: , . > J@ty = : : i. ¥ ‘ J y * r rm - = I } ' & » Bad . a % é on " at aad LS ty . I j iy Mexican Architecture of the V'1ce-Regal Period through the courtesy of Eman - Witu1am F. Bucxtey to whom he § acknowledges his indebtednes y \ { ¥ " - +: 4 “_ ‘ é t \ z mt * . & . ; ‘ if i 5 $ ‘ i “4 i 3 1 { r ' s | ¥ " 4 ee , ; A ; ~ x 4 Sg n aw ig ba! > ¥ r ‘ +." nt . ‘ : * ) ¥ 4 : 4 \ i ‘ ’ ( 7 ¥ ‘ 5 ‘' q " ri At aS Mexican Architecture of the Vice-Regal Pertod BY WALTER H. KILHAM, S.B., F.A.LA. gE FERENCE REF | ae | be dé wk ‘i p LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. 55 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C.4 TORONTO, BOMBAY, CALCUTTA AND MADRAS 1927 SVINCIA! i 1SRARY,. PROV PEN Ae ELS eo VICTORIA, 5. ©. COPYRIGHT, 1927 BY LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. The author wishes to express bis appreciation for the drawing and photographs contributed by A. W. K. Bituincs, Howarp FisHer, and C. B. Waite a RES, PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE PLIMPTON PRESS, NORWOOD, U:S°A List of Plates STAIRWAY, SANTIAGO PaLacE, 35 Loceras, SANTIAGO PaLace, 39 View 1n Upper Loceia, Santiaco Patace, 39 ENTRANCE, SANTIAGO PaLaAcE, 43 Entrance, House or Don Juan ManueEL, 43 Patio, SANTIAGO PauacE, 47 Ancient BaALusTRADE, SANTIAGO PaLace, 51 A Gateway 1n Buvue anp Wuire, SI House or Atvarapo aT Coyoacan, 55 . A Doorway, Mexico Crry, 55 ir & 12. Wari TREATMENTS 1n ALL-oveR Patterns, Mexico | Ciry, 59 13. Corner or Patace, Mayorazco DE GUERRERO, 63 . 14. Porta, Patace or THE MayorazGo DE GUERRERO, 63 15. CuHapet, TEerceR OrpDEN DE SAN Francisco, CUuERNA- vaca, 67 16. View or La Parroguta, Taxco, 67 17. Unpver THE Portates, PuesBia, 71 18. CaTuHEepRAL CLoISTER, CUERNAVACA, 7I 19. Detain, “House or Ties,” 75 20. Winpow, Las Vizcarnas, 75 21. Deram, Crioister or La Mercep, Mexico City, 79 22. Crorster or La Mercep, 83 23. Upper Winpvows, La Concepcion, Mexico City, 83 24. Doorway at XocHIMILCo, 87 25. Facape, San Aucustin Acotman, 87 . 26 & 27. Dertarts, San Aucustin ACOLMAN, QI 28. CaTHEDRAL oF MEXICO AND THE SAGRARIO, 95 29. Dome or THE CATHEDRAL OF Mexico, 95 30. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF Mexico, 99 Lo} . o oD ON An WwW bd bt 6 LIST OF PEATES 31. Domes or Ex Carmen, San ANGEL, 103 32. ConvENTO DEL CARMEN, SAN ANGEL, 103 33. CuHurcH or San Dominco, PuesBia, 107 34. Gateway, San Francisco ACATEPEC, 107 35. Rear oF THE CATHEDRAL, PuEBLA, III 36. A Patio at Puesia, III 37. Hacrenpa Cuurcu Door, 115 38. House at Taxco, 119 39. A Typicat Puesian House, I19 40. Tower or San Francisco, PuEBLA, 123 41. A PuLgueriaA, 123 42. A Street at Puesia, 127 43. Cuurcy anp Atrium, Puesia, 127 44& 45. Tue Casa ve ALFENIQUE, PuEBLA, 131 46. Convent or Santa Maria pE Los ANGELES aT CHurRu- BUSCO, 135 47. Capita DEL Pociro, GuapALurpE Hmatco, 139 48. CuurcH Door, VILLA DE GUADALUPE, 139 49. Marin Door, Capita vet Pociro, 143 50. Sime Door, Capita vex Pocito, 143 51. A Cuapet, Guapatupe Hipatco, 147 52. A Mexican ALAMEDA, 147 53. Detam, Capitya pet Pocito, 151 54. Fountain 1n Patio or THE “House or TiLEs,” I51 55- Detamw From “House or Tires,” Mexico Crry, 155 56. CaTHEepRAL Tower, Mexico Ciry, 159 57- FacapE oF THE Sacrario, Mexico Crry, 159 58. Deramss oF THE SaGRARIO, 163 59. Basttica oF GUADALUPE, 167 60. La Santisima Trinipap, Mexico City, 167 61. Dome anv Tower, La Santisima, 171 62. ‘Tower anp Sipe Butrresses, La SaNTISiMA, 171 63. Titep Seat anp Fountain, 175 64. Gareway AT ORIZABA, 175 65. House or tHe Masxs, Mexico Crry, 179 66. CaTHepraL anp Crry Hatt, San Luis Porosi, 179 67. In THE Borpa GarpEn, 183 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. LIST OF PLATES PANELLED Doors, 187 An Otp Door, 187 Giipep Carvinc, Pugsia, I91 A Titep Watt, I91 CuurcuH aT TEPOZATLAN, 195 73 & 74. InTeR1IoR oF CHurcH AT 'TEPOZATLAN, 199 Detait or Porta, TEPOZATLAN, 203 Nocue Triste Memoriat, Mexico City, 207 Tue “ Parroguia” or Taxco, 207 A Winpow at Taxco, 211 An Otp Stone EscutcHEeon, 211 Poot 1n Borpa GarpEN, CUERNAVACA, 215 Op House, San ANGEL, 215 Paracio pE Mineria, Mexico City, 219 STAIRWAY IN Patacio pE MInerIA, 219 Cuurcu or Ext Carmen, CeLaya, 223 Mexican Architecture of the Vice- Regal Period AtTHoUGH Mexico possesses many monuments more worthy of study than some of the models which have been sketched and measured by successive gen- erations of students, relatively very little is known of ‘Mexican architecture in the United States or Europe. In the case of Americans, the supposedly superior at- tractions of Europe have no doubt hindered the growth of a sympathetic understanding and appreciation of this vast collection of architectural wealth which lies at their very doors. As a race the Spaniards were the greatest builders since the Romans, and nowhere was this talent dis- played to greater advantage than in the royal province of Mexico, or New Spain. The skill, taste, and origi- nality of the Spaniards were supplemented by the high artistic development of the natives, who quickly be- came as adept as their masters. Even today, love of beauty is a marked characteristic of the descendants of the Aztecs, a quality for which they receive small credit from the more practical Americans and Euro- peans. The history of architecture in Mexico during the period under consideration represents a complete cy- cle, beginning with the direct importation of the Mid- dle Renaissance style from Spain, where Juan de Her- : REETPENCE ‘Sreustle , rr a eee | % "her" dinmol PROVINCIAL LIZRARY, VICTORIA, B. C. 10 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE rera, the architect of the Escorial, the Cathedral of Valladolid, and other well-proportioned but highly formal buildings, represented the dominant note in ecclesiastical architecture, and gave the name of her- reriana to the productions of his school. In the old country the Renaissance progressed through the Plateresque, Churrigueresque, and Baroque manners, to arrive again at the end of the eighteenth century at the formalities of a style which corresponded closely to the Empire style in France. In New Spain architec- tural design swung farther away, along a path in- fluenced by native ideas as well as Spanish fashions, through a dazzling climax of half-Indian, half-Spanish extravaganza, finally to reach the same goal, the ele- gant and formal Academismo, which completed the most remarkable excursion in architectural design known to the history of the Renaissance. There is, naturally, no Gothic in Mexico, but in the Renaissance way the country’s splendid churches, sweetly domed and nobly towered, and its massive and time-stained palaces, are products of a really great architecture, well-conceived, thoroughly understood, and marvellously well-executed. Building activity started in 1521, immediately after the Conquest, and lasted until the beginning of the dis- turbances which terminated in the independence of Mexico in 1821. The province enjoyed a period of unex- ampled prosperity, free from war or civil dissension of any kind, for nearly three centuries, which may be designated as the Vice-Regal period, during which its wealth increased to an astonishing extent. _ In addition to its skill in architecture and building, OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 1 the ruling class had the assistance of a plentiful sup- — ply of cheap but intelligent labor, for the native In- dians, many of whom were already skilled artisans, learned all sorts of crafts with surprising facility and were remarkably amenable to supervision. The union between the government of the colony and the ecclesi- astical authority, however doubtful as a practical measure, was a powerful stimulus to the cause of archi- | tecture, and large building projects were carried out in every direction. In fact, according to a Mexican writer, so ardent in the cause of religion were the followers of Cortés and Pizarro that in the same breath they informed the Indians of their new Sovereigns, the Emperor Don Carlos and the Creator, the two al- legiances being inseparable. So rapid was the development of building after the country had been pacified, that by 1596, only seventy- five years after the Conquest, over four hundred mon- asteries had been built, in addition to the civil and do- mestic buildings, and churches, of which latter there were over a thousand in one province alone. As the population and wealth of the Colony increased, so numerous did the churches become that no village hacienda or ranch could be found, no matter how small, without its chapel. For example, one writer says that, after travelling on horseback for days in appar- ently virgin territory and crossing almost impassable districts where seemingly no one had been before, one would find at the journey’s end a handsome, even sumptuous edifice as evidence of the faith, energy, and incomparable labor of the Church during the seven- teenth and eighteenth centuries. Built and often 2z MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE vaulted with stone, these churches, as well as the dwell- ings, were at first of a rather fortress-like severity in style, due to lack of resources and the wish to obtain se- curity in a country only recently subdued. As tranquil- lity and prosperity increased, both religious and private buildings gradually developed a style of exceeding rich- ness and elaboration, which culminated in such build- ings as the Parroquias of Taxco and Tepozatlan, and the palace of the Conde del Valle de Orizaba in Mexico City. Unlike the practice of Rome, which allowed and encouraged her dependencies such as Egypt, Judea, Greece, etc., to continue their own language, religion, and architecture, or of England, which allows her In- dian subjects, for example, full liberty of creed and culture, the Spanish colonists by force of arms up- rooted and destroyed as far as possible all traces of Aztec civilization, laws, religion, and social atmos- phere, replacing them fully and completely with their own. Especial care was taken by Cortés, el conquis- tador del Andhuac, in sketching the plan of the new Capital which was to rise on the ruins of Tenoxtitlan, to locate the new temple at the north side of the great square, lately occupied by the teocalli of the bloody Huitzilopochtli, while the site of the former palace of Moctezuma was assigned to the seat of the new goy- ernment. This policy was carried out likewise in other places, and where, as in the case of the pyramid of Cholula, the original teocalli was too large to remove, a Christian temple was erected on its summit, a zeal in the cause of religion which later came to be re- gretted. OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 13 The development of the Colonial style in Mexico is comparatively simple. Although, with characteristic Spanish independence, Juan Gil de Hontafion was at the time of the Conquest building in Spain the cathe- drals of Salamanca and Segovia in the pointed style, the Gothic period had passed, leaving only reminis- cences which in Mexico were expressed in the rib vault- ing of one or two early buildings. In one church, the Capilla Real at Cholula, built as an “ overflow ” for the adjoining San Gabriel, the guiding influence was quite evidently the mosque of Cordoba with its many aisles and interior columns. During the earliest years of the Colony’s history the disorders peculiar to an only recently conquered and scarcely yet pacified country, where the fear of insur- rection was mingled with quarrels and struggles among the Conquerors, were responsible for the severe and fortress-like character of the early buildings. The churches were characterized by thick walls, and mas- sive buttresses with low and squat towers. Domestic buildings were one story high and often provided with almenas (battlements), while the still scanty resources of the settlements prevented any great use of orna- ment. The fine basilica-like church of Coyoacan, and the cathedral and chapel of the Tercer Orden at Cuer- navaca, illustrate the ecclesiastical side of this earlier style, while the houses of Alvarado and Cortés at Coyoacan, dating from 1523, are good types of the do- mestic architecture of the primitive period. In Spain at the middle of the sixteenth