File:A history of architecture in Italy from the time of Constantine to the dawn of the renaissance (1901) (14597778969).jpg

Identifier: historyofarchit02cumm (find matches)
Title: A history of architecture in Italy from the time of Constantine to the dawn of the renaissance
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Cummings, Charles Amos, 1833-1905
Subjects: Architecture
Publisher: Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin and company
Contributing Library: PIMS - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
milarly decorated. The innerface of the jambs has a beautifulfull-length low relief of a saint,with Byzantine decoration aboveand below the figure. The round-arched tympanum is filled withfive standing and kneeling figuresunder the arches of a rich arcade;the central figure being that ofChrist with the Virgin and St.John on either side, and twoangels in the outer arches. Thewhole upper portion of the porchis gone. An inscription showsthe sculpture to have been, inpart at least, the work of Simeonof Ragusa, who lived at the begin-ning of the tenth century, but itis not conceivable that a porch ofso highly developed a design wasbuilt at so early a date. The pro-jection of the outer pilasters fromthe wall makes it probable that theporch was rebuilt at least two cen-turies later, and the sculpture ofthe tympanum, and possibly thatof the lintel, were preserved. In the cathedral at Barletta thecentral doorway has been entirelyreplaced by a bald, Renaissancecomposition. But the lateral door-
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 275. Matera. Bands of Doorway. 58 ARCHITECTURE IN ITALY ways of the faQaclehave a broad bandof beautiful andintricate Byzantinesculpture springingfrom corbels in theform of beasts, andenclosing the arch-head. Many de-tached pieces ofsculpture are scat-tered over the fa-cade, for the mostpart more Lombardthan Byzantine incharacter. A beau-tiful little niche isset at the spring ofthe aisle gable onthe left, in whichcolonnettes supporta round arch enclos-ing a sitting figure.I have already spoken of the door- ^-^^ 276. Trani. Doorway. way of the cathedral of Benevento as an example of the Pisan influence in the South.But if it be compared with the doorway of the cathedral Benevento. . . . , ; or of the baptistery at Pisa, the difference in character is striking. The Byzantine vine wreathes itself into a succession ofirregular circles, each enclosing a beast or bird in vigorous action,as in the Lombard work of the North, while at the base of eachjamb pilaster is a pair of seated figu

Note About Images