Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/253

 1868.] A History of Architecture. 200 Vanbrugh, the dramatist; Sir John Rennie ; Smirke ; and the last, one who has but just been taken awaj T, Barry. The fundamental rules of architec- ture, as laid down by Yitruvius, are the following: 1st. Order, 2d. Proportion, 3d. Harmony, 4th. Composition, or Fitness of Arrangement, 5th. Economy We will take up each one of these heads and define it as simply as we can. 1st. Order, method, or regularity, is the relation which parts, considered as makiug up a whole, have to each other, and their proper arrangement, before being put together, as a whole. This, one of the most important of those principles, is properly put first; and ought to be the end and aim of all fine art. In the remains of Greek art, it is specialty traceable. Wherever absolute uniformity, by producing too mechani- cal an effect, was displeasing to the eye, the Egyptian and Gothic architects varied the decorations of their capitals and bases, to a very considerable extent. Order requires that each separate piece be in a place peculiarly its own. 2d. Proportion is distinct from the foregoing, as being the relation, not of parts to a whole, but of parts to each other. The parts cf a building may be said to be well proportioned, when, on comparing any two portions of the in- ner or outer structure, they are in keep- ing with one another, so far as dimen- sions are concerned. 3d. Harmony is the symmetrical ad- justment of parts, both in their separate dimensions and in their interlocking junctures. This principle relates to the graduation, in measurement, of all the parts, connected in a whole, to the di- mensions of one, taken as a standard. It was by following out this idea of sym- metry, as more particularly shown in the art of sculpture, that the famous Greek artists made their works true ideals, and imperishable models, for all coming ages. 4th. Composition is congruity in the adaptation of parts, the disposing of portions of an extended edifice, so that, viewed as a whole, they shall be con- sidered beautiful. To carry this princi- ple out perfectly, it is requisite that, all the parts have an office, and that in size, position, and every other quality, they be adapted to that office. There is no one principle, which so surely proves the true genius and skill of an artist, as his success in securing perfect congruity, in every portion of his work. 5th. Economy is the attainment of the useful ends for which the building was designed, without waste. We do not mean by this, merely the simple and vulgar economy of the purse, although this, of course, is also an essential fea- ture; but the best manner of procuring a happy and wise combination of beauty and utility, retaining nothing superflu- ous, but omitting nothing likely to pro- mote the end in view. We could dilate, at great length, on each of these fundamental principles of our art ; but it is not necessary here to clo so. We have already said, that where the purpose for any building, of which a de- sign is in contemplation, is simply and solely utility ; to attain this end, it is necessary, even, to sacrifice beauty and embellishments, should such be found inconvenient, or should they materially interfere with and detract from the end for which it was intended. On the other hand, where the end in view is simply ornamental, or the production of a structure, which shall please, either the common eye or the cultivated taste, the genius, science, art-education and innate feeling of the architect have a boundless field, wherein to exercise. The great standard principles by which an architect must be guided are regularity and proportion, because from a true combination of these may be said to emanate the real intrinsic charm of