notion that there is some occult law of development for society , or the world at large ,
analagous to that of the growth and decay of individuals : that the world of art , at all events , does in reality pass through repeating cycles , as it were , of 3 * outhfnl progress , manly perfection , and the decrepitude of age ; and that , for instance , attained to its culminating point in the age of Phidias and Praxiteles , and then for meny centuries gradually declined ; the sacred flame of art at last Avaning to the feeblest glimmer in the dark night ot
universal barbarism , so having reached the lowest point ; , then again there was a slow but certain revival , till at last it grew again to a second sun-like blaze , in the full light of which stand out the giant forms of Donatello , Brunelleschi , Michelangelo , RaffaelJe , & c . Have we passed the lowest point of decline since this ? I would fain believe that we are again marching onwards in a-
fresh career , and that the next great dwelling-place of art will be in this our own England . But , I am digressing when there is no time to lose . It is now not a little difficult to choose amongst the mass of treasures in this division of our collection .
The Italian sculptures , I need scarcely say , offer examples of exceeding value to architects . Some of them , such as the marble singing-gallery of Santa Maria Novella , are , indeed , in themselves , complete architectural monuments , practically illustrating numerous points iu the application of decorative sculpture on set architectural forms . Moreover , a careful consideration of other
specimens , which at first sight might appear to have nodirect bearing upon architecture , will , I think , well repay the student ; most instructive facts and suggestions may , indeed , often be gleamed from figures or reiievi viewed asdetached specimens , even when there is no certain record , of the monuments they originally adorned ; for instance ,, in the works cf that trulgreat artistDonatelloand
y , ; . here I am happy to say , that no other museum , not even . that of Florence itself , can boast such a series of original works of Donatello and his scholars as this . What wonderful power there is here displayed of dealing with the principles of relievo . Sometimes , for instance , we maysee apparently the most harsh and abrupt forms in hig h , relief disagreeable and even repulsive in themselves
,, assuming the most beautiful and consistent aspects when placed in their proper light , or considered with reference , to the part they were destined to subserve in a general architectural composition ; and , on the other hand , modes of reliavo so refined and delicate , so very low-- or flat , as to be almost as it were like painting on marble ; and in . this manner we may see the most crowded and elaborate
subjects most distinctly and strikingly rendered , and yet with a repose and tranquility of aspect of itself most beautiful . And this , perhaps , when the work was intended to adorn some plain wall space , enlivening it with , ricbly-storied sculpture , without interfering with its obvious stability and breadth of effect . Here occurs to me a striking and most original instance of this mode of treatment : and I cannot forbear to specify it , both because it is almost unknown and also from its remarkabla
suggestiveness . I instance that most noble and original Italian Renaissance church San Francisco at Rimini , where the entire surface of the marble interior walls of one side of the nave , with its chapels , are covered with ' sculptures , apparently carved in the mass of the walls after their erection , and not laid on or encrusted , —quite ,, in fact , on the principle of the ancient Egyptian and
Assyrian wall-sculptures . Nothing in Italian art ever struck me as more beautiful or more generally remarkable than the grand figures of saints and and angels , of almost colossal proportions , filling the vast wall-spaces of this church ; aud I could uot fail to note the skilful manner in which the degree or style of relief was varied , in every partto suit the liht which illumined its
-, g par ticular position . These noble sculptures are believed to be mainly thework of Luca della Robbia ; and here the mention of this great artist brings me to the consideration of an art which is believed to have owed its origin to him ; whichhas a particular interest for us at the present time , now that elforts are being made to revive itand of which the
; Museum possesses a complete and unrivalled series of specimens;—I mean the works in glazed or enamelled terra cotta , generally known as Della Robbia Ware . But first let me apologise for having dwelt at such disproportionate length ou the matters already passed in review , I find I must give up the idea of taking into consider-