Review

Reviewed Work(s): Gottfried Semper: In Search of Architecture by Wolfgang Herrmann

Review by: Harry Francis Mallgrave
Source: Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians , May, 1985, Vol. 44, No. 2
(May, 1985), pp. 187-188
Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Society of Architectural
Historians

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/990030

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 BOOK REVIEWS I87
ARCHITECTURAL THEORY

WOLFGANG HERRMANN, Gottfried Semper: In on

per's opinions Search ofas the use of iron as a building
such topics
Architecture, Cambridge, Mass., and London:
material,MIT
GothicPress, I984,
architecture, and contemporary architecture.
308 pp., 33 illus. $35.00. Another essay-"Was Semper a Materialist?"-addresses the
old misconception of his theory, a caption that is, unfortunately,
stillhas
Over the past decade Wolfgang Herrmann bandied in much modern
stepped forthreference to Semper.
as the most eminent historian working on Gottfried
Two Semper.
other essays require especial commentary. In "Semper's
At the Eidgenbssische Technische Hochschule
Position on(ETH) Sym-
the Primitive Hut," Herrmann adroitly explores
posium on Semper in 1974, Herrmann delivered
the dual natureaofpaper
Semper'son "primitive hut" conception-the
Semper's relationship with the publisherhut
Eduard Vieweg.
as an ethnological fact Four
still existent in "primitive" societies,
years later he followed with Gottfried Semper imhut
and the Exil,
as thecomprising
mystic-poetic or hieratic analog that formerly
two lengthy essays depicting Semper's exile gaveyears in Paris and
rise to monumental architecture-yet he does not exploit
London and his protracted, self-encumbered the linkeffort
betweento compose
these two conceptions, hinted at in Semper's
Der Stil. In 198I Herrmann published a Katalog
mentionund Kommentare
of Botticher. The latter's influence is actually the topic
on Semper's literary holdings at the ETHofArchives.
Herrmann's most This com-
important essay, "Semper and the Arche-
pendious work contained an annotated listing of all Semper
ologist Bbtticher."
manuscripts in Zurich, a critical review of The Hans Semper's
relationship of these Ger-
two men was earlier misunderstood,
man translations of Gottfried Semper's London lectures,
mainly because of Semper'sas wellhighly disparaging allusions to Bot-
as six new essays by Herrmann and transcriptions
ticher's ideas in ofDer seven
Stil. Yet,un- by recovering Semper's request
published manuscripts of Semper. It is Herrmann's
slip for Botticher's translation
book at the British Museum, Herrmann has
of these catalog essays and transcriptions, been together
able not only to with
establish histhe date of Semper's acquaintance
amended translation of Gottfried Semper im with the latter
Exil, that(13 December I852), but to examine as well the
constitute
Gottfried Semper: In Search of Architecture. extensive notes Semper made during his reading, now retained
The earlier Herrmann essays form the first of The
in Zurich. three resultsections
is a very altered picture of the two men.
of his new book. His amendment to Gottfried Herrmann's Semper
investigation im clarifies
Exil the presence of Botticher's
consists of the addition of two chapters: thethemes first
in two relating
of Semper's Sem-
London lectures (MS. 122 and 142),
per's Dresden years from I834 to 1849, the and, more important,
second emphasizing it elucidates the reasons for the rather
the influence of the Great Exhibition ofprofoundi851 upon shift inhis Semper'sdevel- thinking that took place in I854-
opment. The former also serves as a happy prelude
I855, when Semperand subsumed emo- his former theory under the no-
tional counterpoise to Semper's grim years tion ofin political
"tectonic." exile.
In effect, Semper moved his architectural
Herrmann's narrative, gleaned for the most part
exegesis from
from Semper's
an ethnographic to a symbolic/ornamental foot-
correspondence, at times verges on melodrama ing. as he traces the
plight of the hapless architect-his retreatThisto Paris, ishis
transformation frus-
especially apposite to Herrmann's study,
since in the concern,
trating efforts to find employment, his familial third section of the
and workhis
he translates the essential
financial desperation. Semper's anguish Semper
comes to a
manuscript, the halt only
Introduction to "The Attributes of For-
when Henry Cole installs him at the Department
mal Beauty." The newof Practical
starting point for man's tectonic creation
Art in London to lead a class "In the Principles andarchitecture)
(which comprises Practice is his of
"cosmic instinct" to dec-
Ornamental Art applied to Metal Manufactures."
orate lawfully-that is, "To make the law of nature evident in
the objectwith
The brief chapter on Semper's fascination he adorns." Architecture
the Great thus withdraws from its
Exhibition bridges Herrmann's switch from formerbiographical to
grouping as a plastic art to lit-
form a cosmic triad with
erary concerns. The chronicle of Der Stil from
dance and music.its genesis
In these arts the lawsin for harmony are im-
I840 to I877 devolves from the I850 manuscript for
manently form-giving; they "Com-
are decorative in the very manip-
parative Building Theory" ("Vergleichende Baulehre"),
ulation of their toIntroduction Semper
basic elements. In this I855
Semper's altered conception of the workalso in I855,
presents todefinition
the style his disin-
that, were it not for his con-
genuous break with Vieweg one year later, tractualto his
dispute withdecision toappeared in his Pro-
Vieweg, would have
expand to three volumes in I86I, to his apparent deception
legomenon to Der Stil. that
the last volume was in fact completed. This Two third volume
other manuscripts (theof major importance
in this section
only part of the work to be devoted to architecture proper)
are the Introduction and has
tenth chapter of "Comparative Build-
long been an object of speculation among ing
scholars.
Theory." The To the that
first reveals doc- by i850 Semper had not
umentation of Semper's self-doubt and apprehension atarchitectural
only established four fulfilling motives (the themes of hearth-
his readers' expectations, Herrmann argues persuasively
gathering, walling, mound-making, that
and roof-making), but also
Semper's decision to append his Bekleidung orwith
aligned each "Coating"
earlier industrialex-
or technical processes. In
cursus to Volume One in effect usurped fact,the proper
in I850 he subject
was already giving pre-eminence to the walling
matter of Volume Three.
or "coating" motive. Chapter Ten, on Assyrian-Chaldean ar-
The six Herrmann essays compose the second section of the chitecture, emphasizes his preoccupation with this theme, in
work. His absolute command of the archival material allows this case prompted by the Assyrian publications of Paul Emile
him to fashion studies, mainly expository, by assembling Sem- Botta and Henry Layard.

