COMPARTMENT CEILING, a name given to all ceilings divided into panels, surrounded with mouldings. There are many beautiful ancient compositions of this kind applied to the intradoses of cylindrical and spherical vaulting, and to the soflits of the porticos of temples; as may be seen in the Pantheon and the Temple of Peace. The compartment ceil ings of the last century were extremely heavy, which has occasioned the epithet pondrous to be applied to them. in order to distinguish them from those in present use. These weighty compositions took their rise in Italy. under the first masters, who seem to have been led into that idea, from observations on the soffits of the porticos of antique temples. The ancients, with their usual skill, kept up a hold and mas sive style, proportioning their coffers to the strength, magni tude, and height of the building, and at the same time making an allowance for their being on the exterior part, adjoining to other great objects; all which served to diminish and lighten the effect of the compartments. From this mistake of the first modern restorers in Italy, all Europe has been misled. Michael Angelo, Raphael, Pyrro, Ligerio, Domini•hino, Georgic) Vasari, and A lgerdi, with great taste and knowledge, threw oft' those prejudices, and boldly aimed at restoring the antique in due proportion. But at this time, the rage for painting became so prevalent in Italy, that, instead of fol lowing these great examples, every ceiling was covered with large fresco compositions, which, though extremely fine and well painted, were much misplaced, and would, from the attitude in which they were beheld, tire the patience of every spectator. Great compositions should be placed so as to he
viewed with ease. Grotesque ornaments and figures are perceived with a glance of the eye. and require little exami nation. The heavy compartment ceilings were afterwards adopted in France ; and Le Potre adorned them with all the trappings of his luxuriant imagination. Inigo Jones intro duced them into England, with as much weight, but less fancy and embellishment. Vanbourgh, Campbell, and Gibbs followed too implicitly the authority of this great name. Kent has the merit of being the first who began to introduce grotesque paintings in ornaments of stucco, and to lighten the coffers of compartment ceilings. Mr. Stewart, with his good taste in the antique, has contributed greatly towards introducing the true style of decoration ; but the completion seems to have been reserved to the present times, in which not only these, but every other kind, are executed in the highest degree of perfection: