Chapter I: Preface

I have written this short history of architecture to meet the requirements of those who wish to become acquainted with the main facts without having to read voluminous works, many of which are addressed, not to the student, but to the connoisseur, who is presumed at the start to have a knowledge of the subject sufficient to enable him to comprehend critical and theoretical essays.

The plan I have adopted has been to trace the origin of each style, its characteristic points and its connection with those which preceded and succeeded it, without introducing technical terms or any but the most important dates.

There is a temptation to enter into the social and political histories of each building race, but brevity forbids this, as well as any of the gushing descriptions usually found in modern handbooks on art.

I imagine that very few people have the time to read lengthy treatises on architecture, but that there are many who would be glad to know the chief historical facts, were these to be presented within a small compass. I hope, therefore, that this volume may be of interest to the general reader and may find its way to schools other than those which make art matters their specialty, for it seems to me that if the average schoolboy were taught as much about the history of the most useful and beautiful of the creations of the people of each age, as about the manner and quantity of warfare and slaughter in which they indulged, he would obtain as valuable a quality of information.

ART SCHOOLS OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM.
March, 1887

LIST OF PLATES.

ST. TROPHYME AT ARLES, _Frontispiece_.

FACING PAGE

THE GREEK ORDERS, 56

PLAN OF THE TEMPLE OF THESEUS AT ATHENS, 62

THE ROMAN ORDERS, 70

PALACE OF DIOCLETIAN AT SPALATRO, 73

PLAN OF THE PANTHEON AT ROME, 74

PLAN OF THE BATHS OF AGRIPPA, 75

PLAN OF THE TEMPLE OF THE SUN AT BAALBEK, 76

PLAN OF THE OLD BASILICA OF ST. PAUL’S BEYOND THE WALLS, 89

ST. VITALE, OF RAVENNA, 92

THE TEMPLE OF MINERVA MEDICA, 93

THE TEMPLE OF VESTA, SOMETIMES CALLED THE TEMPLE OF HERCULES, 94

THE BAPTISTERY OF CONSTANTINE, 94

THE PENDENTIVE SYSTEM IN BYZANTINE DOMES, 97

CHURCH OF SERGIUS AND BACCHUS AT CONSTANTINOPLE, 98

PLAN OF ST. SOPHIA, CONSTANTINOPLE, 99

ROMANESQUE CONSTRUCTION, 121

COMPARATIVE SERIES, SHOWING GREEK, ROMAN, ROMANESQUE, AND GOTHIC
METHODS OF SUPPORT, 124

PLAN OF STRASBOURG CATHEDRAL, 128

CHEVET OF NOTRE DAME DU PORT AT CLERMONT, 130

PLAN OF RHEIMS CATHEDRAL, 134

PLAN OF AN ENGLISH CATHEDRAL, 136

PLAN OF ST. PETER’S AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED BY MICHAEL
ANGELO, 155

PLAN OF CHURCH OF THE HOTEL DES INVALIDES AT PARIS, 160

CONTENTS.

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