[M.193L]                                                              [M.193]
                                                                      No 132	Torcello - Duomo	193
                                                                      
                                                                      		This plinth is of vineleaves and fruit, rich & delicate: and is
                                                                      		continued for a foot or two on each side by a narrower
                                                                      		plinth - having on it the largest and most graceful example
                                                                      		of the heart shaped leaf wreath I have seen:  But the door
                                                                      		jambs are a dull imitation of the antique, not ill cut, perhaps
                                                                      		quite as much chiselling in them as in the vineleaves.
                                                                      		but more flourished abstractions and winding fillets
                                                                      		ending in knobs, quite meaningless;  and flat to the
                                                                      		stone, while on the centre of the plinth above is one of
                                                                      		the Byzantine involved tracing balls.
                                                                      		Now  is it {at} all likely that these meaningless jambs are
                                                                      		examples of the older work - Aquileian: and the "naturalistic"
                                                                      		character and beauty of the others, so much more like
                                                                      		St Marks, is Byzantine?
                                                                      		In the interior I can see no distinction whatever, except
                                                                      		that the Torcello capitals are more delicate & piquant
                                                                      		than any in their manner that I have yet noted
                                                                      		at St Marks:  and that there is no true basketwork.
                                                                      		All the Torcello capitals are founded on Corinthian
                                                                      		and are of the general type of {that on} No 132, which is
                                                                      		the one next the west front, between the nave and
                                                                      		north aisle:  most of them are more simple in design
                                                                      		and like the one I have carefully drawn from the

[Version 0.05: May 2008]