The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 3/3MacGibbon, David
History
The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 3/3
MacGibbon, David
Church architecture -- Scotland
sacristy (D), of date about 1446; the rib in the chapter house (E),
of date about 1425; or the same rib in the lower church, of date
about 1240. You frequently give expression to your opinion that the
work executed in Scotland about the year 1500 was ‘inferior.’
Sweeping generalisations of this kind are of no value in our work.
I send you a process block (Fig. 2). It illustrates the carved boss
in the vaulting of the aisle of Car Fergus, of Blacader’s time,
being the very first seen on entering, and so close to the eye that
it may almost be touched by the hand. No work of any
period--certainly not of Bishop Cameron’s time--can excel it in
beauty, and it is only one of many equally beautiful. You state
that the work in the screen ‘is considerably superior to that of
the adjoining altars, which are _certainly_ by that bishop’
(_Archbishop_ Blacader). It is a fact that you are here comparing
work, which is as sharp as when it left the carver’s hand, with
work at the floor level which is now so worn and defaced as almost
to be obliterated. The altars are of different design, and that now
on the north side is of _earlier date_, and was rebuilt and
repaired only by the archbishop. If this single altar stood
originally in the centre, as the one of the same name did at
Durham, and if, as is not impossible, it was originally built by
Bishop Cameron, then you condemn as ‘inferior’ what, if you had
only known, you ought to praise as ‘superior.’
“Mr. Honeyman, whose early opinion you quote, writing to me, for my
use here, says, in reference to the Glasgow rood screen--‘I must
say that circumstances which you have brought to my notice have
considerably changed my opinion regarding this. I quite recognise
the close affinity of the south transept door at Melrose and the
rood screen at Lincluden, and I am quite prepared to believe that
the man who designed these, also designed the rood screen here. If
it can be proved that the work at Melrose and Lincluden was not
executed till about 1480, or later, then I shall feel bound to
agree with you as to the age of our screen.’ The proof as to the
age of the Melrose door has been given in my book.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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