century the architects Juan de Herrara, Juan de Toledo, and Juan Gomez de Mora represented the growing taste for the 4 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE severely classical school which, employing only the Doric order and avoiding ornament, gave to its works an indubitable aspect of strength and power. This school which, as was said above, came to be known as herreriana, and whose most important Spanish building was the Escorial, strongly influenced the first part of the Colony’s career. The great cathedrals of Mexico City and Puebla are the most splendid ex- amples of the style in New Spain. In the buildings of this period the walls are thick, and free from ornament except around the portals where a Doric order, usually of great purity, is em- ployed and is often surmounted by a secondary and smaller simple architectural frame which encloses a niche with a statue of the Saint, and is flanked on each side with pyramidal, or obelisk-like, adornments. The cornices of these buildings are invariably straight, the pediments unbroken, vaults semi-circular, and domes hemispherical, low, and ordinarily octagonal, in plan. There is little intimation in this earlier work of the gorgeous facades and interiors which were to mark the later years of the Colony’s prosperity. Barroso well says that “ the road which architecture in New Spain followed through different styles and influences, ex- cepting the academic reaction of the nineteenth Cen- tury, can be expressed by saying that it was a slow change from inexpressive lines and surfaces to lines and surfaces having the fullest amount of expres- sion.” * The Cathedral of Mexico City is probably the largest church in America, (387 feet long and 177 feet wide), 1 Francisco Diez Barroso, El Arte en Nueva Espana. OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 15 and, all in all, perhaps the finest. Its rather low and heavily buttressed facade and majestic towers seem to express the very essence of Latin American spirit. The church deserves to be better known; I question if a more satisfying Renaissance cathedral exists in the world. The original design, laid out by Castafieda, was sup- plemented after the corner stone had been laid, in 1573, by a new project, the work of Juan Gomez de Mora, who was sent from Spain by Philip III. The plan has some points in common with the cathedrals of Sala- manca and Segovia, though it lacks the apsidal chapels. While the severity of the Doric treatment of the in- terior may detract from its interest, its great size and height (179 feet in the dome), and its complete unity of design, make it sufficiently impressive, and the vista through the archway into the adjoining Sagrario Met- ropolitano, with its play of light and shade punctuated by the moving figures of black-clad worshippers, is exceedingly picturesque. The detail of its two great towers is well worthy of careful study, while their simi- larity in several respects to the towers of the Escorial is an interesting evidence of their Spanish ancestry. The plans for the Cathedral of Puebla were approved by Philip III in 1562, although the building was not finished until 1649. It is smaller than the Cathedral of Mexico, and of greater homogeneity, but its exterior is somehow less interesting, although its lines and details are of much elegance. The interior greatly resembles the Cathedral of Mexico, except that the altars, rejas and carvings seem richer. The archi- 146 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE tect was probably Mora, though some authorities ascribe it to Herrara. The view of the building from across the Alameda at the rear will be found the most pleasing. Another great church of the earlier period before native influence was strongly felt is San Augustin Acolman, whose tasteful friezes, carved with fruits and garlands, might almost claim a place in Toledo or Salamanca. The great tezontle palaces in Mexico City, of which the Casa del Conde de Santiago de Calimaya is an in- stance, sometimes called the Palace of Santiago, ex- emplify the domestic architecture of the time. Two great stories in height, the dominant note is that of severity and force. Even the stone gargoyles are carved in the form of cannon, and the battlements were sur- mounted by a row of stone soldiers until a republican government ordered their removal.’ In these palaces, which presented few windows to the street, the life of the family and retainers went on under the lofty arcades of the great patio. The family apartments and the chapel were in the upper story, away from the dampness of the ground and open to the breezes. If the house was in the plateau country the roof was flat, supported by great wooden beams, and paved with flat red bricks laid in lime on a bed of dry earth which formed a perfect insulation from the heat and cold, and, marvelous to relate, was water- 2 A decree of the Government of May 2, 1826, ordered the destruction of coats-of-arms and other insignia which recorded the dependence of Mex- ico upon Spain. A prominent exception was the equestrian statue of Charles IV of Spain, on whose pedestal the words were added “ Mexico preserves it as a monument of art.” OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 17 tight. At lower elevations, in the warmer and moister zones, sloping, tiled roofs provided shelter against the greater rainfall. The ornament of the facade was gen- erally concentrated around the portals or occasionally at the corner, but often, as in the case of the house of the Mayorazgo de Guerrero, or the house in the Calle de Relox, the niche which surmounted the corner was elaborately decorated and formed the principal orna- ment of the facade. As the wealth and prosperity of the Colony increased it found ample expression in the character of the mul- titudes of new buildings which sprang up in every direction. The progress of the successive Renaissance periods in Spain was reflected in Mexican work, which often surpassed that of the mother country in elabora- tion, but absolutely without servile imitation; so that it should be studied by itself without any attempt to associate it with the Spanish. The natural resources of the country, together with its remarkable activity in agriculture, mining and commerce, and its long freedom from disturbance un- der a stable and not illiberal government, caused a re- markable prosperity which brought unheard-of luxury within reach of the rich, and reasonable ease and com- fort to the poor. Hospitals and colleges multiplied, as well as churches and palaces. The University came into being by royal order as early as 1553. Other institu- tions followed, such as the Academia de Belles Artes, the Monte de Piedad, and the great Colegio de las Viz- cainas whose enormous facades, nearly 500 feet in length, are among the most striking in the capital. Other foundations during the eighteenth century were 8% MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE the Hospital des Terceros, the Casa de Cuna, the Hos- picio de Pobres, and the Hospital de San Andrés, which institutions alone comprised a complete plan of benefices for the Capital. The Viceroys were frequently able men, active in advancing the welfare of New Spain. Some, like Mendoza, the Velascos, Bucareli, and. Revillagigedo, were of rather exceptional bril- liancy. Aqueducts were built, streets paved and lighted, and banditry suppressed. The English trav- eler, Thomas Gage, speaking of the life of the Colony in 1624-25, stated that there were four things to see in New Spain; the women, the clothes, the horses, and the streets, and says he should have added a fifth, the trains of the nobility, which were far more splen- did than those of the court of Madrid or of any capital of Europe. The geographer Humboldt later was so impressed that he called the capital the “‘ City of Pal- aces,” and even today, in spite of the growth of cities in the United States, it is perhaps, all told, the hand- somest city in North America, with the possible excep- tion of Washington. During this period the government required works of public utility, such as aqueducts, canals, roads, bridges and forts; private individuals built spacious and richly decorated houses and palaces, with elabo- rately designed portals and patios, while the furnish- ings were of mahogany, ebony and rosewood, often richly inlaid with silver and pearl. Silks from China, and brocades and velvets from Spain, were common decorations. The clergy established large, rich and dazzling temples, adorned with gold, and hung with pictures by the rising school of Mexican painters OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 19 whose productions still hold the admiration of sophis- ticated visitors. Under these influences the way was open for the importation and surprising development of the more highly ornamented and costly Plateresque and Bar- roco styles, which were at their height in the mother country. Beginning with gradual softening of the rigid lines of the herreriana, the severe Doric of the church portals changed to twisted and garlanded Corinthian; rectangular windows became octagonal or star- shaped; straight entablatures and cornices developed curves and convolutions, while decorative patterns covered the surfaces of panels, columns and borders. The work of the Plateresque period may be studied in the Convent of La Merced in Mexico City as well as in the beautiful San Augustin, now the National Library, whose proportions and details are of remarkable ele- gance, while in domestic architecture the houses of the Conde del Valle de Orizaba and San Mateo Val- paraiso illustrate the diversity of the style and the ver- satility of the architects of the period. Illustrations of the Barroco are so numerous that only a few can be cited. The Capilla del Pocito at Guadalupe Hidalgo, the domes of El Carmen at San Angel, the “ House of the Masks” and “Las Viz- cainas,” may be noted as a few prominent examples, but so varying are the Mudejar, Indian, and Span- ish influences which affected their design that a chronological classification according to style would be very difficult. The capricious forms of windows, balconies, and niches, and the brilliant profiling of the mouldings whose faces are ingeniously pitched to 20 MEXICAN ARCHITECTORE catch and reflect high lights, well express the growing taste for luxury and ostentation in the now powerful colony, which reached its climax in the Churriguer- esque of the latter part of the eighteenth century, when ordinarily simple architectural forms assumed shapes of hitherto unimagined elaboration and expressive- ness. In the churches of El Sagrario and La Santisima in Mexico City, designed in 1749 and 1755 respectively, the architect, Lorenzo Rodriguez, certainly produced two temples of notable originality and beauty. The pink tezontle facades of the former, which frame and enclose the gray masses of detail around and above the portals, form, with the adjoining cathedral, a most re- markable composition whose striking mass and out- line are in no way impaired by the riotous intricacy of the detail. The introduction of glazed faience was followed by its use for the decorations of domes, towers and walls, and its brilliant coloring seen against the intense blue of the sky, added another note to the already dazzling scheme. The surprising fact is that throughout all this riot of elaborate decoration and color, the innate Span- ish good sense always retained ample surfaces of plain masonry as a background and frame for the ornament, even in the most extravagant buildings, and the parti- colored domes invariably rose above a base of severely plain stone, so that the effect of the whole was never confused. In this respect alone, Mexican architecture is worthy of the most careful study. Even such struc- tures as the “ House of Tiles ” in Mexico City, or the OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD a1 Casa del Alfefiique at Puebla, which are among the most beautiful buildings in the world, show a balance of elaboration which could only have been conceived in an atmosphere of architectural sanity. In the last years of the eighteenth century the world- wide classical reaction brought about the