263			213
                                                                      
                                                                      	            ST MARKS  NICHES.
                                                                      	to me about the time and workmanship of the two best angle
                                                                      of the doge’s palace - stones of south east and south
                                                                      west angles. it has finely chiselled features in repose,
                                                                      and a hairy demon under its feet, which however is very
                                                                      weak and poor, another instance of failure in grotesque.
                                                                      Venetian GothicThis beautiful niches may be given as a central type of
                                                                      Ventian Gothic, equally removed from Byzantine on the one
                                                                      side from late florid work on the other.
                                                                          This niche is different from all the rest;  but
                                                                      the others separate from it by different degrees:  the
                                                                      likest to it are those next it on the north side of  the
                                                                      church, as far as the north west angle;  but they show
                                                                      these following differences.  The arch dentil is run
                                                                      up at its apex into one of the retreats of the cornice den-
                                                                      til, instead of merely touching the side of a block:  the
                                                                      turning of the angle is only          instead of
                                                                      the arch is less pointed, and the cavette of its section
                                                                      much deeper, All these northern niches have beautiful
                                                                      figures - quiet severe and grand - the perfect type of what
                                                                      figures should be in external decoration - no Byzantine
                                                                      formalism in them - yet no modern luxuriousness.
                                                                      The capitals of these niches are all, more or less
                                                                      varied of the Bacon palace  kind.
                                                                      Next to these niches may be classed those of the opposite o
                                                                      or

[Version 0.05: May 2008]