Review

Reviewed Work(s): Guarino Guarini and His Architecture by H. A. Meek

Review by: Daniela Del Pesco
Source: Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians , Dec., 1989, Vol. 48, No. 4
(Dec., 1989), pp. 396-398
Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Society of Architectural
Historians

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396 JSAH, XLVIII:4, DECEMBER 1989

H. A. MEEK, Guarino Guarini and His Architecture, New Haven

of other critics; but rather than presenting a special vision of
Guarini's work, he constructs a portrait by taking into account
and London: Yale University Press, 1988, 194 pp., 177 illus.
$55.00. various points of view and by making and weaving proper judg-
ments from the work of scholars of various leanings.
"In the field of architecture, no body of work has been the In the first nine chapters of the book the architect's work is
examined chronologically, along the lines of a detailed and well-
subject of such wildly divergent critical opinion as that of Guari-
no Guarini," writes H. A. Meek at the beginning of his book, documented biography; in a subsequent chapter, other projects,
Guarino Guarini and His Architecture (p. 1). From the 18th cen- often those not realized or those profoundly changed, are grouped
tury through the beginning of the 20th century, criticism has according to a typological criterion. Meek explains: "In my
emphasized and appraised, with various standards of judgment, view, the attempt to plot a line of stylistic development, or to
partial aspects of Guarini's work: the influence of Borromini date undocumented designs on the basis of style is a delusion.
As in the vertical sections through his centralized buildings
(B. Vittone, F. Milizia, C. Gurlitt); the importance of mathe-
where one zone gives no hint of what may be expected in the
matics, of geometry, and of freedom from traditional rules (Qua-
tremere de Quincy, Amico Ricci), the utilization of the Gothic
next above, so in Guarini's plans: one undated scheme can give
(L. Cibrario, M. Reymond); and his acceptance of the self- no reliable hint as to its chronology or developmental context
aggrandizing needs of the court of Savoy. by relating it to another. This explains the wide divergencies
Following the general evolution of the methodology of art in scholarly opinion that are occasionally to be met with" (p.
history, scholars of this century have analyzed the work 131).
of
Guarini by focusing on the spatial characteristics of the buildingsIn chapter 11 the author summarily considers scientific and
that he designed (E. Hempel, H. Sedylmayr, A. E. Brinkmann), architectural writings. In chapter 12, "Guarini's Legacy," which
and by more precisely identifying historical references, suchexhausted
as itself rapidly in Piedmont, is considered because of
the retrieval of Arabic and Hispanic architecture (0. Schubert,
its important influence in Bohemia on the work of the Dientzen-
hofers, in Austria on that of Fischer von Erlach, and finally in
Sedylmayr, S. Giedion), as well as Gothic architecture (E. Pan-
ofsky, P. Portoghesi, P. Frankl, N. Carboneri). Beginning withFranconia on the legacy of Balthasar Neumann.
Brinkmann's studies, the spatial characteristics of Guarini's proj- Meek studies the works of Guarini in the context of the
ects were understood within the context not only of the more general historic circumstances in which they were conceived,
recent studies in the field of mathematical science, but also and
of recalls the specific conditions which determined the initi-
those of stereotomy; additionally, the European influence of hisation of the construction works, the relations between the prin-