cold and formal Academismo, of which the leading exponent was Manuel Tolsa, a young Valencian sculptor, who arrived from Spain in 1791, commissioned as Director of Sculpture in the Academia of San Carlos. This title, in passing, may raise in the reader’s mind a slight speculation as to the status or condition of the art schools in the United States at that period. In Mexico City the Academy had been a going concern since 1783, and had exerted a definite influence on the art of the Capital. At any rate, the new Director soon gave evi- dence of extensive knowledge and good taste in the field of architecture as well as sculpture, and in 1797 he was entrusted with the design of the vast new Royal School of Mines, or the “ Mineria,” which is the principal example of the Academic style in the Capital. This correct and cold design comprises long exterior facades, which are now much disfigured by ex- cessive settlement of the foundations, and a majestic interior court of 645 square meters, with a grand stair- case which challenges comparison with the best work in the mother country. Tolsa also designed the palace of the Condesa de Pérez Galvez, in the Calle del Puente de Alvarado, and the church of Nuestra Sefiora de Loreto, whose exterior, more reserved and correct than attractive, is surpassed by the interior rotunda, which, although raised on a hexagonal plan, has fine 22 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE proportions and much merit. This church also suffers from the treacherous subsoil and leans badly, so that Tolsa is probably best remembered by his work on the facade and central lantern of the Cathedral of Mexico, and by his truly splendid bronze of Charles IV, in the Avenida Juarez, which easily takes place among the world’s best equestrian statues. This was cast in one piece in Mexico City in 1802, another side light on the advanced condition of the arts in Mexico at that pe- riod.* So preponderating was Tolsa’s personality that many of the important works of his time have come to be attributed to him instead of to their rightful authors, and this tendency extends even to the furni- ture and silverware of the academic period. Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, a picturesque na- tive of Celaya, deserves mention at this point. Like a true artist of the Renaissance he was not only a painter of merit and painted the decorations for his own churches, but attained a certain fame as a writer of sonnets. His style was softer and more graceful than Tolsa’s and his masterpiece, FE] Carmen of Celaya, de- serves to be more widely known. Some incidents of the life of Tresguerras, as related by Terreros* are in- teresting, and the picture of his declining years must excite a feeling of envy among the architects of these hurried years. Although most of his life was spent in the small city of Celaya, it contained several striking incidents. He held the offices of sindico, regidor, and alcalde, of his native city. He took part in the unsuc- 3 Lorado Taft in his American Sculpture states that the first casting of an equestrian statue in the United States was Clark Mills? ‘“‘ General Jackson,” in Washington, which was erected in 1853. * D. Manuel Romero de Terreros, Arte Colonial. OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 23 cessful insurrection against the Spanish government headed by the patriot Hidalgo, but escaped punish- ment when it was suppressed. Nobody could deny that he had the soul of an artist. In the last years of his life, every afternoon he would go on foot to a little hacienda of his, called “ El Romerillo,” in the environs of Ce- laya. With his great cape over his shoulders he would march along, playing his flute and followed by his faithful and inseparable dog. Then he would sit down under a tree, and with all the simplicity of a child alter- nate between playing with his dog and calling forth the notes of his favorite instrument. From this improvised Arcadia he could enjoy the peaceful landscape, and contemplate with the highest satisfaction the distant outlines of the greatest works of his active life. Not until the herds came slowly down to the waters of the Laja and the last rays of the sun illumined the lovely dome of Carmen, would he retrace his steps to his home in the city. The history of Mexican architecture as such ter- minated with the Academismo. Since the independ- ence, design, much of which is highly meritorious, has followed European models, mostly French, with few local characteristics. At present there is some indica- tion of a new school of Mexican thought whose insp1- ration is based on the splendid native art tradition of the Aztecs and Mayas, and in this the future hope of Mexican design may lie. While the foregoing represents the main trend of Mexican Colonial architecture, it was at the same time deeply affected by several important local influences. 24 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE In Spain much of the Gothic and all the later work shows the presence of the Mudejar influence, or that of the Christianized Moors, and it is natural that this quality of Spanish work should have gone overseas along with the rest. Among the earlier buildings of the Capital many good examples remain of over-all stucco wall patterns of geometric figures, which plainly show a Moorish ancestry. These stucco patterns had attained considerable elaboration when the increase of resources brought about the general use of the more expensive and showy Puebla tile, or else genuine cut stone for wall surfaces, in the carving of which there became evident a new spirit. Friezes and garlands in- tended as pure Renaissance took on unexpected shapes and lines, while spiral terminations of friezes and belts likewise showed the hand of the Aztec workman, involuntarily recording on the walls of his master’s house the pathetic tradition of his lost race. Neces- sarily much of the builder’s work was done by Indian mechanics, and probably architects as well, who would, of course, follow their natural bent in executing their work. This overtone of Aztec design is one of the most charming and original qualities which runs through all Mexican architecture, and gives it a strong indi- viduality of its own, apart from European precedent. The religious influence also had a deep effect upon domestic architecture as attested by the nichos, carved high up on street corners and flat walls, and the sacred monograms, which sometimes appeared in cornices and ornaments. No large house was without a fine private chapel which was treated with special mag- nificence and given the place of honor. Shrines abound OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 25 along the roads, and often public works, such as foun- tains and bridges, are decorated with them. Some time after the Conquest, in 1526 according to a popular belief, some potters from Talavera and other places in Spain came to settle in Puebla and began the manufacture of the glazed tiles and majolica ware, which soon came to be utilized for a thousand architec- tural purposes as well as for household utensils and vases. Domes and towers soon shone with brilliant blue, white and yellow; dadoes and stairs, lavabos, nichos, and even bathtubs in faience were found every- where. Walls of buildings were covered with it, and, as in Spain, tile work became an important feature of the native style, a fact too little recognized by American imitators. The story of Mexican tin-enameled faience is a fas- cinating history in itself. It is believed that the early friars were impressed by the ability which the natives showed in the manufacture of earthenware, and sent to Spain for artisans skilled in pottery-making to come to the new colony and instruct the natives in the art. Whatever the source, progress was rapid and the pro- ductions of tin-enameled pottery made by the Pueblan workmen, which came to be known as Talavera ware, were wide-spread, and their vases, bowls, and other utensils are now highly prized. From modest begin- nings the industry developed until, in 1750, some thirty establishments in the city of Puebla were engaged in its manufacture.° A considerable proportion of the Pueblan work seems to bear the impress of Chinese de- 5 Edwin Atlee Barber, The Maiolica of Mexico. 26 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE sign, which has given rise to the idea that Chinese workmen were brought to Mexico to aid in the pro- duction of this ware. Mr. Barber, however, states that this theory is incorrect, and that the pseudo-Chinese decoration is from the hands of local decorators who attempted to imitate the Chinese manner. The nine- teenth century saw its decline, but efforts to revive it are on foot. The characteristics of its design ran through the Moresque, Spanish, Chinese, and His- pano-Mexican periods, and the skill of the Mexican potters produced many articles of great beauty and value for which the country has received little credit. The native Puebla tiles are four and a half to five inches square, generally slightly convex and beveled on the edges, and showing three rough spots in the form of a pea on the upper side, which are the scars left by the clay supports used in baking. The dark blue color is always in relief, due to the thickness of the pigment. The glazing is imperfect, giving a pleasing texture, and the whites are of a greyish tinge. The buildings in which glazed tiles were used for decoration are legion, and only a few can be named here. In Puebla the churches of Guadalupe, Nuestra Sefiora de la Luz, San Francisco, and others, will repay examination. Near Mexico City the domes of the Con- vent of FE] Carmen at San Angel, together with interior dadoes, lavabos, etc., and the Convent at Churubusco with the little chapel of San Antonio Abad include some fine examples, while in the Capital itself are found innumerable domes and towers, wall panels, and interior work of all sorts. An old house in San Cosme contains a bathroom, complete with walls and OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 27 floor all done in tiles, and a large bathtub, the bottom of which displays a life-size depiction of a lady of con- siderable personal charm. The use of glazed tiles for exterior decoration per- sisted up to the end of the Spanish domination. It con- stituted one of the most engaging phases of Mexican architecture. But after all matters of detail have been taken into consideration, the distinguishing fact remains that the one dominant feature of Mexican Colonial architec- ture is the dome, which was universally utilized and of which literally thousands exist, all built of solid ma- sonry. Placed over the crossing of nave and transept churches, or roofing the innumerable chapels and shrines, its use imparts a singular sweetness and beauty to the skyline of the cities, almost unique in the world. The outlines range from a somewhat flattened shape raised on a drum, through the regular half orange to the elongated, almost Persian type of El] Carmen at Ce- laya, and the Chapel of the Well at Guadalupe. The patterns of the colored glazed tiles with which they are covered vary from plain geometrical squares, or zig- zags, to the elaborate coats of arms and garlands at San Angel, while the surmounting lanterns are sometimes entirely made of faience instead of stone. They are gen- erally composed of a single shell and almost always are furnished with windows, either in the drum or in the shell itself, so as to admit considerable light to the in- terior. There is no limit to the number allowed to a church; three, five or seven are common. One church has forty-nine. 28 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE The minor accessories of artistic life carried out the effect of the architecture. Furniture, silver and iron work and candlesticks, the wooden doors to the houses and churches, the carved and inlaid sillerias of the choirs, and the gorgeous gilded retablos above the al- tars, all form part of a complete and harmonious whole. In the geometric design of door panelling the reminiscence of Mudejar work is particularly ap- parent. The elaborate gilded retablos deserve a monograph. While it is true that many of them are merely banal