| XXX | (349) | XXX |
A R C H I T to pleafe the eye. But as grandeur depends partly on lize, it is unlucky for ardiite&ure that it is governed by regularity and proportion, which never deceive the eye by making objects appear larger than they are in reality. But though regularity and proportion contribute nothing to grandeur, fo far as that emolion depends on fize ; yet they contribute greatly to it by confining the fize within fuch bounds that it can be taken in and examined at one view; for, when objedts are fo large as not to be comprehended but in parts, they tend rather to diftradt than fatisfy the mind. We fiiall next pafs to Tuch ornaments as contribute to give buildings a peculiar expreffion. It has been doubted, whether a building can regularly admit any ornament but what is ufeful, or at leaft has that appearance. But, confidering the double aim of architedture as a fine, as well as an ufeful art, there is no reafon why ornaments may not be added to pleafe the eye, without any relation to utility. A private dwelling-houfe, it.is true, and other edifices, where ufe is the chief aim, admit not regularly any ornament but what has" at leaft the appearance of ufe : But temples, triumphal arches, and other buildings intended chiefly or folely for ftiow, may be highly ornamented. This fuggefts a divifion of ornaments into three kinds, l viz. x. Ornaments that are beautiful without relation to ufe; fuch as ftatues, vafes, baflb- or alto relievo : 2. Things in themfelves not beautiful, but poflefling the beauty of utility, by impofing on the fpedtator, and appearing to be ufeful ; fuch'as blind windows :• Where things are beautiful in themfelves,«and at the fame time take on the appearance of ufe; fuch as pilafters. Witfi regard to the JirJ}, we naturally require that a ftatue be fo placed, as to be feen in every diredtion, and examined at different diftances. Statues, therefore,, are properly introduced to adorn the great ftair that leads to to the principal door of a palace, or to leffen the void between pillars. But a niche in the external front is an improper place for a ftatue. There is-an additional reafon againft placing them upon the roof or top of the walls; their r'cklifh fituation gives pain, as they have the appearance of being in danger of tumbling down ; befides, we are inclined to feel from their being too much expofed to the inclemencies of the weather. To adorn the top of the wall with a row of vafes, is an unhappy conceit, by placing a thing, whofe natural deftination is utility, where it cannot have even the appearance of ufe. As to carvings upon the external furface of a building, termed bajfo relievo 'when flat, and alto relievo when prominent, all contradidtory exprefiions ought to be avoided. Now, firmnefs and folidity being the proper expreflions of a pedeftal, and, on the contrary, lightnefs and delicacy of carved work, the pedeftal, whether of a column or of a ftatue, ought to be fparingly ornamented. The ancients never ventured any bolder ornament than the baflb relievo. With refpedt to-ornaments df the- fecond kind, it is a great blunder to contrive them fo as to make them appear ufelefs. A blind window, therefore, when neceflary for regularity,, ought to be fo difguifed as to appear a real window: When it appears without difguife, it is difguftVol*. I. Numb. 15.
E C T U R E. 349 ful, as a vain-attempt to fupply the want of invention ; it Ihows the irregularity in a ftronger light, by fignifying that a window ought to be there in point of regularity, but that the architedt had not- fkill (uflicient to connedl external regularity with internahconvCnience. As to xhe third, it is an error to fink pilafters fo far into the wall, as to remove totally, or moftly, the appearance of ufe. They ilxould always projedt fo mucir from the wall, as to have the appearance of fupporting the entablature over them. From ornaments in general, we defeend to a pillar^ the chief ornament in great buildings. - The ideftination of a pillar is to fupport, really or in appearance, another part termed the entablature. With regard to the form of a pillar, it muft be obferved, that a circle is a more agreeable figure than a fquare, a globe than' a cube, and a cylinder than a parallellopipedon. This laft, in the language of architedture, is faying, that a column is a more agreeable figure than a pilafter; and for that reafon it ought to be preferred, when all other, circumftances are equal. Another reafon concurs, that a column annexed to a wall, which is a plaip furface, makes a greater variety than a*pilafter. Befides, pilafters at a diftance are apt to be miftaken for pillars ; and the fpedtator is difappointed when, on a nearer approach, he difeovers them to bV only pilafters. As to the parts of a column, a bare uniform cylinder, without a capital, appears naked; and without a bate, appears too -ticklifhly placed to ftand firm j- It ought therefore to have fome finiflxing at the top and bottom: Hence the three chief parts of a column, the flxaft, the bafe, and the capital. Nature undoubtedly requires proportion among thefe parts, but it admits of variety of proportion. Vitruvius and fome of the elder writers feem to think, that the proportions of columns were derived from the human figure, the capital reprefenting the head, the bafe the feet, and the fliaft the body. The Tufcan has been -accordingly denominated the Gigantic ; the Doric, the Herculean; the Ionic, the Matronal ; and the Corinthian, the Virginal:—the Cbmpofite is a mixture of the Corinthian and Ionic. As to the-bafe, the principle of utility interpofes to vary it from the human figure, and to proportion it fo to the whole, as to give the column the appearance of liability. Among the Greeks, we find only three orders of columns, the Doric, the Ionic, and the Corinthian, diftinguiflred from each other by their fteftination as well as by their ornaments. It has been difputed, whether any new order can be added to thefe : Some hold the affirmative, and give for inftances the Tufcan and Compofite ; others maintain, that thefe properly are not diftihtf: orders, but only the original orders with fome flight variation. The only circumftances that can ferve to diftinguifli one order from another, are the form of the column, and its deftination. To make the firft a diftinguiffiing mark without regard to the other, would multiply orders without end. Deftination is more limited, and it leads us to diftinguifti three kinds of orders ; one plain and ftrong, for the purpofe of fupporting plain and mafly buildings ; one delicate and graceful, for fupporting buildings of that charafier; and between thefe, a 4T _ _ third,
