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Architecture In my paper, I will consider two works of art: the painting of Antonello da Messina, St. Jerome in his Study and All Saints, Margaret Street. I will show the relationship that I found out between this painting and the building. I will also consider the historical background of these masterpieces, which will help me to make a profound inside look into the essence of these works. This way, I hope to see what they suggest in looking and what kind of feelings I have about them.
First of all, I would like to say that I chose these works because they are the ones that impressed me. Most probably, I liked these works because their appearance in some way coincide with my inner feelings and emotions. Both of them are strictly framed, at the same time, carrying a part of softness and holiness inside. I think it is worthy to make the comparison of these two works of art after their examination as well as historical background.
While looking at the painting, St. Jerome in his Study, I subconsciously come to the question about the author of the masterpiece. It looks like it is he who is sitting in the middle of the picture and studying some secrets and techniques of painting. Antonello da Messina was born in Messina in 1430 according to the available data. He died in 1497. Antonello studied for a long period of time in Sicily.
Then he moved to Naples, where he became a student of an unknown artist. It is also known that he probably left for Bruges following his own goals. But there is also an opinion that the young artist did not need to leave Italy to acquire the appropriate technique of drawing. Antonello mastered brilliantly the methods followed by the disciples of Van Eyck in oil-painting. When Antonello returned to Messina, he was found to be already a skills artist handling oils in a triptych. At that time, he created some masterpieces that are unfortunately lost till this time.
Later, Messina went to Venice, where he created an altar screen for the church of San Casino. That was the first step to success. It looks like he acquired the secrets of the Van Eycks. 1 Antonello presented the new technique which brought out wonderful colour effects. The uniqueness of this technique was that it ensured colour permanency.
The brilliant example of Antonello's achievement in art is St. Jerome in his Study. Antonello carefully represents many details on his paintings. His works can be recognised by the distinction and nobility of his figures, a trait in which one recognises an Italian. He found himself as a portrait painter, especially in his painting of men. Unfortunately, Antonello was not that successful in religious paintings.
He reproduced without conviction Madonnas of the type of G. Bellini. There is a half-length portrait in the National Gallery of the year 1465, which represents Christ with His hand raised in blessing. Our St.
Jerome is also represented in the National Gallery. It is described as a carefully executed picture, pleasing to the eye. The studio is vaulted, the window, set high up in the wall and lighting up the studio, has all the charm of a chapel window. On the side may be seen the outlines of a pleasant cloister; another opening discloses a vista of a distant landscape. The learned Doctor, seated in a wooden armchair on a platform slightly elevated, is absorbed in the reading of a book lying open on a desk before him; in the foreground, a beautiful peacock and a little bird. I read this description at the info-site of the Gallery.
But it seams to me there is much more to say about this painting. First of all, I think this is not just a learned doctor sitting on a wooden chair. I have an feeling that this is a reflection of the painters soul. Antonello used to be a student for a great time period of his life. This process of studying appears to be some kind of meditation or transformation into a ritual. This person on the chair had carefully created the calm and peaceful atmosphere for himself to make studying a pleasure.
Only a highly devoted person could have done that. His noble and straight figure tells us that this person has much confidence. He is a highly educated person with a profound understanding of the matters that happen in the world. He knows what he is doing, and I think, he has an opinion that he already has everything he needs. I made this inference by looking around him. Those books, little bottles, a tower, flowers or plants on the flower and a lot of other things make an impression that these are all the things required for his not much materially demanding life.
The most valuable things for him are the books, from where he extracts the treasures of knowledge. Acquiring knowledge for St. Jerome is the same as acquiring drawing skills for Antonello. I think, by this painting, Antonello shows his own internal world to the viewer. He found himself in the art craft and enjoys being there.
Everything that surrounds him is everything he needs. Another detail, that I consider essential for our further comparison, is the lifted place with a three step ladder. Jerome's working place is lifted above everything else, making this place holly like an alter in a church. His studying process becomes a ritual. What does this person do before he opens his book? Probably, he washes his hands then he, in a calm manner, steps and goes up on the ladder.
At this time, he is looking around to see if everything is in order. Then he proudly sits on his holly place to dive into the ocean of knowledge. Everything what he Does is surely pays him back, making the existing surroundings possible. The walking around birds make the last input into the whole picture of scholar perfect condition of peace.
Another interesting moment is the architecture of the building. The strict lines and arcs carry the feeling of discipline. These walls protect Jerome's mind from the chaos existing outside. The landscapes that we can observe in the windows do not directly point on the chaotic external nature, but it is known that good nature and weather do not inspire much for studying. His temple of knowledge becomes a shelter for Jerome's sharply focused mind.
He created his own world inside this building, making his holly process of studying safe. For me, this painting suggests that we have to find our place in life. We have to build walls around our soul and devote ourselves to the chosen craft. Only this way, nothing can prevent us from reaching our goals.
External world, no matter whether it is good or bad, stays outside our hearts, without influence on our behaviour, decision making and life as whole. The safety and comfort will allow to be healthy, educated, skilled, strong and happy. Some people can ague here about happiness. The walls make person lonely.
But only in loneliness can he create masterpiece. I think, this is what can bring sense into persons life. The second object of our discussion will be All Saints, Margaret Street Church. Before coming to the description and impressions, it is appropriate view the historical information about this place.