combinations of tortured friezes, inverted pyramidal pilasters, and corkscrew columns, some, like that of La Ensenafiza in Mexico City, for example, are ex- tremely beautiful, while others are not only tasteful, but are marvelous examples of the carver and deco- rator’s work. Often charming medallion-like religious paintings are worked into the decorative scheme, add- ing greatly to the beauty of the whole. A word should be added about the early Mexican School of painting, an art here as elsewhere closely allied to architecture, and which in Mexico followed much the same path which led through an early period of works by artists who came over from Spain bring- ing the Spanish tradition along with them, through a second period of transition when local influences be- came stronger, and a third period, almost strictly Mexican, which faded into a decadence in the early nineteenth century. During practically all of this time, at least up to the last period, the demand was for paint- ings of a religious nature, usually subjects from the New Testament, destined for the decoration of the OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 29 walls of churches and convents, or actually as objects of devotion; mythological or historical subjects were very rare, and the effort was to convey an idea rather than any visual emotion. Notwithstanding this limita- tion the productions of some of these artists were of remarkable merit, and have frequently excited the admiration of experts. Among the great names of the first period are those of Echave El Viejo, Sebastian de Arteaga, whose work was sometimes mistaken for that of Zurbaran, Luis and José Juarez, Echave El Mozo, son of El Viejo, Juan Correa, and Cristdbal Villalpando. Juan Rodriguez Juarez and Nicolas Rodriguez Juarez may be taken to represent the transition, while the great figures of the third period are Miguel Ca- brera (1695-1768), a Zapotec Indian, and José Maria Ibarra, called the Murillo of New Spain. Barroso says of Cabrera that not only was his production immense but he was the most famous and sought-for painter in the colony during the second half of the eighteenth century. [The demand for his pictures was enormous. Like Rubens he had a large atelier and many assist- ants, and he introduced a broad and spacious mode of treatment which had an important effect on contem- porary Mexican art. Ibarra (1688-1756) was a brilliant colorist, and he was able to enhance his early reputation as a copyist by developing an originality and coloring which placed him in the same rank with Cabrera. Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, of Celaya who has been mentioned as an architect, was also a painter, an etcher, a musician and a poet. His decorations are 30 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE dramatic and colorful, and he had the satisfaction of placing some of them upon the walls of one of his own creations, F] Carmen at Celaya. The sculpture of the period was evidenced by many reliefs and figures in the portadas of the churches, notably the central panel of the front of San Augustin, now the National Library, and by much decorative architectural carving, but on the whole one cannot say that sculpture in its true sense existed prior to Tolsa’s arrival. He alone, according to Revilla, was compensa- tion enough for the previous deprivation,° for in him the genius of the art made up for all the lost time. Tolsa did not make a great number of statues, as his architec- tural activities robbed him of the time he might have devoted to sculpture, but the works he did execute all testify to his knowledge, talents, and courage. In addition to his Charles IV, his principal statues were those of the clock on the Cathedral of Mexico, and the Tabernacle of the Cathedral of Puebla. Aside from the special sculptural works mentioned, it must be said that the architectural carving and plas- tic decoration of the buildings are much more local in feeling than the painting, and show far less imported influence. In fact, architects can find an endless mine of sug- gestion in Mexican domestic architecture and its ac- cessories. A proper consideration of the treatment of balconies, stairways, cornices, and windows, alone would fill a book. A monograph could be made of the ® Lic. D. Manuel G. Revilla; El Arte in Mexico en la Epoca Antigua y durante el Gobierno Virreinal. OF THE VICE-REGAL PERIOD 31 nichos. A Mexican town house of the older type is ap- proached from the street by great iron-studded doors and a cavernous zaguan, reminiscent of Toledo or Segovia, which led to the patio. The lower portions of the house are devoted to service, storage, and habita- tion of a sort for the porter, and maybe several turkeys. Under the arcades, which once sheltered the family coach, Felipe or Vicente will perhaps be found washing the car. A stone stairway swings nonchalantly up to the balcony which is gay with flowers, vines, red pep- pers, and colored rugs. Brilliantly colored birds in wooden cages hanging from the roof add to the life of the scene. From the balconies, open lofty, possibly rather bare chambers, running through to the street. If the house is in the plateau country another stair leads to the brick paved azotea or roof. In the country the house is likely to be even more picturesque and the flowers more profuse. Gardens, fountains, tiled pools, seats, and well curbs, occur in plenty. Color is everywhere, in the soft weath- ered pinks, blues and greens of the walls, the gaily enameled domes and towers, the clothing of the native Indians, and the parti-colored fruits and flowers ex- posed for sale along the streets. The gentle traffic of patient donkeys and sandal- footed Indians flows noiselessly along the cobbled country roads and down the cool colonnades of the cities. Above the time-stained garden walls rise straight, dark cypresses and rustling eucalyptus. The domes and towers of the village church, massive and eternal, look down into courts gay with roses and bougainvillea, watered by plashing fountains and 32 MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE soothed by the gurgle of covered streams. Across the maize comes the soft chime of distant vespers. Pink and orange walls, grated windows, palms and cactus, peones and pulque, snowy volcanoes against an ultramarine sky. “Where the laden burros patter down the steep and rocky ways, | And Cholula’s silver vespers echo sweet across the maize, Or the holy shrine of Mary guards the magic, mystic well, And the nopal and the cypress weave their drowsy, dreamy spell, There’s a town along a hillside, basking in the southern haze, Just below the Tres Marias, where I’d like to end my days. Houses low, and pink and ancient, thick with purple bloom o’erhung, Windows barred with antique gratings, same as when old Spain was young.” PLATE I Stairway, Santiago Palace Tue Palace of the Count of Santiago de Calimaya, one of the oldest and most magnificent houses in Mex- ico City, was built soon after the Conquest by a rela- tive of Hernan Cortés, Lic. Don Juan Gutiérrez Alta- marino. The exterior walls enclose two large courts, one for the family and one for service. The main court is surrounded by a two-story stone arcade, the loggias of which give access to the various rooms. At the right hand end is placed a splendid carved fountain; at the left the main staircase, built of stone, with an ancient, hand-wrought iron rail, and guarded at the foot by two rather primitive stone dogs, swings up to the main floor level in the nonchalantly superior manner char- acteristic of Spanish work. Even in the early half of the sixteenth century Mexico possessed stone cutters and masons able to cope with the difficult construction problem of such a stairway as this. The virile and yet beautiful proportions of the col- umns and the characteristic mouldings of the arch are worthy of the best Vice-Regal work. A century after its construction the house became the property of Don Santiago de Calimaya; and it was he who caused a park to be laid out in the neigh- borhood, and the street along the south side of the house was long known as the Calle del Parque del Conde. [ 33 ] During the Colonial period the house had consider- able importance as it was a sort of meeting place for the aristocracy, and the Viceroy, the Archbishop, and other dignitaries used to watch religious and civic parades from its windows as well as the displays of fire- works which were provided on festival occasions. [ 34] I. STAIRWAY, SANTIAGO PALACE a PLATE 2 Loggias, Santiago Palace THE loggias of the main patio are in two stories, and consist of elliptical arches supported on ranges of Doric pillars. The spandrels of the lower range are decorated with armorial bearings carved in stone, while the upper spandrels and cornice are punctuated by heads supporting military-looking stone gargoyles, through which the roof water escapes to the court. ° Iron railings, carrying supports for flower pots, fill the spaces between the pillars. PLATE 3 View in Upper Loggia, Santiago Palace THE opening at the top of the stairs is covered by a triple-cusped arch elaborately ornamented, a tour-de- force which evidently interested the builders even at that early day, while the detail of the side pilasters and border ornament seems to be influenced by Aztec mo- tives rather than Spanish. In the corner of the loggia at the end, beside the painted coat-of-arms, are seen . the carved pilasters of the elaborate doorway leading to the family chapel, which occupies the place of honor. E37.) ¢ TOV TV J OOVILNVS VIDS9O'T Yddd/) NI MarlA a3 ATOWIV O VILNVS “SVID90'7 ‘St PLATE 4 Entrance, Santiago Palace Tuis picture shows the composition of the main en- trance, with coupled and fluted columns below and a cusped window above, surrounded by an interlacing filigree border. The door lintel, attractively curved and broken, and the moving figure by the door give an idea of the scale. The famous cannon gargoyles are also visible, and the central space from which the family arms were removed. Statues originally occupied the pedestals over the gargoyles. PLATE 5 Entrance, House of Don Juan Manuel Mexico Ciry abounds in legends of every sort, as well as in the old mansions, of which this has one of the best of the minor doorways. The legend pertaining to this particular house, as related by Thomas A. Janvier, has an intriguing beginning: “This Don Juan Manuel, Senor, was avery rich and worthy gentleman who had the bad vice of killing people. Every night at eleven o’clock, he went out from his magnificent house — as you know, Sejfor, it is still standing in the street named after him — all muffled in his cloak, and under it his dagger in his hand.” The rest of this narrative is told in the Legends of the City of Mexico. The patio of the house is worthy of its history, but is too narrow to obtain a good photograph. [ 41 | a tf ws haha tos 4. ENNTRANCE, SANTIAGO PALACE 5. ENTrRANcE, House or Don Juan ManueEt e PLATE 6 Patio, Santiago Palace Tuis plate shows to still better advantage the con- struction of the arched stairway at the upper landing, and the detail of the primitive wrought iron railing and braces. The large balls at the corner posts are typical of Mexican work, and the square applications at the centers of the balusters, as well as the ornament at the centers of the braces, are evidently derived from Spanish precedent. The carved fountain at the other end of the stone- paved patio can be seen under the arcade. Visitors to the house, are particularly attracted by the curious stone gargoyles on the exterior, carved in the form of cannon (a privilege allowed only to those who held the rank of Capitan-General), and by the head of an Aztec idol which forms the corner stone and is said to have been placed there by the hands of Hernando Cortés himself. [45 ] dl % : ' - 6. Patio, SantTiaGco PaLAce PLATE 7 Ancient Balustrade, Santiago Palace A petait of the old wrought-iron balustrade, shown in Plate 1. PLATE 8 A Gateway in Blue and White LEADING to the service court of the Santiago Palace. The decoration and border at the top is in blue Puebla tile. The vast size of these service courts, now rented out in shops and swarming with peons, is an indication of the wealth and power of the original owners. [ 49 ] ALIH AA INV aNTG NI AVMULVS) Vacs AOVTV J OOVILNVS ‘ACVULSN'TV LNAIONY v4 t t ’ aa . 