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I88 JSAH, XLIV:2, MAY 1985

If I have one quarrel with this book, it is with Herrmann's the

the possibility
possibility
of applying
of biological
applying models
biological
to art history
models
alone to
decision not to translate Semper's beginning pages of the third merits
merits the manuscript's
the manuscript's
translation. translation.
volume of Der Stil, a manuscript that did appear in the Katalog This This objection,
objection,
however, however,
hardly detractshardly
from a book
detracts
de- f
und Kommentare. It may be possible to construct a case against signed
signed to acquaint
to acquaint
the Englishthereader
English
with thereader
architect Semper.
with the
the inclusion of this manuscript based on its unpolished and Herrmann's
Herrmann's effort effort
to translatetoa part
translate
of his earlier
a part
Semperofschol-
his ear
incomplete state, or on its similarity to Uber Baustil (On Archi- arship-always
arship-always crisp, incisive,
crisp,and incisive,
complete-isanda verycomplete-i
welcome
tectural Style), however I argue that these problems are easily one.
one. Gottfried
GottfriedSemper: Semper:
In Search of In
Architecture
Search is ofa requisite
Architectur
in-
overlooked in the illumination this manuscript brings to Sem- troduction
troduction for anyone
for seeking
anyone a meeting
seeking with the
a meeting
personality wit
per's later theory: in his renewed attempt to define style (as theof
ofSemper
Semper or an or
initiation
an initiation
into the nuances
intoof his
thearchitectural
nuances of
endeavor, the artistic realization of a given problem or theme, theory.
the harmony of form with content), in his impassioned defense HARRY FRANCIS MALLGRAVE

of artistic autonomy or creative will. Semper's repudiation of University of Illinois at Urbana-C

