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IV PREFACE.
every fragment throughout the city which afforded any clue
to the formation of its styles. This I did as well as I could,
and I believe there will be found, in the following pages, the
only existing account of the details of early Venetian architecture on which dependence can be placed, as far as it goes. I
do not care to point out the deficiencies of other works on this
subject; the reader will find, if he examines them, either that
the buildings to which I shall specially direct his attention
have been hitherto undescribed, or else that there are great
discrepancies between previous descriptions and mine: for
which discrepancies I may be permitted to give this single and
sufficient reason, that my account of every building is based
on personal examination and measurement of it, and that my
taking the pains so to examine what I had to describe, was a
subject of grave surprise to my Italian friends. The work of
the Marchese Selvatico is, however, to be distinguished with
respect; it is clear in arrangement, and full of useful, though
vague, information ; and I have found cause to adopt, in great
measure, its views of the chronological succession of the
edifices of Venice. I shall have cause hereafter to quarrel
with it on other grounds, but not without expression of gratitude for the assistance it has given me. Fontana's " Fabbriche
di Venezia" is also historically valuable, but does not attempt
to give architectural detail. Cicognara, as is now generally
known, is so inaccurate as hardly to deserve mention.
Indeed, it is not easy to be accurate in an account of any-
'thing, however simple. Zoologists often disagree in their
descriptions of the curve of a shell, or the plumage of a bird,
though they may lay their specimen on the table, and examine it at their leisure; how much greater becomes the likelihood of error in the description of things which must be in
many parts observed from a distance, or under unfavorable
| Title | The stones of Venice - 1 |
| Creator | Ruskin, John |
| Publisher | J. Wiley |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Date | 1889 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000009 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | IV PREFACE. every fragment throughout the city which afforded any clue to the formation of its styles. This I did as well as I could, and I believe there will be found, in the following pages, the only existing account of the details of early Venetian architecture on which dependence can be placed, as far as it goes. I do not care to point out the deficiencies of other works on this subject; the reader will find, if he examines them, either that the buildings to which I shall specially direct his attention have been hitherto undescribed, or else that there are great discrepancies between previous descriptions and mine: for which discrepancies I may be permitted to give this single and sufficient reason, that my account of every building is based on personal examination and measurement of it, and that my taking the pains so to examine what I had to describe, was a subject of grave surprise to my Italian friends. The work of the Marchese Selvatico is, however, to be distinguished with respect; it is clear in arrangement, and full of useful, though vague, information ; and I have found cause to adopt, in great measure, its views of the chronological succession of the edifices of Venice. I shall have cause hereafter to quarrel with it on other grounds, but not without expression of gratitude for the assistance it has given me. Fontana's " Fabbriche di Venezia" is also historically valuable, but does not attempt to give architectural detail. Cicognara, as is now generally known, is so inaccurate as hardly to deserve mention. Indeed, it is not easy to be accurate in an account of any- 'thing, however simple. Zoologists often disagree in their descriptions of the curve of a shell, or the plumage of a bird, though they may lay their specimen on the table, and examine it at their leisure; how much greater becomes the likelihood of error in the description of things which must be in many parts observed from a distance, or under unfavorable |
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