5 on -* PLATE 9 The House of Alvarado at Coyoacan In the years immediately following the Conquest, perhaps about 1522-1523, the conqueror, Hernando Cortés, and his trusted lieutenant, Pedro de Alvarado, attracted perhaps by the pleasant scenery, the springs, and rippling streams of Coyoacan, built residences here, both of which are now in existence. The House of Alvarado still possesses its ancient stone-flagged patio, extensive garden watered by dimin- utive tile and stone aqueducts, embowered in roses and bougainvillea, and massive low walls. The facade is possibly somewhat altered; the shrine and figurine over the door appear to be of later date; but the stucco pattern of the walls must date from some early period, if not the original one. A roof shelter has been added to the azotea, or flat tiled roof, of the original house. The house, now the property of Mrs. Zelia Nuttall, stands not far from the Convent of Churubusco, and faces on a highway which has witnessed many historic events. [ 53 ] PLATE 10 A Doorway, Mexico City Tus is a fine example of the herreriana type of doorway; a well-proportioned arch framed in a cor- rect Doric combination of fluted pilasters and simple entablatures, and with an upper feature similar in style, but with Corinthian pilasters and broken pedi- ments, and flanked by the customary pyramidal adorn- ments. [ 54] ALIZ) OOIX4]] ‘AVMUOOCT Vor NVOVOAO™) LV OdVUVATY AO ASNOP ‘6 PLATES II AND 12 Wall treatment in all-over Patterns, Mexico City Tue Mudejar (Christianized Moorish) influence in ornament appeared so early in the life of the colony that one might say that it affected the very earliest manifestations of decoration, and, instead of disap- pearing with later developments, it persisted during the whole life of the Colony up to the 4Academismo itself at the very end of the Vice-Regal period. The traces of Mudejar influence, therefore, affected the character of practically all of the Colonial work. This tendency made its earliest appearance in the decoration of walls with patterns made in lime mortar in geometric, or polygonal, forms, often highly Arabic in character, which covered the entire wall surface of certain buildings, recalling strongly the similar use of all-over ornament on the walls of many houses of Segovia, and the Cathedral of Saragossa in Old Spain. The house in the Calle del Relox presents a beauti- ful example of this work in characteristic Arabic poly- gons, relieved by a charming border, while the walls of another house in the Calle 2 de Abril show a variant in the form of large panels, filled with a design of rather plain mouldings, whose volutes suggest an Aztec feeling, surrounded by a highly-decorated border. The whole effect here is Plateresque rather than Mudeyjar. Many other examples of this sort of decoration are found in and near the City of Mexico, including the churches of San Hipdlito and San Juan de Dios, several old houses, and the upper part of the walls of the church of Tepozatlan. [57] ts Rag PR tg ge Ne oe ae ee set boo 12. Watt TREATMENTS IN ALL-ovER Patterns, Mexico City PLATE 13 Corner of Palace of the Mayorazgo de Guerrero THE great houses of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries developed a unique type of facade in two stories. The plain surfaces of the walls were faced with crimson tezontle, a highly porous volcanic stone laid in blocks eight or ten inches square, sometimes in pat- tern, and closely fitted together without mortar. This surface of velvety texture was relieved by the trim- mings of gray chiluca, often richly carved, which bor- dered the doors and windows. The fine tradition of Old Spain which concentrated the ornament about the portals, leaving the rest of the building comparatively plain, was followed, and the windows were simply treated by slightly arching the tops and carrying the architraves up to the cornice, forming a characteristic sort of transom panel over each window. At the street corners a sort of turret was built, per- haps a reminiscence of the defensive bastion,-of early Colonial days, and perhaps merely recalling the corner towers often seen in Spain. The angle of this turret was decorated with a richly treated niche, usually ac- commodating a statuette of religious nature. Turrets, or battlements, on the tops of the houses were the prerogatives of important military officials, such as members of the Court of Audience, while other important persons were permitted to have breastworks, or parapets, formed of inverted arches between pil- asters which were topped with pinnacles. [ 61 | PLATE 14 Portal of the Palace of the Mayorazgo de Guerrero Tuts is one of the finest domestic doorways in the capital. The entrance is framed by two Ionic columns of perfect purity, which enclose a beautifully treated entrance way. [he Baroque lintel is especially delight- ful. An iron balcony crowns the lower part and forms the base for a pair of Corinthian columns on pedestals, between which is a charming window in a frame of fretwork. The whole is topped by an elaborate carved motif, which contained the family arms before they were cut away. The opposite corner is occupied by a similar house, built by the same family, which produces a magnificent effect of symmetry at the street corner. [ 62 | 13. CorNER oF PaLace or THE Mayorazco DE GUERRERO 14. Porra oF THE Pauace or THE Mayorazco DE GUERRERO « PLATE 15 Chapel of the Tercer Orden de San Francisco, Cuernavaca Tus venerable church was built about 1529-30 at the instance of Cortés. Its somewhat jumbled facades, aged to a brilliant yellow, rise above the arid expanse of the cathedral enclosure. The side portal, with its half dome, is a striking feature, as is the bank of tombs built beside it between the buttresses. The main front is rudely carved, probably by Indian workmen, in primitive fashion. The dome at the left, seen above the pointed battlements of the enclosing wall, is that of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, a later church which adjoins the entrance to the Borda Gardens. PLATE 16 View of La Parroquta, Taxco THE massive bulk of the great church, with its fine dome and towers, rises above the hilly streets of the ’ picturesque city. It would be hard to find a better silhouette even in Europe. The facade of the church is shown in Plate 77. [ 65 ] 15. CHAPEL OF THE TERCER ORDEN DE SAN FRANCISCO, CUERNAVACA 16. View oF La Parroguia, Taxco .- PLATE 17 Under the Portales, Puebla One of the “ cool covered colonnades ” of Mexico. These Portales, or arcaded sidewalks, so much ad- mired in Europe and desired in America, are in Mexico a reality. Note the stone-flagged floor, the tasteful columns, and beamed ceiling. Nearer the center of the city the Portales are busy places — the abode of public typists, candy vendors, and much intriguing and exotic street life. PLaTE 18 Cathedral Clotster, Cuernavaca CUERNAVACA CATHEDRAL was founded in 1529 by the Franciscans, and is a place of great interest. The cloisters betoken their age by the character of the columns and arches, delicious architectural combina- tions of old rose and honey color, stone built, gracious, massive, and eternal. [ 69 ] VOVAVNUAN) “AALSIOTD IWUCIHLVD ‘SI VIdang ‘SHIVLUOg IHL waGNyE) “LI PLATE 19 Detail, House of Tiles -'Tuts plate shows highly interesting window trim and pilasters in the lower story, as well as the pattern of the tile panels in blue, white and yellow. The line of the tile border seems to show Chinese influence of some sort. Note the terminations at the bottoms of the window architraves. PLATE 20 Window, Las Vizcainas Tue Convent of Las Vizcainas (the Biscayans), sometimes known as the Colegio de la Paz, is a vast pile whose facades, 500 feet long, of red tezontle, have suffered from settlement. Three rich Biscayan mer- chants were walking home together one evening in the year 1732, when they were struck by the poverty and forsaken appearance of the young girls of the vicinity. Upon learning that no schools existed in this quarter of the city, they resolved to found a seminary into which girls might be received and properly educated. By 1767 the founders had expended $583,000, a great sum for the time. The school is still continued, and is said to be admirably managed. The architecture, though peculiar, is distinctive. 735 = r ¢ . SVNIVOZIA SVT ‘MOGNIAA ‘OZ (¢ SAIL], 40-S8N0Y ~, “Tiveac “G1 Some Ha ERNE ER ES ee wee fe =s- 6 SE RMS < _— PLATE 21 Detail, Cloister of La Merced, Mexico City Tuts beautiful cloister, the most elaborate in the capital, is a splendid example of Plateresque work in Mexico and is unique of its kind in the Republic. The second story has two arches to one in the first, probably the only example of this type in Mexico, and the effect of the decoration recalls the most elaborate terra cotta work of North Italy. The detail of the decoration which covers the shafts of the columns is especially notice- able, as well as the diamond-like facets of the arches. C77] Mexico Criry d 21. Detait, CLoister of La Mercep PLATE 22 Cloister of La Merced THE site for a monastery of the Order of Mercy in this locality was granted on September 22, 1533, as there were few inhabitants in the vicinity and no re- ligious establishment. The first small convent was not completed until 1593, but the order prospered and ac- quired additional land so that, in 1634, the first stone of the magnificent church was laid. The cloisters were finished in 1703. PLATE 23 Upper Windows, La Concepcion, Mexico City THESE are good examples of Mexican Renaissance in one of its best aspects. The proportions of the win- dows and their frames will repay study, as well as the very Spanish employment of cartouches between them. The church was dedicated in 1665, but restored in 1809. [ 8r ] 23. Upper Winvows, La Concepcion, Mexico Crry Z PLATE 24 Doorway at Xochimtilco Tus well-designed old doorway is placed in the center of a great wall of stucco-covered masonry, un- relieved by any decoration except its color, a riot of old rose overlaying an undertone of lemon yellow. PLATE 25 Facade, San Augustin Acolman Near historic Texcoco the great bulk of this antique church rises above the ameno valle, as Villasenor called it, a veritable stone fortress of the church, al- most recalling the fortified convents of the Middle Ages. Its immense weight has proved too much for the yielding soil, so that it has sunk in the ground more than a meter, which injures the proportion of its main doorway. The facade, of the purest and finest Renaissance type, is remarkable as being one of the few examples in Mexico which is apparently free from any local in- fluence. The semi-circular arch, flanked by garlanded columns in the purest style of the Spanish Renaissance, the treatment of the statues on either side, and the ornaments and decoration of the frieze, all suggest the hand of a Spaniard unaffected by any Indian or other Colonial surroundings. High on the facade at the left of the window are the arms of Castile, Leon and Gra- nada, balanced at the right by a local symbol. [ 85 ] ~~ NvIWIOoy NILsnony Nvg ‘aqvSv J °52 OOTINIHOOX LV AVMUOOC, ‘FZ PLATES 26 AND 27 Details, San Augustin Acolman THE similarity of these details to those of various Renaissance buildings of Old Spain, the Hospital de Santa Cruz at Toledo for example, has led to the theory that the work may come from the hand of the famous Enrique de Egas himself, if not that of Covar- rubias or Berruguete. The interior archivolt is deco- rated with reliefs of cherubims alternating with fruits; the exterior with pears, apples, and pomegranates, and the intrados with all sorts of viands, fish, vegetables, and birds, on thirteen plates, probably an allusion to the Last Supper. An old inscription states that the work was finished in 1560, and another, high up in the interior, says in part, Avio de 1558 se Hiso. Researches of recent date seem to prove, however, that the un- known designer of this beautiful work was not a Span- iard, but a provincial.” The interior is remarkable for its frescoes, some of which, lately uncovered by cleaning the walls, prove to have been executed in the Roman manner at the time the church was built. 