Stray Thoughts On The Origin And Progress Of The Fine Arts.

STRAY THOUGHTS ON THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FINE ARTS .

Br DlAGOBAS . PART NV . ( Continued from p . 124 ) Between the sixth and tenth centuries the- religious edifices of Italy were constructed on the p lan of the ancient basilica ); butafter the tenth centurythe

cha-, , racter of eastern and western architecture coalesced , and formed what is commonly called the Lombard Gothic , a style of building which resembles neither the Roman basilica , nor the Greek cross and cupola . The name Lombard indicates the place where this style of church architecture was matured . The chief characteristics of

this style , in contradistinction to the Grecian , are a general unwieldiness and want of proportion , together with a profuse variety of ornament , in very questionable taste . The form of the Lombard churches is that of a Latin cross , oblong , with a semicircular chancel , consisting within of a nave and two aisles , separated by arched arcades , and often with a crypt beneath . Small

buttresses are placed without the building to give support . The semi-circular Bo man arch is usually employed in these structures in the doors and windows , and , indeed , wherever an arch is requisite . The most peculiar ornament of this style is the chevron , or zigzag , occurring in single , " double , triple , and quadruple rows , of various dimensionsbetween the moulding of the doors and

, windows . The columns are of various forms and proportions , the shaft being usually of equal diameter throughout . The earliest forms were cylindrical , with a rough square block for a base ; afterwards , multangular shafts were formed , and others with slender half columns round a thick illar . The shafts are sometimes covered

p with spiral or zigzag ornaments . The capitals of this style are various . They are usually large square stones , either plain or rudely carved , with grotesque figures of monsters , animals , and human beings in all sorts of attitudes . The doorways and windows were extremely deep , on account of the thick walls of the edifices . These

openings were surmounted with semi-circular arches , the mouldings about which were composed of reeds and channels , with concave or plane faces between them . The concave spaces were either plain , or had at intervals foliage and flowers , and grotesque figures . The windows of the upper storey were smaller than those below , and germinated—that istwo small ones were included within

, one large one , supported by plain , short pillars . Tri ple windows were also used , consisting of a central window , with a smaller one on each side . Corbels were in general use in the early specimens of this order . They were very clumsy , and project considerably for the support of a massive flat cornice , their ends being ornamented

with uncouth figures , but afterwards with beads only . The Lombard architects constructed bell towers , for the purpose of collecting a congregation from distant parts at a particular hour ; and in order that the sound might be more widely diffused , and impeded as slig htly as possible by surrounding objects , the bells were hung iu

the uppermost part of the tower or belfry . As the use of bells became more general , a building , detached or separate from the church , was built to contain them , because neither belfries nor baptistries were considered to be essential parts of the church . Although this style of architecture had become universalladopted

y wherever the jurisdiction of the Latin Church was acknowled ged , and though its prevalence throughout Europe , Asia , and Africa marked the bounds of lapal authorit y , yet , at the very time when it seemed to have secured a lengthened duration , it was

suddenly neglected for a new and very different style of architecture . In districts where the materials for building were costly , or scanty , it was nevertheless desirable to erect churches of such dimensions as to afford accommodation for large congregations , for processions , for the performance of masses and other ceremoniesand it was necessary that they should stand

, pre-eminent above all other buildings ; while at the same time the quantity of material employed in their construction , should be as small as jiossible . It was also requisite in Northern countries that such a form of building should be employed as would combine , with great extent and elevationsurfaces which should afford

, little opportunity for the accumulation of snow on the roof . Thus , in ages when the art of architecture was almost confined to the reli gious communities , and when monks themselves were the principal designers of sacred edifices , it was to be supposed that the adaptation of the building to the climateand fitness for the purposes of

, their religion , were mainly studied by them , and paved the way for many new and individual characteristics of the style in question . In all previous styles of architecture , the walls were employed to enclose the sj ^ ace designed for use , and to support the roof which protected it above ; they were consequently made of such an

extreme thickness and size as to occupy much space that might have been , gained in the interior of the building , aud they likewise consumed a vast quantity of material and labour ; and where insulated pillars were added , they only shared with the cumbrous and massy walls the task of supporting the covering overhead ; and as the arches

within , were still rounded and spreading , they could be covered by roofs of only moderate pitch . But , in the new method of arrangement , pillars were erected at determinate distances from each other , which might

leave an unobstructed space around , but whose position should be so regulated as to afford sufficient support to the superincumbent part . Thus was formed a skeleton of long , thin masses , with" wide interstices between ; and-these forming the support of the roof of the building , to the relief of the walls and arches , nothing more was required as a lateral enclosure than a

mere partition , to shield the edifice from the effects of the elements . As the walls of this sty le of buildingwere only required as screens , aud not as supports , the spaces between the pillars were occupied by windows , the extreme outline of which was often carried to the very edge of the pillars and archesbetween which they

, were placed . This arrangement admirably disjdayed the boldness and li ghtness of the structure ; and in order that the windows might the more full y harmonise with the pointed arches of the building , they were now constructed ou the same plan , and their arches were likewise pointed . Thus , the pointed arch became adopted as

a necessary consequence of the new st yle of architecture ; and a taste having been acquired for such a style , it was copied and perpetuated in countries whore utility did not demand its introduction . Arches were multiplied and carried into minute subdivisions , intersecting each other iu all directionswhilst the structure was adorned with .

, spires , pinnacles , corbels , cusps , and tracerI J in almost endless profusion . Au increasing taste for ornament gradually appeared .- pillars , at first distinct , were conglomerated into one single mass . These , again , were subdivided and multiplied , diverging , converging , and intersecting each other till they formed all that

complicated tracery that adorns windows , screens , & e . The ornamental details were sometimes carried to absurdity ; for instance , where the human figure was deemed an appropriate ornament , it was often squeezed into the confined spaces between the shafts , where the lank figure