We know that the church was built by a religious group called the Tractarian's influenced by the conditions of Anglican history in late 19 th century in England. A multitude of changes and movements at that period of time in England made input into the design of churches. The major activists of that time were the Evangelicals. They promoted literacy, Sunday observance and changing of live standard conditions. The High Church tradition, on the other hand was fighting the threat against Protestantism of the Catholic Emancipation, which had led to the building of many Roman Catholic churches.
On top of all this was the beginnings of the theory of evolution, which threatened the entire Christian world-view beginning with Genesis. The Tractarian's were a group of Anglicans who sought to revive the Catholic elements of Christianity, particularly through liturgical rites. This would counteract the growing popularity of Roman Catholicism. The Tractarian's sought a proper architectural setting for their historically correct traditions. They found the Gothic style to be the only true Christian architectural language. From 1841, the Tractarian Society published a journal called the Ecclesiologist, a practical architectural publication which tend to determine the proper style of building churches.
This journal also criticised buildings with wrong design and offered architects to submit their projects for consideration. 2 From the history review, the church had existed on the Margaret Street site since 1760, when a chapel for a group of Deists was erected. By 1845, it had become a centre of Tractarian worship. In 1847, William Upton Richards became the minister at the Margaret Street chapel and was to build a more appropriate church for Tractarian liturgy. This was to serve as a model church to demonstrate the Ecclesiologists architectural views. It is said that they also intended to express the attitude taken on by the Tractarian's in the 1840 s to try to convert citizens to Anglicanism.
They believed it was a social service. In this mission, the ideal model of a church would be a fortress, strong and tough, just like their urban settings. In 1849, the church was surrounded by houses and shops. The requirements of the church site included housing for several priests who performed the liturgy. All these elements did not fit on the site, and there was place to create a minute courtyard just off of the street.
It provides the needed space in the middle of London and an appropriate quietness that the church requires. Without getting into the complexities of the Gothic style, All Saints Margaret Street was one of a kind when it was built. It is said it was an architectural experiment. The architects used three different colour bricks on the external side of the building. They used tile inside to achieve a highly decorated appearance. Brick was partially chosen probably because it was manufactured near London, as the historic records say, and partially because other recent churches had used Kentish redstone, which looked out of place in cities and tended to wear badly.
The church is open for prayer and a priest is available at all times for those who are in despair. The anonymity of primary mission helps individuals in need in the big city. This church can easily be compared with Antonello's painting, it is rather to say, with the place represented in the painting. As we already discussed, that building of the painting creates the boundary between the external and internal worlds of a person. St. Jerome is found to be lucky to provide himself with such a place.
But not all the people are as Jerome. People live their lives in constant problems and sufferings. All Saints Church is the place where they can shelter from the everyday problems and burdens. Any person can find the same peace and safety as St.
Jerome of Antonello's painting has. In describing the painting, I talked about the holiness of the place. It is certain that we can draw a parallel here with the church. Church is the holly place for a believer the same as the working place holly for St.
Jerome. I think, every human being must have a holly place, where he or she can come and find peace. Only in this place is a person sincere. Such places are not for playing games. Here, you do not have to lie, struggle, betray, hurry or gamble. It is enough to be yourself.
I have an opinion that people are called saint because they never lost themselves although they were put under temptation a countless number of times. The inside of the church represents the soul, the same as the place in the painting. The sharp corners of the church reveals the attitude to the external sinful world. 'To understand what the church carries inside its walls, it worthy to listen to Dr Pusey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, at the 150 th Anniversary of the Laying of the Foundation Stone of All Saints, Margaret Street. He said: The web site of All Saints, Margaret Street opens with a quote from Time Out magazine.
The quote says, All Saints has a dark, musty mystique like the back of a wardrobe which might lead to Narnia. Im not sure that the back of a wardrobe is an apt description of this glorious building. If one wants a comparison with Narnia, I would rather suggest a reversal of the famous line that, under the spell of the White Witch, Narnia was always winter and never Christmas. Here at All Saints, it is always Christmas and never winter! The candles, the colours, the murals, the music, the priests and the people all combine in a perpetual joyous celebration of the Incarnation of our Lord. 3 While discussing the Antonello's work, we described the process of studying as a ritual.
Ritual is essential in perseverance. It bring up respect and tradition, and at the same time, appears to be one of the major basic for religion. William Pickering's has a valuable opinion about the nature of ritual. He goes further by saying that Ritual appears to be of no value and a vain thing if it is not based upon doctrine. What must come first what has always been the essence of Catholicism is truth, truth about God, Jesus Christ, and the church.
Once these intellectual propositions are accepted, then Catholic rituals will have their true place and meaning. Expressed in architecture, All Saints, Margaret Street Church is found to be an incarnation of this belief. The heart of Catholic doctrine is often said to be the Incarnation. It expresses so simply and so gloriously the fact of God taking up our nature in his Son and living among us. And true Christian witness has always taken as its inspiration.
This has been especially true of the Anglo-Catholic church tradition. The building of the church says that you have to make a decision before entering the holly place. You will have to leave your busy life outside the building and start caring about your soul, because this is the dimension where you will communicate. The revelation of a reality is always present in the Church. After a comparison of the Church and the world, the new congregation of All Saints, Margaret Street embraces both: the outside and the inside worlds. The two masterpieces, the painting and the building, show us that we have to find the holly place in our life, where we will be able to hide, find support and peace at the time we need.
Words: 2, 482 Bibliography: Fischer, R. Antonello da Messina. London: Oriel Press, 1970. Pusey, G. Anglican Cathedrals. London; Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, 1958.
William Pickering. Ritual Basis. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, Inc. , 1963.
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