Among the structures which Hiibsch completed in this latter epoch, the oldest, the Kunsthalle (Academy of Fine Arts) at Carlsrulic, is perhaps the noblest and least influenced by the caprice of free conception.
The Trinkhalle at Baden-Baden (pl. 52, fig. 9) resembles it through the delicate rendering of its general proportions. At the Court-theatre at Carlsruhe (fig. 8), where he attempted the rich adornment of the surfaces and architraves, efforts at originality come into disastrous prominence, and this is still more the case in the grand-ducal winter garden, whose individual parts, loosely connected, show good proportions and to some extent original motifs, and prove the master an intelligent artist. But his detail estranged talented followers who, as soon as they desired a truly artistic set of details, were obliged to change from indefiniteness into a more positive direction of style, and thus the most eminent of Hilbsch's competitors turned toward the Renaissance, which soon completely sup planted his manner, while some leaned more decidedly toward the medi val.
Era.—While this tendency to a peculiar style of the present and the future founded on the conceptions of a prominent archi tect developed naturally, another manner arose in consequence of princely authority. King Maximilian II. had ascended the throne of Bavaria, and in contrast to his father, who had given a series of historical styles an opportunity to display their merits side by side, desired to give a charac ter of unity to his own intended magnificent creations, which he wished to place before the eyes of his contemporaries and to transmit to posterity as the definite expression of a new period—of a grand Maximilianic era. Thus it was that he at once offered a prize for the invention of a new style. This princely procedure had more than a whim for its basis: there was in it intense appreciation of the grand problem of the present day, which was to transmit to posterity not only imperishable but also charac teristic works. But style is precisely that which as a common possession is evolved from the innermost being and the collective intuitions of a people; it can, therefore, like all historic styles, originate, but cannot be invented.
The prize was given to W. Stier of Berlin, but not so much for the solution of the question of style as for the skilful arrangement of the structure-programme, which, though overdone, is truly artistic. He was too much of an artist to strive for the unattainable: he designed the struc tures in a free rendering of the Gothic style, with various reminiscences of different buildings not belonging to the Gothic period—reminiscences indeed in the drawing did not much offend, but which it had been wise to abandon in the execution, lest contrast and want of harmony should make the beautiful, artistically-designed ensemble intolerable.
Efirklein.—Though the judges gave Stier the prize, the king's desire was not fulfilled: a new, characteristic, and independent style had not been invented. Yet the king found in Biirklein a master who wasted his talents and staked his reputation to fulfil the wish of his prince. Others united with him, and the entire Maximilian Street in Munich was selected in order to make the experiment in a style whose novelty consisted in treating contemptuously and most irrationally every tectonic conception, and in throwing together a medley of contradictory forms. There was, besides, a lack of the instinct for harmonious proportions and for simple and effective grouping, making this street altogether one of the most unattractive that modern architecture has created. Yet it was plain to be seen that, even though a style might be invented, Bfirklein's spiritless mixture can never be the future style of the German people, and this episode also passed over without further damage.
Thus all these tendencies which our century had brought forth disap peared one after another with the exception of three only, whose origins we have already considered. How long they will continue to exist the near future will show. The first of these is the Renaissance. It was King Ludwig I. who gave it the opportunity for effective display, since he afforded Klenze the chance to approve himself therein and to put into practice his Italian studies in the construction of the royal castle, the Saalban, and the old Pinakothek 51, fig. I).