1 Arte Colonial, by D. Manuel Romero de Terreros. [ 89 ] ae ~~ NVWTOOV NILSNONY NWS ‘STIVLAG Tz NVW'IOOVY NILSOINVY NV§ ‘STIVLIG ‘OT ‘ PLATE 28 The Cathedral of Mexico and the Sagrario TueEse splendid buildings, which are actually two separate churches, form together what is easily the fin- est ecclesiastical group in North America, and one of the finest in the world, while the cathedral’s dimensions (387 feet long, 177 feet wide) give it rank among the world’s largest churches. The main facade, shown in the plate, faces south on the Plaza de la Constitucion, the main square of the city, and the church occupies the site of the great teocalli of the city of Moctezuma. The two splendid towers, built of warm yellow stone, rise to a height of 203 feet. It is interesting to note the almost exact similarity between the lower stories of these towers and the second story of the towers of the Escorial in Spain, the masterpiece of Herrara. The up- per portions of the towers were not completed until after 1788, and are more interesting than their Spanish prototype. The bell-shaped domes which crown the towers rest on an octagonal base contained within a square pavilion, which is certainly a most successful solution of the problem of combining dignity and lightness in a Renaissance belfry. The towers are occupied by a number of bells, of which the largest, Santa Maria de Guadalupe, is 16% feet high, 10 feet wide at the base, and is said to weigh 13% tons. It was cast in Tacubaya, a suburb, in 1792. The facade is divided into three sections by two mas- sive buttresses capped by great consols, and the three portals, which are treated with simple Doric orders, [ 93 ] carry above them bas reliefs framed with twisted col- umns and elaborate cappings. The corner stone was laid in 1573, and final dedication occurred in 1667. An inscription over the entrance bears the date of 1672, but the upper portion of the facade was completed by Manuel Tolsa perhaps around 1804, and is in the best vein of the academic style prevalent at that time. In plan the Cathedral of Mexico is a Catedral-Salon very similar to those built by Gil de Hontanon at Sala- manca and Segovia, but the Gothic intention is not followed out in the interior which is strongly herreriana with its lofty fluted Doric piers and simple vaulting. Nevertheless it is a majestic and noble interior, even though it is marred by the location of the choir in the middle of the nave according to Spanish custom. PLATE 29 Dome of the Cathedral of Mexico Tue dome of the cathedral was completed by ad- dition of the slender lantern by Manuel Tolsa at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is claimed that Tolsa purposely reduced the diameter of the lantern in order not to compete with the noble towers. The effect is unusual, but improves upon acquaintance. The bal- ustrades of the roof and the bell-shaped domes of the main towers are also of Tolsa’s design. (See also PLATE 56.) [ 94 ] 28. THe CatrHeprat or MEXICO AND THE SAGRARIO nsgeyergen | 29. Dome or THE CaTHEDRAL oF Mexico a) PLATE 30 Interior of the Cathedral of Mexico ALTHOUGH the architecture is severely Doric, the elaborate railings, altars, organ, etc., supply the neces- sary amount of richness to complete a highly sump- tuous effect. The wood floor, while comfortable for worshippers, rather detracts from the general impres- sion, but there are noble vistas, soaring heights, gor- geous pictures and picturesque corners, punctuated and relieved by the groups of black-clad worshippers, which make of the interior one of the great effects of the world’s church architecture. [97 ] . -~-. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF MExIco 30 PLATE 31 Domes of El Carmen, San Angel THE practice of encrusting or facing domes, towers, and walls with glazed tiles was very common in Mex- ico, and the number of buildings so decorated can be counted by hundreds, perhaps thousands. Among all these none are more charming than the three domes of the convent church of Nuestra Senora del Carmen at San Angel, dating from about 1628. The colors are principally blue, white, green and yellow. The designs are beautiful in themselves and are different for each dome. Some of the coats-of-arms are magnificent. The finials, glazed modeled figures, ornaments, etc., are also in glazed earthenware, as well as the little steps which are arranged to aid in ascending the outside of the domes to the lanterns. The effect of the group, seen in brilliant sunshine against the deep blue sky, is daz- zling and brilliant. ‘The domes can be closely examined from the flat roof of the church, which is frequently visited for the splendid view it affords of the Valley of Mexico, looking across the glossy foliage of the cool gardens close at hand to the snow-clad peaks of Popo- catapetl and Iztaccihuatl. [ rox | PROVING! 4!. LISRARY, a ok ee PLATE 32 Convento del Carmen, San Angel One of the domes referred to above is seen in this picture, as well as the bell tower. The rough and time- stained masonry of the exterior walls is of red and black stone, with the mortar brought well out and showing on the face. The convent contains many pas- sages with rough plastered walls and floors of rough red tile, a library of priceless vellum-bound volumes in a fascinating tile-floored and rough-plastered cham- ber, and a sacristy and refectory containing much good tile work, as well as important paintings and ancient furniture. Under one of the chapels are buried forty- five American soldiers who served in the war of 1847-48. The church and convent buildings form one of the most interesting and beautiful groups to be found in Mexico. [ 102 | 32. CoNnvENTO DEL CaRMEN, SAN ANGEL PLATE 33 Church of San Domingo, Puebla Tue domed and tiled tower contrasting with the massive white buttresses of this church form a typical Mexican composition. PLATE 34 | Gateway, San Francisco Acatepec Tue old tiled church of San Francisco Acatepec lies a short distance from Cholula, whose decaying teocal- fis are conspicuous landmarks for miles around. The capricious, yet well-proportioned, form of this gateway, with its arch and steps, is a typical Mexican treatment. [ 105 ] aren OAdALVIY OOSIONVUY Nvo ‘AVMALVS) pe vIdang ‘OONINOG NV§ 40 HOWNHD aCe a4 g * & ESR iaes... beens ne PLATE 35 Rear of the Cathedral, Puebla Tue Cathedral of Puebla, the beautiful if somewhat severe sister of the metropolitan church of Mexico City, is assuredly one of the great churches of the world, and a masterpiece of its architect, Juan Gomez de Mora. Its noble facade and lofty twin towers domi- nate the lovely city of Puebla as cathedral towers should, but the most charming part of the exterior is the tumbled mass of chapels, domes and belfries at the rear, where a broad flight of steps leads up between great stone pillars to the rather weedy cathedral en- closure. [his end of the church is built of a brilliantly warm yellow stone, which is joined at the end by a little rose-colored and white plastered house with lightly corbelled balconies of masonry, an outside stair, and windows grilled with heavy iron, a perfect composition for an operatic setting. | PLATE 36 A Patio at Puebla Even in the humbler abodes the interiors of the houses are fascinating. The balconies which surround this simple courtyard are supported on corbels in the style of the locality. The flower pots along the railing are an indication of the Mexican’s universal love for beauty. [ 109 | % * sgh ‘ta ¥ ' oe a: ren bite , ee haa LE aS hy ep net ret UG 4 ao eh ey Ades REAR OF THE CATHEDRAL, A Patio at PUEBLA PLATE 37 Hacienda Church Door SOME one has estimated that Mexico has nine thou- sand churches of genuine architectural interest and only a short period of exploration is needed to convince one of the truth of such a statement. | This little church, built in a locality which to a stranger appears not to bea place at all, but just some- where near San Juan Teotihuacan, is idiomatic, artis- tic, and altogether a cheerful object to meet in a dusty day’s drive. The peon on the sun-baked pavement by the sagging door, the twisted columns, and the Aztec- like decoration of the bases, are all of the very es- sence of Mexico. Curiously enough, the interior of the church, carried out in gray stone, is of an irreproach- able Doric chastity, which would almost be extreme in New England. One cannot describe such work as the architecture of this doorway as Churrigueresque in the sense that the word is used in Spain. The fashion may have origi- nally come from the mother country, but the Colonial architects and their Indian assistants developed from it a living style, indigenous to the soil, and Mexican to the core. The Chapel of the Well, the Sagrario, and this little church, are veritable jewels of a sparkling and spontaneous type of architecture which need fear no comparison with the leading European models of the period; and, best of all, it looks as if its designer and workmen alike had enjoyed every minute of the time they were engaged in its fabrication. An interesting thought is suggested by the light that [ 113 ] Hactenpa CuHurcH Door 37 PLATE 38 House at Taxco Tuts delightful little facade, with its all-over deco- rations in stucco and well-proportioned doorway and windows, is said to have been occupied by the explorer Humboldt during his famous visit to Mexico. The clean streets of the town, paved in patterns and for centuries innocent of wheeled traffic, are shown in the picture, which also gives an idea of the character of the place, which was long famous for the riches of its mines and their lavish owner, José de la Borda. PLATE 39 A Typical Pueblan. House PuEBLA, as the home and birthplace of enameled faience, quite properly contains many tiled houses, some of which are of great beauty. The walls above the stone base are often covered with unglazed red tiles, at the corners of which are inserted small square tiles glazed in blue, white, or other colors. The windows are furnished with iron balconies, and the stone architraves of the upper story are carried up to the cornice in the typical Mexican manner, forming panels above the windows. According to the custom of the plateau coun- try the roof is flat and the cornice is given only slight projection. The lower windows are heavily barred. [ 117 | 39. A Typicat Purstan House 38. House at Taxco PLATE 40 Tower of San Francisco, Puebla PUEBLA is one of the handsomest cities in the Re- public, well paved and clean in a manner unknown north of the Rio Grande. In the central parts its rec- tangularly laid out streets are full of churches, houses, and arcades of an architectural interest and refine- ment exceptional even for Mexico, but in the eastern quarter, across the little stream which divides the town into two unequal parts, there is a picturesque suburb which contains among its cubical white houses some important churches as well as entertaining vistas. The picture shows the tower of San Francisco, a morsel of the true herreriana, the white houses of the suburb, and the trees of the little Paseo which contains the statue of General Zaragoza, the young general who, at Puebla, on the Cinco de Mayo, 1862, drove a superior French army back to the coast. A grateful country founded its national holiday in memory of this feat. PLATE 41 A Pulqueria TueE wine of the country in the plateau region is pulque, a fermented beverage made from the juice of the maguey plant, having about the same percentage of alcohol as beer, and tasting like a blend of cider and paregoric, which, incidentally, proves better than it sounds. Many of the shops which dispense this beverage are provided with facades highly decorated by native artists in brilliant colors. The paintings in this case represent scenes from a bull fight, and recall the frescoes of ancient Pompeii. Bea ee FR seeceanaiee 41. A PuLqueria PLATE 42 A Street at Puebla IRON-BARRED windows, white towers, deep shadows, and a brilliantly blue sky make this typical Mexican composition, ready for the water-colorist’s brush, The photographs cannot reproduce the delicate, reflected lights of the white wall at the left. PLATE 43 Church and Atrium, Puebla