Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/558

Notices of Ercf)acoIogical ^3ubl (cations. THE SEVEN PERIODS OF ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE DEFINED AND ILLUSTRATED. By Edmund Sharpe, M. A., Architect. London; George Bell, 186, Fleet Street. Several peculiar features distinguish Mr. Sharpe's interesting work from the many volumes illustrative of the progress of English Ecclesiastical Architecture, which have been published within the last few years. The most important of these peculiarities is, that Mr. Shai-pe brings forward a iiew system of classification for our mediaeval buildings ; and expressing the conviction that it is impossible to divide them correctly into distinct styles or orders, he proposes a division into seven " periods," — namely, Saxon, Norman, Transition, Lancet, Geometrical, Curvilinear, and Rectilinear. The author's extensive and careful study of medieval architecture has been so fully evinced by his works previously published , that any proposition of this kind, coming from him, will be received with attention, and obtain the fullest consideration ; it will be only with reluctance and hesitation that we may difi"er from his conclusions. We cannot, however, abstain from offering the remark, that the practical difference between a division into styles and into "periods," as understood by Mr. Sharpe, seems to be but very slight. Mr. Sbarpe, although he says that a division into periods must be in great measure arbitrary, has not contented himself with the mere arbitrary assumption of a certain term of years for each period, but has divided the existing examples into groups, each characterised by certain peculiar features. Whether these groups are termed periods or styles seems immatei'ial. A much more important question, however, presents itself, — whether these " periods " are judiciously devised and defined, and likely to be found useful in practice. It will be seen that this classification of architectural monuments only differs (except as to names) from that of Rickman, in the addition of two new divisions, — viz. Transition, lasting from 1145 to 1190, and Geometrical, from 1245 to 1315. The former of these, although not ranked by Rickmau as a distinct style, is almost recognised as such in his descriptions of churches, and as it undoubtedly possesses a system of mouldings and of ornament as well as of construction and leading forms peculiar to itself, many will probably be disposed to admit the propriety of making it a separate style. If it be difficult to frame the description of the style in a manner quite satisfactory in a scientific point of view, at any rate the use of such a division will be found very convenient in practice. With regard to Mr. Sharpe's other new period, the Geometrical, greater doubt will pro- bably be felt. Mr. Sharpe's researches into the origin and progress of tracery have naturally led to his attaching very great importance to this feature, and his definitions of the three later periods are taken from it. Upou Mr. Sharpe's view of the question, — namely, that a correct division