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112 THE SEVEN LAMPS OF ARCHITECTURE
characteristic of every church of the period; and, to my feeling, the most majestic; not perhaps the fairest, but the mightiest type of form which the mind of man has ever conceived*) based exclusively on associations of the circle and the square.
I am now, however, trenching upon ground which I desire to reserve for more careful examination, in connection with other æsthetic questions: but I believe the examples I have given will justify my vindication of the square form from the reprobation which has been lightly thrown upon it; nor might this be done for it only as a ruling outline, but as occurring constantly in the best mosaics, and in a thousand forms of minor decoration, which I cannot now examine; my chief assertion of its majesty being always as it is an exponent of space and surface, and therefore to be chosen, either to rule in their outlines, or to adorn by masses of light and shade those portions of buildings in which surface is to be rendered precious or honourable.
§ 11. Thus far, then, of general forms, and of the modes in which the scale of architecture is best to be exhibited. Let us next consider the manifestations of power which belong to its details and lesser divisions.
The first division we have to regard, is the inevitable one of masonry. It is true that this division may, by great art, be concealed; but I think it unwise (as well as dishonest) to do so; for this reason, that there is a very noble character always to be obtained by the opposition of large stones to divided masonry, as by shafts and columns of one piece, or massy lintels and architraves, to wall work of bricks or smaller stones; and there is a certain organisation in the management of such parts, like that of the continuous bones of the skeleton, opposed
* I have never for a moment changed from this judgment, but I have since seen a mightier type of the same form,-St. Paul’s, outside the walls, at Rome. It is a restored building, but nobly and faithfully done; and, so far as I know, the grandest interior in Europe.1 [1880.]
1 [The Church of S. Paolo Fuori le Mura was burnt down on July 16, 1823, the west front and a few other portions alone escaping destruction. It was rebuilt according to the plan and dimensions of the original Basilica, and re-opened in 1854. Ruskin was at Rome in 1872 and 1874.]
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[Version 0.04: March 2008]
