File:The baronial and ecclesiastical antiquities of Scotland (1909) (14783795772).jpg

Identifier: baronialecclesia00bill (find matches)
Title: The baronial and ecclesiastical antiquities of Scotland
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Billings, R. W. (Robert William), 1813-1874 Wiston-Glyn, A. W
Subjects: Architecture Church architecture
Publisher: Edinburg T.N. Foulis
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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f a modern Scottish parish church.Ecclesiologists have heartily abused this structure for the sordid motives whichsuggested it ; but it has served its part better than more ambitious restorations, forit has afforded its vulgar protection to the venerable remains of its august senior,without offending the observer by holding out a particle of pretension to occupyany artistic rank. If restorations are not very perfect, it is perhaps as well thatthey should not come within the category of architecture at all. The fragments of this building will be seen, from the accompanying illustra-tions, to be of an extremely interesting character. Along with some other Scottishedifices within the bounds of the ecclesiastical influence of Lindisfarne, they showa peculiarly graceful mixture of the later and less stern features of the Norman,with the earlier indications of the pointed style. This is not like the instanceswhere an architect of the earlier style has been succeeded by one of the later, who
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ANTIQUITIES OF SCOTLAND 81 thinks It necessary to make his work as unlike as it can be to that of his predeces-sor, in order that its superiority may be seen ; but it is as if one mind, acquaintedwith both types, or at all events artists working in harmony, and desirous ofproducing a symmetrical general effect, had drawn on the resources of both styles.The work is that of no copyist —it indicates a fertile mind, conscious of its ownresources, and not condescending even to be uniform with itself, since the decora-tions are characterised by eccentric variations, especially in that department wherean inventive mind finds its chief temptation to luxuriate—the foli-.ige. There isof course none of the full richness of foliage to be found in the later pointedarchitecture—the reason, probably, why the author of Descriptive Notices ofsome of the Ancient Parochial and Collegiate Churches of Scotland says, Thefoliage, although better developed and more varied in design than is usually to b

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