The Brochure Series of Architectural Illustration, Vol. 1, 1895 | Page 4

Canal, and would be nearly as great a loss if it were destroyed, as the church of La Salute itself."
This building is popularly known as "Desdemona's House."

III.
THE PALAZZO CAVALLI, VENICE.
This palace, situated opposite the Academy of Arts on the Grand Canal, also dates from the fifteenth century. Its balconies and tracery are of the later Gothic period, showing marked tendencies towards the Renaissance.
It has been recently restored by its present owner, Baron Franchetti, and is frequently spoken of as the Palazzo Franchetti.

IV.
WINDOW TRACERY IN THE PALAZZO CAVALLI.
In Venetian tracery it will always be found that a certain arrangement of quatrefoils and other figures has been planned as if it were to extend indefinitely into miles of arcade, and out of this colossal piece of marble lace a portion in the shape of a window is cut mercilessly and fearlessly: what fragments and odd shapes of interstice, remnants of this or that figure of the divided foliation, may occur at the edge of the window, it matters not; all are cut across and shut in by the great outer archivolt. This is of course open to serious criticism as construction, but its beauty and effectiveness, as used here, cannot be gainsaid.

V.
WINDOW TRACERY IN THE PALAZZO CICOGNA, VENICE.
This is an example of early Gothic work in Venice and is quite unlike later examples. Ruskin speaks of it as the only instance of good complicated tracery to be found in Venice. The fact that it is moulded only on the face is considered evidence of its early date.
In this view, as, in fact, in all of the examples which we have selected, the moulding formed of alternating blocks or dentils, projecting first on one side and then the other, which is peculiar to Venice, can be seen. It was commonly used as a frame about a window or group of windows, and is very effective, especially when used, as it frequently was, relieved against a flat wall surface.

VI. and VII.
TWO PORTIONS OF THE FACADE OF THE CA D'ORO, VENICE.
This, next to the Ducal Palace, is the most elaborate and it might be said the most beautiful of the Gothic Venetian palaces. It has been considerably changed in the various restorations to which it has been subjected, but still has enough of its original features to remain a wonderfully beautiful building. It is an extreme example of the characteristic disregard of the ordinary principles of building construction to be found throughout the work we have been considering. Fergusson's remarks upon this failing of the Venetian architects is pointed and well considered. He says: "Most of the faults that strike us in the buildings of Venice arise from the defective knowledge which they betray of constructive principles. The Venetian architects had not been brought up in the hard school of practical experience, nor thoroughly grounded in construction, as the northern architects were by the necessities of the large buildings which they erected. On the contrary, they merely adopted details because they were pretty, and used them so as to be picturesque in domestic edifices where convenience was everything, and construction but a secondary consideration."
The Cà D'oro was probably built about the middle of the fourteenth century.
Evidences of the use of color in this fa?ade can be plainly seen in the photographic views, and the contrast of the deep shadows and flat wall surfaces is strikingly beautiful.

VIII.
THE PALAZZO PISANI.
This palace is of the late Gothic period, nearly approaching the Renaissance. It is situated on the lower reach of the Grand Canal.
In all of the examples here selected a marked predominance of horizontal treatment will be observed. The roofs are flat, and arcades and balconies all help to emphasize the horizontal direction in the design. This, it will be observed, is distinctly different from the contemporary Gothic of the rest of Europe.
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Notable examples of American buildings modelled after or in the style of the Venetian palaces are the Chicago Athletic Club, the Montauk Club, Brooklyn, and the new building adjoining the Hoffman House, Madison Square, New York.
[Illustration: IV. Window Tracery in the Palazz, Cavalli, Venice.]

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