III. CAPITALS 10. FINAL APPENDIX 275

throws all the noble work of the Early Ducal Palace, and all that is like it in Venice, thoroughly back into the middle of the fourteenth century at the latest.

Fig. 2 is the simplest condition of the capital universally employed in the windows of the second order, noticed above, Vol. II., pp. 294, 295, as belonging to a style of great importance in the transitional architecture of Venice. Observe, that in all the capitals given in the lateral columns in Plate 2, the points of the leaves turn over. But in this central group they lie flat against the angle of the capital, and form a peculiarly light and lovely succession of forms, occurring only in their purity in the windows of the second order, and in some important monuments connected with them.

In fig. 2 the leaf at the angle is cut, exactly in the manner of an Egyptian bas-relief, into the stone, with a raised edge round it, and a raised rib up the centre; and this mode of execution, seen also in figs. 4 and 7, is one of the collateral evidences of early date. But in figs. 5 and 8, where more elaborate effect was required, the leaf is thrown out boldly with an even edge from the surface of the capital, and enriched on its own surface: and as the treatment of fig. 2 corresponds with that of fig. 4, so that of fig. 5 corresponds with that of fig. 6; 2 and 5 having the upright leaf, 4 and 6 the bending leaves; but all contemporary.

Fig. 5 is the central capital of the windows of Casa Falier, drawn in Plate 15, Vol. II.; and one of the leaves set on its angles is drawn larger at fig. 7, Plate 20, Vol. II. It has no rib, but a sharp raised ridge down its centre; and its lobes, of which the reader will observe the curious form,-round in the middle one, truncated in the sides,-are wrought with a precision and care which I have hardly ever seen equalled: but of this more presently.

The next figure (8, Plate 2) is the most important capital of the whole transitional period, that employed on the two columns of the Piazzetta. These pillars are said to have been raised in the close of the twelfth century, but I cannot find even the most meagre account of their bases, capitals, or, which seems to me most wonderful, of that noble winged lion, one of the grandest things produced by mediæval art, which all men admire, and none can draw. I have never yet seen a faithful representation of his firm, fierce, and fiery strength. I believe that both he and the capital which bears him are late thirteenth century work. I have not been up to the lion, and cannot answer for it; but if it be not thirteenth century work, it is as good; and respecting the capitals, there can be small question.¹ They are of exactly the date of the oldest tombs, bearing crosses, outside of St. John and Paul;² and are associated with all the other work of the transitional period, from 1250 to 1300 (the bases of these pillars, representing the trades of Venice, ought, by-the-bye, to have been mentioned as among the best early efforts of Venetian grotesque); and, besides, their abaci are formed by four reduplications of the dentilled mouldings of St. Mark’s, which never occur after the year 1300.

¹ [Ruskin afterwards came to date the capitals earlier; see St. Mark’s Rest, § 18, where they are called “twelfth century capitals, as fresh as when they came from the chisel.” In the same chapter, §§ 19, 20, the cutting of the capitals is described. For the Bronze Lion, see ibid., § 22. In 1891 it was taken down for repairs; and much that is curious was found out both about it and about the capital-as is noted in the later volume of this edition containing St. Mark’s Rest.]

² [See above, p. 85.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]