Real  Estate   Record





AND BUILDERS' GUIDE.





YoL. XXII.





NEW YOEK, SATÜEDAY, OCTOBEE 19,1878.





No. 553.





Published Weekly by

TERMS.
ONE YEAR, in advance....SlO.OO.

Communications should be addres.sed to

C. W.  SWEET.

Nos. 345 AXD .^-I? Broadway





THE ^ESTHETICS OP  BUILDING.

" Hang me if I kuow what Desthetic means," is
the exclamation of Algie Fairfax, in DIplomacy,
and it is shrewdly suspected, and by some confi¬
dently asserted that a majority of the aetive
builders of New York eau truthfuUy and un-
blushingly appropriate the language of this same
confession. There are many buildere no doubt
who, while sufflciently acquainted witli the art of
building for the common purposes of their trade,
have no idea of the science of architecture, and
less conception of fche principles of artistic design.
A small but distinguished minority of leading
builders, have taken the paius to familiarize
themselves sufflciently with the principles of dec-
orative art to be able not only to understand the
verbal signification of aestheMcs, but also to fur¬
nish chaste and creditable exhibitions of their
skill as designers.

The science of architecture conceras itself about
three qualities—utility, strength and beauty.
The average builder is apt to consider himself
sufflciently accomplished in his profession when
he has mastered the principles of the two fli-sfc,
depending for the other upou the dictatiou of his
professional adviser, or eise upon his own crude
and untutored conceptions and the charitable as-
Eistance of his subcontractoi-s. The characteristic
of the earlier models of firet-class dwellmgs in this
city is strength. Later on, as utilifcarian and luxu¬
rious ideas begau to assert themselves, we find
private buildmgs are wont to display promi¬
nent and studied features of convenience. Still
later, the passion for the costly elaboration of
buüding productions, particularly of superior
dwellings, swept like a contagion through fche
whole building profession from its peers to its
subordinate members. Even the plainer struc¬
tures that were erected by speculative builders
during the big bonanza days were laden down
with cabinet work, plate-glass and exponsively
carved fronts, while the cosfcliesfc ones presented
spectacles of regal splendor, in prof usion of ap¬
pointment, lavishness of detail aud display of
extravagant expense. There are evidenees that
this ultra expensive taste has not entirely died
away.

A review of the building models of the past,
and a careful study of more recent ones furnish
satisfactory assurances that we have rather to
guard against and restrain the excess of Orna¬
ment, than to complain of any dearth or poverty
of it; that we must direct our efforts to tUe regu-





lation and cultivation, not to the creation of good
taste.

For the benefit of our less enligbtened readers,
we desire to say that the term assthetic is one of
the most comprehensive, suggestive and useful
thafc has been incorporated into the English lan¬
guage, and owes its derivation to a well-known
root of the classic Greek. In its common accep-
tation, it denotes the science of good taste. It is
the province of this science to develop and main¬
tain the principles of pure taste and of rational
decoration, and to repress aud extü-pate exhibi¬
tions of faulty or offensive taste.

Decorative art in civil architecture has engaged
the study of eminent men whose researches and
commentaries constitute the subject matter of
many a profound aud elaborate treatise. It has
been presented also in rudimentary works, cal¬
culated to interest the novice and furnish Sugges¬
tion and Instruction to the more advanced scholar.
The entire subject, in all its applications, is now
attracting a large share of attention among the
intelligent reading public, being studied as an ac¬
complishment and pastime, and as a praetical aid
in household embellishment. There are unmis¬
takable and constantly recurring evidenees that
current house seekers are deeply imbued with art
enthusiasm and understand so well the principles
of decorative art, as to be able to criticise build¬
ing productions from the highest sfcandpoint of
refined and cultivated taste. It is incumbent
upon aetive and successful builders, and upon those
aspiring to take rank as such fco acquaint them¬
selves with the rudiments and Controlling princi¬
ples of this art, either with a view of attaining
praetical skill and excellence in the production of
designs, or eise for the acquisition of an intelligent
appreciation and power of seleetion respecting
the designs of others. The builder who has no
jBsthetic knowledge or aptitude, is placed at an
incalculable disadvantage in pursuing his business.

