The defects in Mr Adam's style were corrected by that brought from Greece by Athenian Stuart : It was now, for the first time, that architecture, as practised by the Greeks, appeared in original purity. The beautiful simplicity of the outlines, the correct propriety of the particular members, and the strict delicacy of every or namental decoration, display the superior taste of that singular people. Besides his classical performance in the restoration of Greenwich Hospital, Mr Stuart design ed the house of Mr Anson in St James's Square, and of Mrs Montague in Portman Square.
During this time, Sir William Chambers was very eR tensively employed as an architect. He was correct In the best Roman manner, and appears to have been con stantly labouring to obtain a stiff magnificence. The Villa of Lord Besborough, and Lord Abercorn's house at Duddingston, near Edinburgh, are some. of hSs best works.
nu the north of England, the late Mr Carr of York practised architecture very extensively, and in many works of considerable magnitude. Harewood House is inferior to few of the dwellings of the nobility, and is a respectable specimen of his professional skill. He holds a middle place between the stiffness of the preceding style and the variety which has lately succeeded. He is rather a mannerist, with a repetition of the extended fronts.
To the credit of the national taste, the Greek style has lately obtained a decided ascendency in every part of the kingdom, and the present artists have, in many instances, cultivated it with success. It is also fortunate, that Mr Wyatt, who has long been at the head of his profession as an architect, possesses sufficient taste and skill to dis tinguish the true beauties of his art, under whatever school it is to be practised. He appears to be equally aware of the excellence of the Greek, Roman, or Gothic manners, and likewise equally successful in applying them in public edifices and private dwellings. We are sorry that our prescribed limits will not permit us to give more than two specimens of his works, (see Plate CLXXX.) but they are mostly well known, and easy of access to English artists.
The great influx and general diffusion of wealth, has of late introduced an improved domestic architecture in Britain. The merchants and manufactures have, by their superior industry and ingenuity, acquired, most honourably, the means of procuring accommodation equal to that of our nobility. This demand has increased the number and dexterity of our architects, many of whom exercise their profession with much credit and skill ; but our views being confined to merely carrying on a con nected account of the progressive changes of the art, we must deny ourselves the pleasure of bestowing enco miums upon many deserving artists, and conclude this part of our subject with a few general reflections.
For more than a century past, whatever peculiarity prevailed in the style of external or internal decorations, the mode of arranging the apartments has been gradual ly improving. They have been more judiciously adapted
to the nature of the climate and the circumstances of the possessor ; convenience and comfort have been made the chief objects ; and these have, we are convinced, been obtained to a degree of perfection unequalled in any other country. The contracting the dimensions of unnecessa rily large halls and staircases, avoiding long passages, preventing the necessity of having rooms thoroughfares, the introduction of bells and water closets, and the more perfect supply and distribution of water, may be reckon ed amongst the chief of these improvements.
One variation, which has lately taken place, seems ra ther to have interfered with domestic conveniency, and has even considerably injured external appearance,—we refer to the rejection of inferior buildings as wings. The elevation now consisting of one mass of principal build ing, if the local situation does not admit of having con cealed offices attached immediately behind, they must either be placed in the sunk part of the main building, or at a distance from it—both of which modes are very objectionable in a country residence. On the other hand, the proper distribution of inferior buildings, as wings, afford many domestic conveniences, and also enable the architect to vary, more successfully, the outlines of his front. But this part of the subject will be treated of more at length under the Practice of Architecture.
The foregoing brief survey and observations will serve to give a general idea of the progress of domestic ar chitecture in this country. In other countries, the cli mates and habits of life have created a difference in style ; but as on the continent the palaces of the nobility are chiefly confined to the cities, the country residences have not been an equally important object of attention, as in England, where the chief family residences have ever been upon the estates. We have already stated, that the villas of the ancient Romans were of great extent ; and if the delineations in Newton's Vitruvius are correct re presentations, their magnificence and elegance accorded with their magnitude ; but these were the abodes of the princes of the earth, who required for their cellars a space which exceeded that which was occupied by the farm of Cincinnatus. The palaces erected for modern Italians, by Palladio, and the other restorers of the Ro man manner, were also extensive and splendid ; but these were also to lodge princely prelates in the zenith of the Rornish church, or the princely merchants of the Italian seas. They were not the usual domestic architecture of the respective states ; and were, besides, of a character ill suited to the British climate and manners.