work was enhanced by the publication of the Architettura civile cipals, and the financing of the projects. A great part of the text
in 1737. is dedicated to the description of the buildings, and this is il-
Portoghesi, in the first critical monograph dedicated to thelustrated by an excellent and thorough photographic documen-
architect (1956), placed Guarini's work in the context of the tation, often in color. The descriptions convey a precise picture
technical, theoretical, and architectural culture of the period,of the projects, and clarify the methods of construction of com-
emphasizing the French influence from Philibert de l'Orme to plex structures. For example, the vaulting of the church of San
Francois Derand and comparing Guarini's attitude toward the Lorenzo in Turin is discussed in the context of the research of
Gothic with that of Santini Aichel and Christopher Wren. In L. Denina and A. Protto, G. Brotto and V. Todesco, G. Torretta,
the same year, D. Coffin proposed a comparison of the spatialand of Passanti and A. Lange; the geometric aspects of the plan
and construction are discussed with reference to the work of
characteristics of Guarini's drawings with those of Bernini for
Louis XIV, an approach recently revived by H. Millon. In the Brinkmann, and J. Vanderperren and J. Kennes. Moreover,
1960s other scholars inquired into the connection between the-Meek's descriptions relate well to his critical methodology, an
approach which is as historically concrete as possible, and is thus
ory and practice in Guarini's activities. They examined the in-
fluence of contemporary philosophy, particularly the occasion-one which avoids to the utmost undocumented hypothesis and
alism of Malebranche (G. C. Argan) and the possible symbolic arbitrary interpretations.
component of some works; and, on the other hand, they ex- Meek repeatedly adopts as his own premise Argan's affir-
mation that "No one more than Guarini has affirmed the
amined the use of construction materials, of light, and of dec-
oration. non-symbolic, non-allegorical, non-metaphorical character of
architectural form" (pp. 154, 111, and 149). He forcefully re-
Some scholars (D. de Bernardi Ferrero, M. Passanti) proposed
sponds to and refutes the analyses of Guarini's architecture that
spiritualistic and emotive interpretations of Guarini's work, while
others, such as A. Griseri, advanced phenomenological analyses: are founded on nonarchitectural grounds. One can cite numer-
ous examples in this regard. For instance, Guarini's concept of
Griseri saw Guarini, above all, as the interpreter of the aspira-
tions of the court of Turin, the new capital city. Finally, in an undulating order in the project for the church of S. Maria
1968, A. Lange completed a philological study of the corpus of della Provvidenza in Lisbon is attributed by M. Fagiolo to the
Guarini's drawings, published in the proceedings of the im- rotation and revolution of the stars, and was seen by Portoghesi
portant conference on Guarino Guarini e l'internazionalitd delas containing "an iconic allusion, albeit prophetic, to a jerky
Barocco (Turin, 1970). seismic motion, but the procedure of extending to the design
The work of so complex and theoretical an architect as Guari- of the order the process of undulation, not controlled in its
ni, then, demands and deserves much reflection and study, sospatial outcome, appears to be a distortion motivated by extradis-
as to afford us a complete picture of the man and his achieve- ciplinary reasons and not controlled in the specificity of the
ments. architectural meaning" (quoted on p. 16). For Meek, instead,
In his book Meek carefully considers the earlier contributions
the key interpretation is quintessentially architectural, and is,