Iu ordinary speculative house building, there
is only limited scope for the display of assthetic
skill and talent, but the very narro\vness of this
limit makes it essential and obligatory that what¬
ever elaboration may be attempted shall be quali¬
fied to bear the test of educated and expert criti¬
cism. "When the builder enters his completed
mansion, he should be able to say "All is propor_
tion here and harmony."

The science of aesthetics is made upof afew
simple elementary principles, to wit: symmetry,
harmony aud design. These three qualities blend
themselves so interminably together in a complete
aesthetic production as to render their analysis
and Separation a subtle Operation. It is not within
the province of this artiele to discuss aesthetics in
general, or to inculcate the precept that all build¬
ers should set out to become great artists. There
is a certain measure of education necessary and
sufficient to raise a builder above the automaton
condition of an unthinking mechanic, and within
this measure is included a passing acquaintance
with the aesthetics of building.

Fof great public works, and for special private
mansions the peers aud masters of tbe architect¬
ural profession will always be .sought after for
their incomparable skill and their witching and
sublime conceptions. Those who are able to com¬
mand the?e valuable and expensive Services will
have no need of iustruction or Suggestion firom





US. Specidative builders, as a class, are not apt to
be so fortunately situated as to readily command
the assistance of art experts. They are obliged
by the ordinary limitations of their business to
confine themselves to such touches of beauty as
the employed architect may be able, inexpensive-
ly, to introduce into his plans, or such as the build¬
er himself may be able to cull from designs furn¬
ished by leading subcontractors and mechanics. It
will be of Signal benefit, however, to the trade and
a valuable aecessory to the building improvements
of the city, if builders generally would seek to
acquaint themselves with the principles and mod¬
els of correct design, or if they will so far cultivate
their faculties and tastes as to enable them to
combine harmoniously and agreeably the JBsthet-
ic features of their buildings. We will briefly
and severally allude to some of the opportunities
which ordinary house building affords for the
cultivation of art.

1. ExTERiOK ElevATION.—Until quite a recent
period the whole resthetic pretensions of house
building were confined to the front elevation. As
the most public and exposed feature of the house,
this seemed to call for elaborate and expensive
treatment, though in practice it is the one apt to
be the least regarded by house buyers. There are
stone elevations and door ways in this city which
originally cost the builders fully one-flfth or one-
quarter of the outlay for the entire building pro¬
duction, and the greater share of this expense
was bestowed upon curious sculpture work and
tracery. We need not stop to condemn such
Superlative folly. The stone fronts so universaily
affixed to city dwellings are intended to serve
principally as superior profcectors against climatic
changes. Ina more tropica] clime these fronts
would be preferably made of wood. In equally
severe climes, where free stonesare unattainable,
brick or lime stone is used. Fashion no less than
serviceability here dictates the use of brown
stone. The absence of light and shade in our
ordinary brown stone fronts renders tha task of
decoration a difficult and ungrateful one. In
truth extensive omaraentation of fronts is an im-
necessary and mistaken labor, besides being ex¬
travagant and costly. The crowding upon the
door-way of a house of Standard width or less, a
huge portico, columns and heavy balustrades, all
designed to illustrate the five different orders of
architecture, is an absurdity which has frequent
examples in this city. We believe that for ordi¬
nary speculative bidlding, the highest claims of
ajsthetics and of populär taste, will be satisfled
by the erection of fronts of superior quality,
acciutitely set and neatly finished, but with the
fewest and simplest enrichments. The idea of
giving heavy projecöons to the cornices, sills and
lintels is as unnecesaary as it is in practice oppres¬
sive. It should be borne in mind that fine tracery
and sculpture on fronts which are exposed to
variations of temperature and violence of the ele¬
ments are likely to fray away and become dis-
flgured if not permanently and irremedially
injured. In the decoration of front elevations,
the Canons of correct taste require that all lines
should be made severely simple, and that the
door-ways should be onpretending and unobtra-
sive.

The fashion of placing formidable stone or iron
railings upon the area coping bas passed into dis-