American renaissance; a review of domestic architecture

Name: American renaissance; a review of domestic architecture
Author: Dow, Joy Wheeler

Dow, Joy Wheeler

Architecture -- United States; Architecture, Domestic

for a spree, which, to be sure, does him no credit, and he dabbles in
Colonial, Elizabethan and other diversions. But his art is French
Renaissance, not the graceful Renaissance of Pierre le Nepveu at
Chambord (see Plate LXXVI), nor the romantic Renaissance so insinuating
of Azay-le-Rideau (see Plate LXXVII), the designer of which no modern
ascription names, but the colder, impersonal, mathematical Renaissance
of the time of Viollet-le-Duc or the ultra, over-decorated Renaissance
of the last exposition, and the present generation of French architects.
The Ecole des Beaux Arts (Department of Architecture) is essentially a
school of material art to which there is no spiritual side. It is the
art which we measure by metres and centimetres, not an art we may
measure by psychical balances and our affections. And the personal side
of architecture--the side which ministers so largely to us when we come
to that complex embodiment of our joys and sorrows complete in the one
word “home”--well, sentiment has nothing to do with the case in the
estimation of the Beaux Arts man.

Of all the historic châteaux in France, Chenonceau (see Plate LXVII)
has received the most attention from American architects. Replicas of
its fascinating _tourelles_--some faithful, some deformed--greet one
very frequently in the modern residences of America. We have to
recognize the Chenonceau dormers, too, though they be dwarfed and
squatted according to the limited roof space at the disposal of the
American designer. Such tremendous roofs as were supported with ease by
the formidable walls of the old châteaux are prohibitory with us, that
is, if we cipher with American expediency and commercial economy. But
the right way to adapt a French cháteau is really to make believe
restore one, pretending for the nonce, that one is M. Pierre Lescot, M.
Claude Perrault or M. Gabriel, and that the king or some grand seigneur
of the realm has commanded one’s services for the purpose. As in the
elevation of the house for Mrs. H. at Morristown (see Plate LXXVIII) I
made believe to myself that the mediæval _tour_ was genuine, already
there, but requiring immediate restoration. It was easy to set imaginary
masons to work pointing the machicolations and curtain. I made believe
that long disuse had

PLATE LXXVIII.

[Illustration: ELEVATION OF A COUNTRY HOUSE FOR MRS. H--AT
MORRISTOWN.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

American renaissance; a review of domestic architectureDow, Joy Wheeler

History

American renaissance; a review of domestic architecture

Dow, Joy Wheeler

Architecture -- United States; Architecture, Domestic

for a spree, which, to be sure, does him no credit, and he dabbles in
Colonial, Elizabethan and other diversions. But his art is French
Renaissance, not the graceful Renaissance of Pierre le Nepveu at
Chambord (see Plate LXXVI), nor the romantic Renaissance so insinuating
of Azay-le-Rideau (see Plate LXXVII), the designer of which no modern
ascription names, but the colder, impersonal, mathematical Renaissance
of the time of Viollet-le-Duc or the ultra, over-decorated Renaissance
of the last exposition, and the present generation of French architects.
The Ecole des Beaux Arts (Department of Architecture) is essentially a
school of material art to which there is no spiritual side. It is the
art which we measure by metres and centimetres, not an art we may
measure by psychical balances and our affections. And the personal side
of architecture--the side which ministers so largely to us when we come
to that complex embodiment of our joys and sorrows complete in the one
word “home”--well, sentiment has nothing to do with the case in the
estimation of the Beaux Arts man.

Of all the historic châteaux in France, Chenonceau (see Plate LXVII)
has received the most attention from American architects. Replicas of
its fascinating _tourelles_--some faithful, some deformed--greet one
very frequently in the modern residences of America. We have to
recognize the Chenonceau dormers, too, though they be dwarfed and
squatted according to the limited roof space at the disposal of the
American designer. Such tremendous roofs as were supported with ease by
the formidable walls of the old châteaux are prohibitory with us, that
is, if we cipher with American expediency and commercial economy. But
the right way to adapt a French cháteau is really to make believe
restore one, pretending for the nonce, that one is M. Pierre Lescot, M.
Claude Perrault or M. Gabriel, and that the king or some grand seigneur
of the realm has commanded one’s services for the purpose. As in the
elevation of the house for Mrs. H. at Morristown (see Plate LXXVIII) I
made believe to myself that the mediæval _tour_ was genuine, already
there, but requiring immediate restoration. It was easy to set imaginary
masons to work pointing the machicolations and curtain. I made believe
that long disuse had

PLATE LXXVIII.

[Illustration: ELEVATION OF A COUNTRY HOUSE FOR MRS. H--AT
MORRISTOWN.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

American renaissance; a review of domestic architecture

American renaissance; a review of domestic architecture

No reviews yet