On Colour In Churches.

all our buildings , springs from a want of delicacy in taste and a consequent love of violent contrasts of black and white , and their kindred colours , and the use of too strongly ¦ defined , geometrical , and other forms , attracting our eye to their forms more than their colour , and consequently distracting our attention from the general forms of the building , and the richness of varied light and shade in the sculpture ,

which ought to be a contrast to the flatness of the unsculptured portions of the building . Thirdly , by the use of variously coloured bricks , tiles , and other kindred materials , such as variously coloured terra-cotta of all kinds . This , although the colour is obtained from different kinds of claj's , and consequently from natural materials , seem from our modern experiences

to be more dangerous than the last , and to have the objection as a material used for the interior of churches , of having a common appearance , a want of costliness in its effect , and which prevents its harmonising with stone , even of the least costly kind , much more so when marble is used . The contrast of colours also , as the red and black , seems too violent ; yet , with care and study , the clays and their manufactured results must surely be capable of giving a wide range of sober colour suited for our purpose ; but as far as they have been used at present , their poverty of appearance and their

vulgarity of colour seem a great objection to their use : they seem more suited for shops than for the interior of churches , and yet I think they ought not to be so . Fourthly , by gilding . This is so dependent on our sixth means of colour , or rather means of toning and solemnising colour , and is so important to our next , and its legitimacy so depends upon them both , thafc I can hardly dare to advocate its without them

use , and can hardly speak of it without saying part of what I have reserved for them . When sparingly used , even when ,. the church is only decorated with natural materials , or in delicate tints , it is a beautiful and solemn means of decoration , but it should either in its nature be dead or from its position nofc allowed to shine . The gold in the modern glass mosaic , although I have seen

even it in positions where it was toned down so as not to be very objectionable , usually from its glitter and from its commonness , although no doubt capable of great improvements in these respects is , hi its present form , not at all admissable in a church interior ; but as all my recollections of coloured interiors abroad are nearly and dearly associated with golden grounds , in conjunction with the means hereafter to be treated of , I must pass on afc once to the next means , or I shall say here that which belongs more properly ± o it .

Fifthly , by means of the painter ' s hand . Glorious aro the examples which we have left , especially in Italy , of this glorious art ; but , although I love so much our present modem paintings , I am compelled to say that the nearer we approach to modern art , the less success do we find in tho decoration by painting of the interiors of churches . In spite of all the beauty of the Renaissance school of

painting , yet we must for our models of , or rather studios of painted decoration , or of decoration of church interiors by ihe painter ' s art and hand , in which we may include mosaic , go back to fche mosaics and painting on a golden ground , of the Byzantine churches . Gold seems to me the only colour , which may greatly predominate with success ; ifc seems to have the special property of softening and harmonising the

tones of the other colours used with it . In this means , as in all the others , it seems to mo that , the safest guide is delicacy ; as long as each of the colours , all their contrasts and combinations , are delicate , we can hardly err ; or if by human weakness we do err , we shall nofc so greatly offend . And lefc me here urge , as others have done before , tho extreme value to architects of the study of the laws and

properties of colours ; but delicacy is the thing of all others to remember , and with regard , to perfect form and drawing , ifc appears to mo that as long as the colouring is delicate , and the relief and shadow not too strong , that the most beautiful forms of men and angels ma } 'be drawn as well as the painter can draw them , but that it is necessary that tho painter while executing them should always remember that they are part of the architectural decoration . Sixthly . —Perhaps my sixth means of colour for the interior of churches will hardly be admitted as such , and

On Colour In Churches.

yet ifc always appears fco me one of the most important of all that are in the hand of the architect . By its magic aid he can alter and control all the rest ; he can use it as a softener in the hands of a discreet and experienced paintei- - By it is a colour too bright f would otherwise the gilding glitter—would the colour go to the confines of gaudiness ? a delicate grey ancl softening darkness can be thrown across

it : by its agency all the means that I have enumerated can be used together , and yet the building may be solemn , —ayr so solemn that the painter , in after years , may portray ib with affection , over and over again , and from all points within its glowing ivalls—ay , so solemn that those who would not otherwise worship , may by its effect be helped to worship—ay , so solemn that the spectator cannot help saying

of a building decorated and toned by this means , as Mr . Street does Qf St . Mark ' s , Venice , " I think I never saw an interior so thoroughly religious and religion-inspiring as this . " He attributes this entirely to " the lavish expenditure of art and precious materials throughout ifcs fabric . " Most true it owes most of ifcs grandeur to these ; most true that that grandeur could not have been attained without

them ; most true that what he calls " this grand display of mosaics upon a glorious gold ground makes the work appear to bo both larger and better than it is , " but-I cannot now , and did not when I was there , attribute the whole of this

unusual solemnity and ' religion-inspiring ' effect entirely to these most glorious of all our means of coloured decoration ; but felt then ancl still feel , that our sixth and last means of decoration has a lai'ge share in the honour of producing so great a result . It is the power of comparative light and darkness at the disposal of the architect in the number , size , and position of the windows . I think that at

St . Mark's the peculiarly solemn effect is produced by that gorgeous decoration under the influence of the " dim religious light" from the small windows , shining like stars from the golden arches of the roof . With this means of colouring and toning the building we may include that important means , colouring by stained glass ; and in no way are painted windows so effective as when the building is

skilfullj' - darkened , till they shine out with many times their original brightness . " I only know one modern church where this important power of subduing the light has been skilfully taken advantage of so as to give proper value to thepamted glass , and tone down the colour and gilding used on some portions of tho building , and consequently the varied effectson different days and at different hours of tho

, day , aro as beautiful as in the buildings of old , and this one is alone among the modern churches , " thoroughly religious and religion-inspiring , " although the materials are not costly ancl no gold-grounded mosaic glows upon its walls . —R . D ., in the Building Neu-s .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

SIB , EICHAED WESTJIACOTT . Was the late Sir Richard Westmacott , R . A ., a member of our ancient Craft ? If so , when and ivhere was he initiated ? and what was his Masonic standing ?—BEO . PETEE . THE BUENES' MEDALS . The medal of the Rising Star Lodgo was engraved by

Wyon , under the instructions of Mr . Sheppard , jeweller to the Queen , Brook-street , Hanover-square , at whose shop there aro now fifty exemplars of it , just struck to moet tho demands of the native brethren . Tho three medals afterwards struck in honour of Bro . Burncs , to encourage education , may be seen at Mr . Wyon ' s , in Regent-street . 1 IIGII TWELVE AXD LOW TWELVE .

In answer to Bro . Peter , ho may be assured that , when tho sun is at its meridian height , his invigorating rays aro darted from the South ; when he rises in the East , wo arc called to labour ; when he sets in tho West , our daily toil is over ; bufc when he reaches tho South , tho hour is high twelve , and we are summoned to refreshment . —L . T .