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 BOOK REVIEWS 397

moreover, offered by Guarini in the treatment of thefirst supreme

order) permits the author to affirm that "a new conception
is realized
Corinthian order, and illustrated in Architettura civile. Meek re-here, heavy with symbolic interpretations: Church
sponds analogously to G. L. Marini's reading of the churchand State meet
of under the shadow of the Holy Shroud" (p. 64).
San Lorenzo as "religious concept," and also to E. Battisti's
The ways of access, the passage from darkness to light and from
hypothesis that its shape represents the firmament on 10 theAugust
parts executed in dark marble to forms always more lumi-
nous are
1537, the date of the victory of San Quintino, which all suggestive aspects of Guarini's execution of the
gave
occasion to the construction of the church. Additionally, Meek
Sindone that lead Meek to present again the psychological read-
refutes other interpretations (those of Battisti and Fagiolo) that
ings of the work as presented by Passanti and Griseri. But, above
could be derived from literary texts such as Camillo all,Balliani's
the obsessive triadism of the design, the play of triangular
Ragionamenti sopra la Sacra Sindone, or from Guarini's forms
own inscribed
La in circles which are almost emblematic of the
pietd trionfante. In the works of Battisti and Fagiolo, he plan, and the repeated use of static and stylistic paradoxes, brings
observes,
we are dealing with "researches, albeit of profound us
learning
to the analysis of R. Wittkower, to whom we are indebted
also for the affirmation of the completely "Guarinian" origi-
and ingenuity [which] are more impressive for their abstruseness
than for the understanding they afford of Guarini's schemata" nality of the openwork stone domes. Though forcefully reit-
(p. 77). erated by Meek, this view is not shared by all critics (De Bernardi
In San Lorenzo the interweaving of forms inspired by Islam Ferrero, A. Florensa).
and the Gothic has static motives and is correlated to the debate Also from Wittkower is derived the identification of the fun-
on the Gothic reopened in France by Jesuit architects such as damental themes of Guarini's architecture: the insistence on
Martellange; and, in regard to aspects of its construction, is centrality, the telescoped space, the idiosyncratic treatment of
attributable to the studies of stereotomy which were published the vaulting, the interwoven ribs forming an openwork dome,
somewhat earlier. Moreover, the Gothic forms were agreeable and the superimposition along a vertical axis of several auton-
to Guarini's Baroque tastes because of the sense of wonder which omous volumetric entities (a superimposition of a kind still
their bold construction kindled and quickened in the person of Mannerist). The identification of these themes reveals a pro-
the observer. found difference between Guarini and Borromini, although from
To propose a critical approach founded on the specificity of the latter Guarini reprised not only decorative themes but also
architectural language is not to exclude the possibility that some constructive solutions such as the basket-work dome: "Borromi-
of Guarini's buildings have other levels of meaning that critical ni structures are admittedly complex, but in true Baroque fashion
analysis must take into account; for as Meek describes, "The he aimed to create a homogeneous structure that could be 'read'
feeling comes across very strongly that in the extraordinary along the main lines of the walls. Guarini's anti-homogeneous
domes of San Lorenzo and SS. Sindone we are in the presence tendencies look back in this respect to the mannerist tradition."
of a striving to express the infinite in architecture" (p. 50). This (p. 23). This leads the author to reappraise considerably the role
affirmation echoes that of Heinrich Wolfflin in his work, Renais- of the architects of the Roman Baroque in Guarini's professional
sance and Baroque, in which the author wrote, "The church formation. As Meek (citing Brinkmann) notes, it may indeed
interior revealed a completely new conception of space directed to- be the case that these architects functioned as "stimuli, for him
wards infinity: form is dissolved in favour of the magic spell of but not training" (p. 2).
light" (quoted by Meek, p. 178, n. 14). But as Meek more This method of design, more than affording comparisons to
succinctly states, we deal here with an attempt "to express the late 15th-century studies, such as those of Montano, suggests
infinite in architecture . .. but not in words: there is no mention an acquaintance with medieval and contemporary Spanish ar-
of this kind of thing in Architettura civile. On the contrary, that chitecture, an acquaintance which Meek maintains was both
treatise is full of allusions to architecture as a sensuous art, among personal and precocious, as it is encountered in Guarini's early
whose chief aims must be giving pleasure. Let the metaphysi- works. This leads then to a hypothesis of a visit by Guarini to
cians turn this way and that to find a symbolic meaning. Guarini the Iberian peninsula between 1557 and 1560, years for which
says quite simply that he puts his stars and bars on the Palazzo documentation of Guarini's activity is lacking. Wittkower,
Carignano because they make 'a superb appearance' (una su- however, suggests that this acquaintance was mediated by fa-
perbissima vista) (Architettura civile, III.xiv.2, Meek, p. 155). miliarity with the architecture of Naples, a city that was then
In this sense then, the stars do not have a symbolic meaning, part of the Spanish empire. An acceptance of the former view
and are not decorative elements, but are rather constituent ele- would indicate an earlier date for the drawings for the Padri
ments of the palazzo's integrated form. Considerations of this Somaschi church in Messina, held to be late by Portoghesi,
kind lead the author to reject symbolic interpretations of the Million, and W. Hager, and now seen by Meek "as the first
Palazzo Carignano, specifically those of Battisti, Fagiolo, E. statement of a number of themes that preoccupied Guarini" (p.
Guidoni, and M. Tafuri; symbolic interpretations of the draw- 22).
ings for the Sanctuary of Oropa are dealt with in a like manner. From Meek's reflections, Guarini emerges as an architect-
Nevertheless, in the author's opinion, a symbolic interpre- creator in a new cultural climate, rather than as merely a product
tation of Guarini's work is possible in a consideration of the of his environment, and the new architecture that he developed
Capella della Sindone. An attentive examination of Guarini's is scintillatingly European. His importance derives properly from
drawings and also those of Amedeo di Castellamonte and one this creativity, from the breaking of rules, and from the casting
attributed to Bernardino Quadri (both of whom preceded him aside of traditional references:
in this project and from whose work are derived the executed
solution for the connections between the Cathedral and the On the basis of a stone and brick technology which was explored
Royal Palace, the circular plan of the chapel, and parts of the with a daring that outstripped the masters of the Gothic, he pushed