A FORE court, or atrium, lends dignity to any church, and this well-proportioned gateway, backed by cy- presses, is an appropriate introduction to the beautiful baroque church behind it. The shapes of the windows over the entrances of churches are of ever-recurring interest. [125 ] oe viddng ‘WAINLY ONV HOWNH te VIdang LV LagUuLs VY ‘7h PLATES 44 AND 45 The Casa de Alfenique, Puebla A Foro of Churrigueresque, or, perhaps more prop- erly, the neo-Plateresque, is the splendid Casa de Al- fenique which is carried out in the idiomatic manner common in Puebla. The exterior walls are faced with dull red tiles carrying glazed colored tiles set in at the corners, while the trimmings are of white stone. The elegantly thin balconies, elaborately carved cornices, and the special feature of a whimsical corner balcony at the third story, protected by a light stone canopy, are all features of this Pueblan manner. The panels above the windows are preserved, and the belt course ex- ecutes a delightful double-shuffle over the main en- trance. The name alfenique means almond cake, or gingerbread, an allusion to the lightness and capri- ciousness of the decoration. The interior patio is small, but contains a beautiful carved stairway and good iron work, very hard to photograph on account of the re- stricted space. Puebla, on the main road from the capital to Vera Cruz, was in contact with all the traffic to and from Seville, the headquarters of the Convent of the Indies, and must have felt the Arabic or Mudejar influence very strongly. The city contains quite a number of houses of this type, located generally at street.corners, and furnished with corner balconies and projecting canopies. Frequently the trim of the windows is given an even greater allowance of ornament. [ 129 ] - j ¥ ¢ ’ ~~ 44. THE Casa DE ALFENIQUE, PUEBLA 45. THe Casa pe ALFENIQUE, PUEBLA Pate 46 Convent of Santa Marta de los Angeles at Churubusco Tue Convent Church at Churubusco, which was built about 1678, contains the pretty little tiled chapel of San Antonio Abad nestling in an angle at the base of the massive tower. The chapel with its diminutive dome is entirely covered with glazed and colored tiles. Beside it is a simple and well-proportioned arched door- way with niche and pediment above, in the earlier man- ner. [he convent itself has great historical interest, as it formed the support of the right of the Mexican line at the battle of Churubusco, August 20, 1847. The de- fenders, under Generals Rincon and Anaya, put up a stubborn resistance against the heavier artillery of the Americans, and only surrendered when their ammuni- tion was exhausted. The walls and tower of the con- vent have aged to a delicate rose color, shading into a delicious yellow. The church contains some beautiful tile work, and other interesting carvings and paint- ings; and the locality, now a region of peaceful maize fields, is one of the most interesting in the Valley. [ 133 ] wh 3 % — 46. ConvENT or Santa Marta DE Los ANGELES at CHURUBUSCO } ( PLATE 47 Capilla del Pocito, Guadalupe Fiidalgo THE most important example of the combination of Plateresque and Mudejar influences upon the baroque style of the Vice-Regal period is that true jewel of Colonial architecture, called the “ Chapel of the Well,” at Villa de Guadalupe, or Guadalupe Hidalgo, three miles from Mexico City, and one of the most impor- tant pilgrimage towns in the world, which was made famous by the apparition of the Blessed Virgin on December 9, 1531. In connection with that apparition a healing spring gushed forth from a barren hillside, and it was over this spring that this chapel was built, in 1777-91, by the architect, Don Francisco Guerrero Torres. The form of the building is not only beautiful but highly original and appropriate to its purpose. The plan is formed by the principal chapel, which is ellip- tical, and by the small, circular chapel annexed to it which covers the sacred well. In addition there is a small sacristy at the rear. The building is about 55 feet wide by 95 feet in extreme depth. The plan is expressed exactly by the exterior. The smaller circular chapel in front is about 20 feet in di- ameter, and contains the legendary well, a somewhat sulphurous bubbling spring within a curb some six feet across, provided with a copper pail which is constantly in use by devout pilgrims. Both domes as well as the capriciously modeled up- per portions of the walls are covered with blue and [ 137 ] whiie azulejos alternated in chevron-like formation with rib lines of yellow and crowned by lanterns of similar shape, also in tiles and finished with a cross. The effect of this beautiful building is due not only to its original and beautiful design, but to the use of polychromy, and to the contrast of the dazzling blue and white of the domes with the dark purplish-red of the walls. From any point of view this little known chapel must eventually take its place among the finest architectural gems of the Renaissance as a building original, idiomatic, absolutely suited to its purpose, and frankly indigenous to its native soil. From the preliminary chamber access is had to the larger chapel, which is utilized for religious services and contains four altars, commemorating the four ap- pearances of the Virgin of Guadalupe. There are two lateral doors, and a door to the sacristy opposite to that from the Pocito. The fagades of both chapels are curved in plan, built of red tezontle with trimmings of lighter stone, and provided with windows in the symbolical form of a star. The smaller chapel is roofed by a spherical, and the larger by an elliptical, dome. | PLaTe 48 Church Door, Villa de Guadalupe SANTA CoLeta, just east of the Basilica of Guada-. lupe, was built about 1782-87. The recessed central part of the entrance with its ample pediment has a fine swing of noble proportions. The square in front is crowded with vendors of candles and objects of piety. [ 138 ] AdNTVAVNS AG VITIA ‘OO HOUNHD ‘gh OOTVdI}] AMNTVAVND ‘OLID0g Tad WITIdvZ ‘LP PLATE 49 Main Door, Capilla del Pocito THE principal doorway is curved in plan, following the interior, and is decorated in the first story with two pairs of Corinthian columns, one pair on each side of the door with niches, and above two other pairs of columns, likewise Corinthian, but more highly orna- mented. The base is also of light stone, and the niches are backed with tiles. PLATE 50 Szde Door, Capilla del Pocito THe side door is also on a curved plan, and is given a whimsical form of the Doric order, with an easily flowing sort of pediment and a brilliant star window above. Note the undulating lines of the pilasters and lintel, and the delightful fretwork borders of the tezonile wall panels. This plate also shows the tile pattern and one of the elaborate dormers. [ 141] OLIOOg Ida VITIdVD ‘Y00G Nivyjy “64 OLID0g Tad VTIIdvd “UOOG aAaIS ‘oS ew eh EEE pon sa eo PLATE 51 A Chapel at Guadalupe Hidalgo Tuts busy little city, the site of the famous shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, although overrun by pil- grims (200,000 reported in one day in 1926), possesses a few cool and shady corners, of which this is one. The little parks, or alamedas, are one of the joys of Mexi- can travel. Almost every town has one, always kept clean, shady, and provided with an iron band stand. The traveller would be grateful if more of them were provided with seats. PLATE 52 A Mexican Alameda A SCENE combining several characteristic features: the church with its dome, the shady little park, the cobbly street, and the omnipresent Indian vendor of eatables, with her three-legged umbrella and not much else. Her stock consists of a handful of peanuts, two or three tomatoes, some tunas or prickly pear fruit, and maybe a few other strange but highly colored vege- tables. She sits there all day and no one ever saw her make a sale, but, on the other hand, her overhead is small, and her stock in case of necessity can always be eaten. [ 145 | _ 52. A Mexican ALAMEDA 51. A CuHapet, GuapaLurE Hipaico y = ss . PLATE 53 Detail, Capilla del Poctto THE carving of this building repays careful study, for its richness, balance, and originality. The central window above the door is star shaped and contains a little figure of the Virgin. All around the window is a mass of the richest sculpture, resembling chased silver and composed chiefly of the forms of little angels. This freedom from the confining forms of European prec- edent is a fascinating feature of Mexican work, which indicates artistically a far greater independence of the mother country than was the case in the English colonies. PLATE 54 Fountain in Patio of the “* House of Tiles ”’ THE interior of the Casa de los Azulejos is a worthy | adjunct to the exterior. There is a noble patio, sur- rounded by slender columns of graceful but unusual design, and containing a baroque fountain of gray stone recalling properties of both the baroque and Mudejar styles. A grand stone staircase, wainscoted with tiles of Chinese appearance, leads to the main floor which con- tains an elaborate chapel. All the details of this building are surprisingly orig- inal and beautiful. The graceful stone columns of the patio are particularly pleasing. The patio is now util- ized as a restaurant. [ 149 | ” am 9? House OF LILES ° z Oo F ° i 4 f fx) # = ica < sa ae H a fy a O Ss S ) a < A. ; Z a cy Ww 54. FounTAIN PLATE 55 Details from the ‘* House of Tiles’? in Mexico City THE very finest example of the Baroque-Plateresque style applied to domestic work is the incomparable house of the Conde del Valle de Orizaba, better known as the Casa de los Azulejos, or House of Tiles, which was, if not the most sumptuous or rich, still the most beautiful residence in the colony. Its facade not only presents much rich carving of Plateresque character in its pilasters, copings, and around its windows and doors, but the entire area of its external walls is cov- ered with blue, white, and yellow Puebla glazed tiles. The rather oriental character of the designs has led to the belief that the tiles were imported from China, but Edwin Atlee Barber in his book, The Maiolica of Mex- ico, states unhesitatingly that they are the usual tin- enameled pottery such as was produced at Puebla about the middle of the eighteenth century. Most of the tiles are slightly curved, probably having been warped in burning, which produces a not unpleasing wall texture. The history of the house is unusual. The original structure, built pérhaps around 1596, was acquired by the spendthrift son of one of the Condes del Valle de Orizaba, to whom he had been the cause of frequent sorrow and chagrin. On one occasion the old Count, convinced that his son would squander his entire patri- mony, exclaimed, employing a phrase then used in connection with a spendthrift in Mexico: “ You will never build a house of tiles, my son.” [ 153 ] As a matter of fact, the youth mended his ways and actually built the beautiful house, a reproduction of which we see here. The mansion has had a varied his- tory. Under President Diaz it was occupied by the aris- tocratic Jockey Club. During a later period it was put to a popular use, but has since been purchased by Mr. Sanborn, an American, who utilizes it for business pur- poses, while carefully conserving its architectural char- acter. [ 154 ] 55. DeTain From THE “ House or Tires” 1n Mexico City PLATE 56 Cathedral Tower, Mexico City Tue design of the belfry stories of the two great towers is a happy solution of this problem which occurs in many Renaissance churches. To combine massive- ness and lightness is always difficult. In this case the square exterior pavilion encloses an octagonal inner structure which contains the bells, and by its shape and mass provides the requisite effect of solidity with play of light and shade. The bell-like tops which form such a distinctive feature belong to the later academic period. [ 157 ] PLATE 57 Facade of the Sagrario, Mexico City Tus church, which adjoins the Cathedral, is per- haps, all in all, the finest Churrigueresque development of church architecture in Mexico, and ranks with La Santisima and the church at Tepozatlan as one of the finest flowers of the Colonial period at its climax in the