The seven lamps of architecture . semi-circles, and none of the basic figures latter are rhomboids, having their acuteor obtuse angles uppermost according to theirlarger or smaller size; and the arcs upon theirsides slide into such places as they can getin the angles of the enclosing parallelogram,leaving intervals, at each of the four angles, ofvarious shapes, which are filled each by ananimal. The size of the whole panel beingthus varied, the lowest two of the five are tall,the next two short, and the uppermost a littlehigher than the lowest; while in the course ofbas-reliefs whi
The seven lamps of architecture . semi-circles, and none of the basic figures latter are rhomboids, having their acuteor obtuse angles uppermost according to theirlarger or smaller size; and the arcs upon theirsides slide into such places as they can getin the angles of the enclosing parallelogram,leaving intervals, at each of the four angles, ofvarious shapes, which are filled each by ananimal. The size of the whole panel beingthus varied, the lowest two of the five are tall,the next two short, and the uppermost a littlehigher than the lowest; while in the course ofbas-reliefs which surrounds the gate, calling \either of the lowest two (which are equal) a,and either of the next two b, and the fifth andsixth c and d, then d (the largest) : c ::c: a is wonderful how much of the grace of thewhole depends on these variations, XXIII. Each of the angles, it was said, isfilled by an animal. There are thus 70x4=280 animals, all different, in the mere fillingsof the intervals of the bas-reliefs. Three of. THE LAMP OF LIFE. 315 these intervals, with their beasts, actual size,the curves being traced upon the stone, I havegiven in Plate XIV. I say nothing of their general design, or of thelines of the wings and scales, which are perhaps,unless in those of the central dragon, not muchabove the usual commonplaces of good orna-mental work; but there is an evidence in thefeatures of thoughtfulness and fancy which isnot common, at least now-a-days. The uppercreature on the left is biting something, the formof which is hardly traceable in the defaced stone—but biting he is; and the reader cannot butrecognise in the peculiarly reverted eye the ex-pression which is never seen, as I think, but inthe eye of a dog gnawing something in jest, andpreparing to start away with it: the meaning ofthe glance, so far as it can be marked by the mereincision of the chisel, will be felt by comparingit with the eye of the couchant figure on the right,in its gloomy and angry bro
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpub, booksubjectarchitecture
