Illustrated History of Furniture, fifth ed.: From the Earliest to the Present TimeLitchfield, Frederick
History
Illustrated History of Furniture, fifth ed.: From the Earliest to the Present Time
Litchfield, Frederick
Furniture -- History
There is a remarkable example of rather late German Renaissance oak
carving in the private chapel of S. Saviour's Hospital, in Osnaburg
Street, Regent's Park, London. The choir stalls, some 31 in number, and
the massive doorway, formed part of a Carthusian monastery at Buxheim,
Bavaria, which was sold and brought to London after the monastery had
been secularised and had passed into the possession of the territorial
landlords, the Bassenheim family. At first intended to ornament one of
the Colleges at Oxford, it was afterwards resold and purchased by the
author, and fitted to the interior of S. Saviour's, and, so far as the
proportions of the chapel would admit of such an arrangement, the relative
positions of the different parts are maintained. The figures of the twelve
apostles--of David, Eleazer, Moses, Aaron, and of the eighteen saints at
the back of the choir stalls, are marvellous work, and the whole must
have been a harmonious and well-considered arrangement of ornament. The
work, executed by the monks themselves, is said to have been commenced
in 1600, and to have been completed in 1651, and though a little later
than, according to some authorities, the best time of the Renaissance, is
so good a representation of German work of this period that it will well
repay an examination. As the author was responsible for its arrangement
in its present position, he has the permission of the authorities of S.
Saviour's to say that anyone who is interested in Art will be allowed to
see the chapel.
[Illustration: GERMAN CARVED OAK BUFFET, 17TH CENTURY.
(_From a Drawing by Prof. Heideloff._)]
THE RENAISSANCE IN ENGLAND.
England under Henry the Eighth was peaceful and prosperous, and the king
was ambitious to outvie his French contemporary, François I., in the
sumptuousness of his palaces. John of Padua, Holbein, Havernius of Cleves,
and other artists, were induced to come to England and to introduce the
new style. It, however, was of slow growth, and we have in the mixture of
Gothic, Italian, and Flemish ornament, the style which is known as "Tudor."
It has been well said that "Feudalism was ruined by gunpowder." The
old-fashioned feudal castle was certainly no longer proof against
cannon, and with the new order of things, threatening walls and serried
battlements gave way as if by magic to the pomp and grace of the Italian
mansion. High roofed gables, rows of windows and glittering oriels looking
down on terraced gardens, with vases and fountains, mark the new epoch.
[Illustration: CARVED OAK CHEST IN THE STYLE OF HOLBEIN.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account