This eminent English architect, who flourished about the commencement of
the 18th century, had to contend with the wits of the age. They waged no
war against him as a wit, for he was not inferior; but as an architect,
he was the object of their keenest derision, particularly for his
celebrated work of the stupendous palace of Blenheim, erected for the
Duke of Marlborough in accordance with the vote of a grateful nation.
Swift was a satirist, therefore no true critic; and his disparagement of
Blenheim arose from party-feeling. Pope was more decisive, and by the
harmony of his numbers contributed to lead and bias the public opinion,
until a new light emanated from the criticism of Sir Joshua Reynolds;
and this national palace is now to be considered, not on its
architectural, but its picturesque merits. A criticism which caused so
memorable a revolution in public taste, must be worthy of an extract. "I
pretend to no skill in architecture--I judge now of the art merely as a
painter. To speak then of Vanbrugh in the language of a painter, he had
originality of invention, he understood light and shadow, and had great
skill in composition. To support his principal object he produced his
second and third groups of masses; he perfectly understood in _his_ art
what is most difficult in _ours_, the conduct of the background, by
which the design and invention is set off to the greatest advantage.
What the background is in painting, is the real ground upon which the
building is erected; and no architect took greater care that his works
should not appear crude and hard; that is, it did not start abruptly out
of the ground, without speculation or preparation. This is the tribute
which a painter owes to an architect who composed like a painter."
Besides this, the testimony of Knight, Price, and Gilpin, have
contributed to remove the prejudices against Vanbrugh. Knight says in
his "Principles of Taste," Sir John Vanbrugh is the only architect I
know of, who has either planned or placed his houses according to the
principles recommended; and in his two chief works, Blenheim and Castle
Howard, it appears to have been strictly adhered to, at least in the
placing of them, and both are certainly worthy of the best situations,
which not only the respective places, but the island of Great Britain
could afford.
Vanbrugh also evinced great talent as a dramatic writer, and his
masterly powers in comedy are so well evinced in the Relapse, the
Provoked Wife, and other plays, that were it not for their strong
libertine tendency which have properly banished them from the stage, and
almost from the closet, he would have been regarded as a standard
classic author in English dramatic literature. His private character
seems to have been amiable, and his conduct tolerably correct. He died
at his own house in Whitehall, in 1726. In his character of architect,
Dr. Evans bestowed on him the following witty epitaph:
"Lie heavy on him, earth, for he
Laid many a heavy load on thee"!