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398 JSAH, XLVIII:4, DECEMBER 1989

architectural
architectural creativity
creativity
and inventiveness
andbeyond
inventiveness representative
representative
the familiar Baroque
beyond the in Petersburg
familiar in F.Petersburg
C. Weber carefullyF.
Baroque gathered
C. Web
world
world of emotional
of emotional
manipulation
manipulation material
material
and trompe-l'oeil illusionism.
and trompe-l'oeil
He which he
which
publishedhe
in 1718
illusionism. published
(English edition
He in1723),
1718 (E
was free to do it because he had broken loose from the constraints Weber
Weber is quoted
is and
quoted
paraphrased
and extensively.
paraphrased
"The improve-
extens
of classic precedent .... Architecture changes as custom changes.... ments which the Tsar has made in his dominions were not
So classical architecture is no longer taken as the universal model, merely calculated for profit but for delight also" (p. 198). Plea-
while Gothic is justified because it conforms to the taste and mode sure houses, gardens, greenhouses, aviaries, grottoes, and cas-
of its time. Guarini did not disguise his appreciation of the fashionable cades are mentioned. Weber provides a vivid evocation of Peter's
French architecture of his day; and he employed Islamic forms for built world, one which is a striking contrast to the Moscow of
his openwork domes. The freedom he enjoyed in using non-tradi- chapter 2. Cracraft is at his best in evoking the great Russian
tional solutions, however, did not result in the emergence of a type cities of Peter's time with a mass of interesting facts obviously
of eclectic imitation. Instead, there was a process of thematic assim- obtained by extensive research and study, including the writings
ilation .... For Guarini, architecture was not the closed, formal sys- in Russian of the major Russian architectural historians.
tem of a tradition based style, but a rich and profound interweave or In the introduction to the book (chapter 1) there is an im-
texture (p. 2). portant review of the problems seen as critical for the historian
DANIELA DEL PESCO of Russian architecture. First mentioned is the destruction and
deterioration of Russian monuments. Just in Moscow some 150
Universita di Roma
churches were destroyed in the 1930s. In all it is estimated that
some 3000 outstanding architectural monuments were de-
stroyed in World War II. In addition to human disaster, the
JAMES CRACRAFT, The Petrine Revolution inclimate
ravages of a severe Russian Ar-
have taken a toll. The lack of im-
chitecture, Chicago and London: University of Chicago
portant documentation Press,
is also stressed with the concomitant
1988, xxvi + 372 pp., 141 text figs.,accretion
75 b.of& factual
w. errors.
pls. Further
$45.00. along, Cracraft notes the
frequent attribution to major architects of buildings not by them,
"This volume forms a part of a more extended
on the study
basis of insufficient of the Finally, he discusses
documentation.
cultural revolution in Russian historythethat is inseparably
confusion linked bias of the 1950s:
caused by Russian nationalistic
with the person and policies of Peter The ISoviet
'The periodical
Great'.Architectural Heritage (1953) is quoted:
. . . The
volume also sets the stage ... for others
Russian to come,
architecture which
of the 18th andwill
19th centuries is "pene-
deal with the concurrent rise in Russia of
trated by the modern
the most visual and organically linked
profound originality
to the national
arts, with the emergence there of science life." The duty
and modern of Russian art historians was
literature
. . ." (p. xxv). The author is not an architectural
