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This passage focuses on the work of Sheet No. 3, whereabouts unknown, in which Ruskin explored those details of the Duomo which provided evidence for his thinking about the relation between classical and Gothic features in a Lombard building. The cathedral of S.Maria Matricolare was rebuilt in Romanesque style in the 12th century and rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th century (see Verzar (b)).
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It retains an early Baptistery and a Romanesque cloister (see Works, 9.378, and Works, 9.130) as well as Romanesque porches and walls up to the cornice. The frieze of animal reliefs is Romanesque and the feature of the building to which Ruskin returns at Notebook M2 pp.115-6 (and compare the edited version prepared for publication at Works, 9.428):
Verona Romanesque Comparing the arabesques and sculpture of the Duomo here with St Marks, the first thing that strikes me is the low relief - the second the greater motion and spirit, with infinitely less grace and science. With Byzantine however rude the cutting every line is lovely; and the animals or men are placed in any attitudes which secure this exceeding grace sometimes impossible ones - always severe - restrained or languid - with the Romanesque workmen, all the figures show the efforts and (often successful) to express energetic action - hunting chiefly - much fighting - but both spirited and true - some of the doge running capitally straining to it, and the Knight hitting hard; while yet the faces and drawing are in the last degree barbarous. At Venice all is graceful - fixed - or languid. The eastern Torpor is in every line: the mark of a school formed on severe traditions - and keeping to them and ever likely a desirous to rise beyond them - but with an exquisite sense of beauty and much solemn religious faith.
See also the illustration facing Works, 12.193, and the text there, and Works, 9.214.
Gally Knight (Gally Knight (1844) II p.xii) comments on the date:
The greater part of the existing cathedral was built in the first half of the twelfth century. The apse at the east end and a proportion of its sides are in a very different style of architecture from the remainder of the building...a style which is so near a resemblance to Roman as to permit us to believe that these portions are a remnant of the original church.
He describes the porch as splendid but show less enthusiasm than Ruskin for the images:
The Lombard imagery no longer appears as an ornament of the mouldings, but the underside of the arch, which forms the room of the porch, exhibits a variety of grotesque images and symbols.
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For photograph see here |
For the South Entrance Porch of Verona Duomo from Ruskin’s Educational Seriers see here.
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For photograph see here |
With the Porch at Verona Duomo compare images below of soffit and architraves from St. Mark’s West Front Porches in Venice:
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[Version 0.05: May 2008]
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