NORTH AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE

JOHN
JOHN CHASE,
CHASE,
Exterior Decoration:
Exterior Hollywood's
Decoration:
Inside-out Houses,
Hollywood's
picture.
Los
LosAngeles:
Angeles:
HennesseyHennessey
& Ingalls, Inc., I982,
& 125Ingalls,
pp., I69 illus.
Inc., I982,
territories pp., I69 which illus.
$19.95.
ROBERT JUDSON CLARK and THOMAS S. HINES,
Los Angeles Transfer: Architecture in Southern California I880-
i980, Los Angeles: University of California, William Andrews
Clark Memorial Library, 1983, ix + 122 pp., 44 illus. $12.50.
DAVID GEBHARD, Santa Barbara-The Creation of a New
Spain in America, Santa Barbara: University of California, The
University Art Museum, I982, II4 pp., 84 illus. $13.00.
ESTHER McCOY, The Second Generation, Salt Lake City:
Gibbs M. Smith, Inc., 1984, xv + 191 pp., 250 illus. $27.50.
SALLY B. WOODBRIDGE, Building Through Time: The Life
of Harold C. Whitehouse, I884-1974, Portola Valley, California:
American Lives Endowment, I981, 78 pp., 32 illus.
As a group, these studies raise several complex issues pertinent
to an understanding of architecture and architectural history on
the West Coast and, indeed, within the greater American
Northwest. The broadest issue is that of linked territory or
region: what geographical areas were pulled together through
architects' careers, through exchange of ideas within an archi-
tectural community, through published architectural and design
journals, through methods of practice, through availability of
building materials. For the West Coast and the Northwest, ties
are multiple. First, and perhaps foremost, is the linkage of
Northern and Southern California, bound in all of the above-
mentioned ways. Second, and no less interesting, is the tradi-
tionally perceived Northwest: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and
Montana. At first glance, such a division completes the regional
Inside-out
Houses,
But there remain three overlapping definitions of linked
125 without
any understanding of the West Coast
and the American Northwest pales. Southern California is tied
to the Southwest-Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas-
while Northern California is tied to Washington, Oregon, and
Nevada. And all of California is bound to Hawaii. Each of the
authors employs one or more of these regional frames, either
explicitly or implicitly: Woodbridge, the Northwest; Clark,
Northern-Southern California; Hines and McCoy, both North-
ern-Southern California and the Southwest; Gebhard and Chase,
the Southwest. McCoy also touches upon California-Hawaii.
As basic as these parameters may appear, they are largely un-
charted; it is through studies such as these that they receive
fuller color and definition.
Four of the five books also raise the issue of "California"-
as both reality and myth. Here the delineation of Northern
versus Southern California becomes blurred, and the more in-
timately defined concept of "place" takes over. Clark, Hines,
Gebhard, McCoy, and Chase all focus on Southern California,
but it is to a much more ideological region drawing upon both
halves of the state that they refer. Clark accurately notes the
influence of setting, light, color, and landscape, complemented
by adventurous architects and free-spirited clients. Hines also
raises the issue of "California," bringing out two additional
components of the California place: the continuous role of health
and health-seekers and the never-absent connection to the film
world of Hollywood. David Gebhard, of course, compounds
and expands these definitions. To the discussed characteristics
he adds viewsheds, munificent climate (interrelated to health),
and wealth. Clients were many times not only adventurous but
were also among the very rich. And in turn, Ester McCoy offers
these points again, as does Cesar Pelli in his beautifully written
introductory essay to her study. McCoy and Pelli contribute
their own reflections, perhaps the best of which is their rec-

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