Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/220

 180 Sloan's Architectural Revieio and Builders' Journal. [Sept., which, they can never flourish, or make the rapid advance which helps to keep a nation great and prosperous. The cul- ture of the fine arts, and a general dissemination of taste for such pur- suits are of the highest importance, in a national point of view ; for they have a powerful tendency to elevate the stand- ard, not only of intellect, but also of morals ; and form one of those mighty levers, which raise nations, as well as individuals, to the highest point in the scale of civilization. In every age, and in every country, the cultivation and encouragement of the fine arts have been invariably attended, as all history goes to prove, with a corresponding improvement in the social, moral, and intellectual character of t^he people ; and the truth of this is never more strikingly and forcibly exemplified, than in the case of our own nation, at the present day. At no former period of our existence, as a nation, have the standards of mental and moral improvement and of refine- ment and civilization, been more eleva- ted ; and at none have the fine arts, in general, and architecture in particular, been more cultivated, more encouraged, "and held in higher estimation in our day. We well remember the time, when Philadelphia possessed but two archi- tects ; and they had a very limited practice indeed. At that time, there was not one of any note, certainly none whose name ever was known profession- ally, west of the Allegheny mountains ; and there were only three or four in the city of New York. At the present time, we can count in our own city over sixty architects ; in New York, one hundred ; in Boston, eighty ; in Chicago, thirty ; and in all our cities, North, East and West, an increase in similar proportion. This fact, of itself, speaks volumes in proof of the increasing, and ever improving taste for architecture, which has sprung up in our midst, within the last few years ; and we have only to look around us, in our daily walks, to be assured, that the good work is steadily and surely progressing ; that, in spite of all difficulties, all embarrassments and vex- ations, our architects are still steadily advancing ; disseminating, by the ema- nations of their genius and their artistic talent, a clearer and more defined per- ception of, and love for, the beautiful and the true ; and a more refined and cultivated taste in the architectural style of our buildings. The above remarks also apply, with more or less effect, to cities in the old world, as London, Paris, &c. In the two just named, of late years, very marked improvements in the style of architecture are evinced in the beautiful and grand structures of all kinds, that have sprung up, as it were, by magic. Paris is striving to eclipse all other cities ; and we must confess, that, as yet, she is far ahead of all in the beauty and lavish elegance and splendor of her public edifices. The prevailing style in that city, and in France gener- ally, as well as in our own country, at the present time, is the Italian, or Pal- ladian, in all the main points below the roof, which is Mansard. The Vicentine style has been described, at considerable length, and in full detail, in another ar- ticle in this number of our magazine, so it would be needless for us to go over the same ground again at this point. It is our own individual opinion,based upon careful and minute study of our art, and the experience of many years, that this particular style is the one, of all others, most adapted to a prosperous and improving nation, like ourselves, and especially the most suitable, in every way, for our street architecture. This arises from the fact, that rectan- gularity of apartments, both in ground- plan, and in longitudinal and transverse sections, is not only best adapted to the demands of business, but also to social needs, such as light, heat, conduction of sound, &c. ; whereas, the striking dis- play required in great ecclesiastical in- teriors is best afforded by the Gothic vault.