Title: The Civil engineer and architect's journal, scientific and railway gazette. The image shows the north-east end of the Temple of St Jean, in Poitiers, France (this information is given on the previous page of the publication).
Identifier: civilengineerarc05lond (find matches)
Year: 1839 (1830s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture; Civil engineering; Science
Publisher: London : (William Laxton)
Contributing Library: Northeastern University, Snell Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Northeastern University, Snell Library

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height. The sculptured capitals, which are greatly injured and defaced, indeed, tor the most part destroyed, vary in design, and are ill-fitted to the shafts. The capitals of the small columns in the win- dows are formed of comparatively large flat leaves. The upper story of the two side walls is similar in arrangement to that represented by the sketch, with the exception, that in the latter the triangular-headed opening is wider than it is in the two side walls: in the one case it is about six feet, in the other about three feet six inches. The arches of the windows, (now only circular lights, having apparently been blocked up at some remote period,) and the arched entrance to the absis, are formed of stones about fifteen inches long and three inches wide. The walls of this building have been covered with paintings or mosaics, many of which still remain. Around the upper part is painted a fret, with birds and other devices on a white panel, in each compartment. The colours in the fret are blue, red, white, and yellow, and have an antique appearance. Over the windows a zigzag line is either drawn in white, or inlaid ; and beneath the openings are ornamental scrolls, or other decorations, in colours. On the walls various figures of large size are painted, some few of which have names against them, formed by letters placed one over the other in an wpright line : the prevailing colour of the whob is red. The trian- gular-headed compartment over the absis contains a painted figure of Christ, within a vescica piscis, of which mysterious form and its con- stant recurrence in works of the middle ages, I shall hereafter take occasion to speak. The soffit of the inner arch leading to the absis is painted; and on the domical ceiling of the absis appears a very large seated figure of Christ or of the Almighty, within a pointed quatre-foil. This has been lately drawn by M. Seguin, for the " Comite Historique des Arts etMonumens," and is described in one of their Bulletins to be probably of the thirteenth century : some other figures which surround it appear to be more ancient. In the absis there is a series of arches and small columns, with capitals closely resembling those of the Corinthian order; one of these is quite so, and the shaft of this displays a slight swell or entasis, as is also found in the larger columns at the entrance. Some writers liave considered that this portion of the building, like the vestibule, is less ancient than the body of the structure; but this has been warmly combatted, on the ground that the materials composing it and the style employed correspond throughout both. M. Magnon de La- lanie is of opinion that the north-west wall, originally similar to that represented by sketch 2, was altered to its present state when the building was converted into a baptistery, and that the absis in question was constructed at this same time, with the materials of the old wall.* Fig. 3.
Text Appearing After Image:
The exterior of one side of the ancient part of the building, both being similar, is represented by sketch No. 3. The upper part of the gable, originally inlaid with glazed bricks or coloured marble in patterns, has been rudely repaired, but still displays a portion of its early adornments. The triangular pediments, as well as the square compartment with a triangular head, contain flat rosettes, formed like- wise of glazed or encrusted brick. The semicircular opening in the lower arcade presents a small Greek cross, (by accident not repre- sented in the sketch,) and serves almost to identify the original connection of the building with the Christian religion. The series of corbels below the gable originally bore a cornice, now destroyed. Beneath these, ranges of tiles or thin bricks are seen, alternating with the stones composing the remainder of the front. The pilasters, with their capitals and bases, project but slightly from the face of the wall, and, together with the small entablature which they bear, display very rude workmanship. On first entering this building, or viewing attentively its exterior, one cannot avoid regarding it as a type of those edifices which we term Saxon and Norman; a most interesting link in that chain which connects the stupendous monuments of Egypt, and the glories of Athens, with the cathedrals of Strasburg, Cologne, or York. In most of those architectnral remains in England which are acknowledged to be Saxon, as, for example, the towers of Earls Barton church, North- amptonshire, of St. Peter's church, Barton-upon-Humber, and of Barneck church, Northamptonshire, triangular-headed openings, or straight-lined arches if they may be so called, occur; and they are also to * "Memoires dc la Sociele Ro)ale des Antir;uaires de Fr-ince." Tom. xir. M. Caumunt is of opinion there was a similar aUsis, or small chapel, at the nnrlh-wpst end. before the alteration: this would render the plan of the buililing criuMform. The same writer is disposed to think the small columns in I he windows and the absis are of less ancient workmnnship tlian the larger cnlumns, but ihat they were worked out of some similar co'umns, as tlicy are of the same marble. " Cours d'Anlitiuiles." Turn. iv.

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