then to "refute [any]historian, butthe role of our native
tendency to minimize
rather a cultural historian, a professor of history
builders at the
and to ascribe theirUniversity
creations to foreign architects" (p.
of Illinois at Chicago. 5). In line with this, we are told that in 1954 the important
scholar Igor Grabar
Chapters 2 and 7 are particularly interesting, substantially
dealing as revised
theyand expanded his fa-
do with Moscow, St. Petersburg, and mous the
work ofprovinces as seen
1909 along these nationalist lines with the result
that a number
through the eyes of contemporary foreign of controversial
visitors. Certain changes in the history of Russian
texts
architecture
have often been quoted, others are not were made. The
well known. important contribution
Chapter 2 of foreign
architects
contains a wonderful description of the old, active in Russia
largely more or lesscity
wooden continuously after the
late 15th century,
of Moscow in the 17th century. "A splendid show and especially in the Petrine period, was
altogether"
wrote the English physician Samuel questioned
Collinsorc. overlooked.
1660, referring
to the gilded church domes (p. 19). ButThe vivid awarenessare
problems of the authormen-
also of these pitfalls of Russian
tioned: Jan Struys complained that the streets
architectural were
history "wide
would seem but
to suggest that this book might
uneven, and never paved [in stone], which
be a majorcauses great
breakthrough, a freshincon-
foreign view, and yet one with
an unusually
venience, particularly in times of thaw andsolid command
rain . . ."of (p.
the facts.
20).Cracraft is at times
And Adam Olearis describes one of the such ahorrors
guide, as in hisofdiscussion
the place:of the Moscow Kremlin's
"Not been a week goes by without some Ambassadorial
houses, Office
or or ifMoscow's
the wind Menshikof tower (Church
of the Archangel
is strong, whole streets going up in smoke Gabriel
. .." (p. at Clear
21). MoscowPond). But his desire to set
was a city of burned-out lots, but there was
straight the good
record also hasnews too.
serious consequences resulting in a
somewhat skewed
Prefabricated log houses could be bought in the book.open market
Peter's greatest
and set up in a day among the ruins. Olearis also achievement,
mentions andthat
the work which can best
in a house there were "seldom morebethan associated with the or
three idea of a cultural
four revolution in Russia, is
pots
. .; some few of the better sort have the pewter
founding and .building
.. ," ofhardly a The organization
St. Petersburg.
of Cracraft's
surprising situation in that so much was lost in text the
preserves its climactic
fires position in the history
(p. 24).
The Russian urban historians have put of the this all of
architecture together and
Peter's reign, but much of the book-the
Robert Massie evokes a place of the first
same 145 pages
character
of 270-is centered
in his on Moscow,
bi- the provinces,
and discusses to
ography of Peter, but it is more interesting the character
hear about of traditional
the (old style) Russian
architecture.it.
city first-hand from those who experienced Only 13 of the plates are of Petrine St. Petersburg
Chapter 7 represents an evaluation(though
of Tsarsome 30Peter's greatest
additional figures are included in the text).
single architectural effort by gathering the
Possibly thecomments of Eu-
most interesting chapter from the point of view
of the
rope's travelers about St. Petersburg, the history
new of Russian
Russianarchitecture, but one somewhat distant
capital
which he made rise from the swamp. fromSince
the issuesthe Hanoverian
of Petrine reform as discussed here, is chapter

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