Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/465

Rh Bk. IX. Ch. III. STA. SOPHIA. 449 a^>^g^gF4g-^^j^j';.cj^;^v?;'^>^R:;5;^ iiiii;..i,iiiiiiiiiii!iiiiniiiiiii"iiiiiiiHiiii;i' .iii i .ni iii iii in 'i 'l! ii i i i iini i 892, Upper Uiler of Sta. Sophia. (From Salzenberg.) further removed from the eye, the interstices are filled in with black marble, so as to insure the desired effect. All the flat surfaces are covered with a mosaic of marble slabs of the most varied jDatterns and beautiful colors ; the domes, roofs, and curved surfaces with a o-old-n'rouuded mosaic relieved by figures or architectui-al devices. Though much of the mosaic is now concealed, enough is left to enable the effect of the whole to be judged of, and it certainly is wonder- fully grand and pleasing. The one thing wanted is painted glass, like that which adorns the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem, to render this building as solemnly impressive as it is overpower- ingly beautiful. !Sta. Sophia is so essentially dif- ferent from the greater number of churches that it is extremely difficult to institute a comparison be- tween them. "With regard to external effect, Gothic cathedrals o-ene- rally excel it; but whether by accident or by the inherent necessity of the style is by no means so clear. In so far as the interior is con- cerned, no Gothic architect ever rose to the conception of a hall 100 ft. wide, 250 ft. in length, and 180 ft. high, and none ever disposed each part more artistically to obtain the effect he desired to produce. Where tliC Byzantine style might profit from the experience subse- quently gained by Gothic architects is in the use of mouldings. The one defect in the decoration of Sta. Sophia is that it depends too much on color. It would have been better if the pier-arches, the window- frames, and the string-courses generallyhad been more strongly accen- tuated by moulding and panellings, but this is a slight defect among so many beauties. A comparison with the great Renaissance cathedrals is more easy, but results even more favorably to the Byzantine example. Two of these have domes which are considerably larger — St. Peter's at Rome and Sta. Maria at Florence being each 126 ft. — St. Paul's, London, (108) is within a foot of the same diameter, all the rest are smaller.^ This, however, is of less consequence than the fact that they are all adjuncts to the design of the church. None of them are integral or sui)ported by the rest of the design, and all tend to dwarf the build- best to the church on M'hich it is placed is that of Sta. Maria at Florence; but, strange to say, it is neither the one orig- inally designed for the place, nor prob- ably at all like it. All the others were erected as designed by the architects who built the churches, and none fit so well.
 * The Renaissance dome which fits