eighteenth century. The architect was the talented Lo- renzo Rodriguez, likewise the designer of La Santis- ima. Adjoining the Cathedral of Mexico on the east, of which it seems to be a part, it succeeds marvellously in forming a harmonious composition seen from any point of view. The facades are of the usual red tezontle relieved with light stone trimmings, and the two highly original fronts of the nave and transept form one of the most striking features of the great square of the city. It is difficult to describe the intricate design of these two fronts, and yet the ensemble is perfectly simple and effective. The great Spanish lesson of contrasting a field of intensely rich carving against an absolutely plain background, so little understood in English- speaking countries, was never better exemplified than in this beautiful Mexican church. [ 158 ] ALIZ) OOIXAJ “OlYVUNVG AHL AO aavsv yy °ZS ALIZ OOIXAJ “UAMOT, IvuddHLva °9$ PLATE 58 Details of the Sagrario Tue door motifs of course first challenge our in- terest. There is frankly no attempt to adapt ornament to construction, but it seems as if the architect, out of pure joy in his work, had developed the design of his fancy and applied it against the wall of the church, just as one of the great carved and gilded retablos is planted against the interior wall of a chapel, and the idea is justified by the resulting effect. The plans, which provided for a building raised upon a Greek cross, a thing unusual in itself in Mexico, were completed in 1749. The triangular facades and the rather low and flattish dome seem to imply an effort to subordinate the mass to that of the cathedral adjoin- ing. One must rejoice that this lovely addition to the cathedral group came into being at the full flowering epoch of the capital’s artistic life, and before the icy current of the Academismo had checked the generous flow of native genius. Correctly classic chapels exist everywhere, but only Mexico could have produced the Sagrario. As Barroso well says, it is worthy of admira- tion, study, and respect. [ 161 | DETAILS OF THE SAGRARIO 58 PLATE 59 Basilica of Guadalupe Tuis splendid church, which contains the tilma of the peon Juan Diego bearing the miraculous portrait of the Virgin, was completed in 1709 at enormous cost. The entrance motif is well-proportioned and well- detailed, of light stone against a background of red tezontle. The interior of the church is dignified, well-propor- tioned, and attractive. The silver railings of the chancel and galleries are the marvel of many visitors. [ 165 ] PLATE 60 La Santisima Trinidad, Mextco City Tuts church, which has, next to the Sagrario Metro- politano (plates 27, 57, 58), the most important and elaborate Churrigueresque facade in the City of Mex- ico, was designed by Lorenzo Rodriguez and was dedi- cated January 17, 1783. The plan of the church, which is backed against buildings on two sides, is a Latin cross. A dome covers the junction of the nave and transept, and a single tower rises at the corner. The entrance is decorated with a magnificent motif in three stories, framed by elaborately rusticated bor- der pilasters, or buttresses. The main door, beautifully paneled, carries above it a shield with the papal in- signia, and on each side two pilasters formed of in- verted pyramids with sculptures of popes between. A great relief of the Holy Trinity occupies the center of the second story, flanked on either side by pilasters similar to those below, and more papal sculptures be- tween. The third story is narrower, and is composed mainly of a great window with curvilinear lines, framed in a sort of pylon, and flanked by carved pinnacles. The general proportions are good, but are somewhat marred by the sinking of the entire fabric in the yield- ing sub-soil. The interruption of the cornices of the first and second stories by the central feature of the facade also tends to break up the harmony of the composition. The church possesses a lateral entrance of great harmony and beauty as well. [ 166 ] HELE ie —_ Rete! Leet MR : ' | Le 60. La Santisima Trinipap, Mexico City 59. BasiticaA oF GUADALUPE PLATE 61 Dome and Tower of La Santtsima Tue dome springs from an octagonal drum which has a window in each side, decorated with carvings in stone. The sections of the dome are covered with azulejos, a Mudejar detail worth noticing in a church of this type. A lantern of the usual type crowns the whole. The tower rises from the ground, the plain walls of red tezontle with rusticated corners forming a back- ground to the fretwork of the main facade. Beginning at the roof level it presents a rich belfry story corre- sponding to the main facade, but with twelve pilasters which are ingeniously arranged with three at each angle, so that one sees a pair on each side of the belfry arch on each of the four sides. The tower is terminated by a sort of dome in the form of the papal tiara, sur- mounted by a cross. [ 169 ] PLATE 62 Tower and Side Buttresses of La Santisima A most effective view of this striking church is had from the side street towards the rear, where the mighty buttresses are seen to their best advantage. Taken as a whole, this church possesses great unity, a quality sometimes lacking in the Baroque Colonial work. The relation between the two facades is good, and the entire mass, tower and dome, are in keeping with each other. La Santisima, with the Sagrario and the facade of Tepozatlan, form the most important group in this style. [ 170 ] 61. Dome Anp Tower or La SANTISIMA “6 ie * “y ‘ é ‘ : ; 4 62. 'TowER AND SIDE BuTTRESSES oF La SANTISIMA PLATE 63 Tiled Seat and Fountain THERE was no limit to the uses which were found for the tin-enameled tiles of Puebla. Fountains, basins, seats, and shrines were some of the garden accessories which employed them. This seat is in the beautiful garden of the govern- ment tobacco factory in Puente de Alvarado, Mexico City, a palace designed by Tolsa and successively the residence of the Condesa de Pérez Galvez, Prince de Iturbide, General Santa Anna, and the French Mar- shal, Bazaine. PLATE 64 Gateway at Orizaba ANorHER example of Mexican garden work, always fascinating and attractive. [ 173 ] \ at 1 Pee AS OE PRL? ee) eowr were 64. GATEWAY AT ORIZABA PLATE 65 House of the Masks, Mexico City TuE house now standing in the ancient Tlacdépan Causeway, now Calle de la Ribera de San Cosme, in Mexico City, is one of the best examples of Chur- _ rigueresque art applied to domestic use. The house has only one story, and its facade presents three windows on each side of the central door. The central motif containing the door is unfinished. A system of rusti- cated blocks covers the entire surface. Between the windows, which are highly ornamented, there is an elaborate pilaster supporting a sort of caryatid, above which are richly decorated gargoyles that give the house the name of Las Mascarones, or House of the Masks. This highly original dwelling was begun by Don José de Mendoza, Conde del Valle de Orizaba. He died in 1771, before the exterior was completed. At that time he had spent $100,000 upon the house, a vast sum in those days of cheap labor. It was sold at auction in 1824, and made habitable. The carving under the window sills is noteworthy, and typical in general design of much Mexican work. bece PLATE 66 Cathedral and City Hall, San Luis Potosi Tue Baroque cathedral with its twisted columns and numerous niches was dedicated in 1737, and is flanked by the simple and dignified Ayuntamiento, or City Hall, with its cool loggias and massive piers. The clean but narrow street separates them from the Ala- meda, with its broad surrounding walk paved in neat squares of black and white stone, the evening prome- nade of the citizens, and the out-of-door salon of the city. [ 178 ] 65. House or tHE Masks, Mexico Crry 66. CATHEDRAL AND City Hatt, San Luis Porosti ¥; Lid LS gn 7 } a ° Fie we PLATE 67 In the Borda Garden THESE gardens were created by the same José de la Borda who caused the erection of the famous church of Taxco. The beautiful city of Cuernavaca, half way from the mines of Taxco to the capital, appealed to him as a sort of Buen Retiro, a place where he might satisfy his penchant for horticulture. The garden, whose water channels and basins are now dry, must have, in its day, recalled those of El Generalife at Granada with their aqueducts, fountains, great glassy pools of water, and magnificent trees. Even now the flora of the garden possesses much in- terest, while the views from it are superb. The garden adjoins the famous barranca, across which the soldiers of Cortés swarmed on a fallen tree to capture the an- cient Aztec stronghold. [ 181 | 67. In THE Borpa GARDEN PuaTE 68 Panelled Doors From a private collection. The intricate panelling suggests the Arabic work of Old Spain. PLATE 69 An Old Door From the Capilla de Soledad, adjoining the Sagra- rio. Here the type of panelling follows the flowing and undulating lines of the building itself. [ 185 | 68. PANELLED Doors 69. An Otp Door PLATE 70 Gilded Carving, Puebla Aw example of the wood carver’s skill, of which hundreds of examples exist in altars, sedilias, and por- tals, all over the Republic. PLATE 71 A Tiled Wall A DETAIL of a Pueblan wall pattern, with a glazed tile insert and pictorial motif. The dark squares are unglazed red tiles, but all the rest is glazed. Entire buildings decorated in this manner are very common in Puebla, in fact are almost typical of the city. [ 189 ] aa , 7 st . J a . f | Coa po gata 7p tae pa Beg en eS + Le OS OH Ge ovenafie psa gt 71. A Tirep WALL 70. GILDED CarviNnG, PUEBLA ry PLATE 72 Church at Tepozatlan Tue third great example of the neo-Plateresque is the facade of the convent church of Tepozatlan. The church itself is of earlier construction, and the dome was influenced by other tendencies, but the facade, of clean cut stone, with its tower in two great stories, is magnificent. The portada, or great central motif, is flanked on each side by comparatively plain surfaces which give full relief to the brilliant play of light and shade in the carving. The ornament is of the finest cut- ting throughout, and the firm lines of the lower cornice, the slightly broken lines of the second, and the un- dulating profile of the cornice, which rises in succes- sive elevations like the jets of a living fountain, com- bine to make it a masterpiece of its period. Statistics are a poor indication of artistic merit, but the richness of the facade may be judged by the fact that the tower and portada together contain 56 figures of angels, 118 heads of cherubims, and 146 figures of saints, a total of 320 figures, a veritable litany in stone, which almost recalls the glories of the Gothic cathedrals. The gen- eral layout is similar to others of the same style, viz. an arrangement of decorated pilasters enclosing niches and medallions in two stories, with an attic story, or remate, glorifying the whole. The tower also retains the characteristic arrangement of the corner pilasters, which results in showing two pilasters at each corner of each side. | The photograph also shows the surrounding wall with inverted circular capping, a sign of ecclesiastical authority. | [ 193 | The facade and tower may be qualified simply as magnificent, for they combine unity, not only in the character of their carving, but in the manner in which they are bound together by strong horizontal bands, strength in the solidity and simplicity of the cubo or base of the tower and flanking walls, and excellent proportion in the entire composition. [ 194 ] 72. CuHurcH aT TEPOZATLAN td PLATES 73 AND 74 Lnterior of the Church at Tepozatlan THE interior decoration of these temples was in- fluenced by the Plateresque, which in its turn was strongly affected by the Gothic. In the case of Tepo- zatlan the heavily gilded retablos harmonize with the richness of the exterior, completing the unity of the whole scheme. [ 197 ] a a = bye ee pony ~ , AN 73, 74. INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH AT TEPOZATL PLATE 75 Detail of Portal, Tepozatlan AN examination of the detail of this work reveals a crispness and lightness of touch easily comparable to the best early Spanish Renaissance; in fact, so bril- liant and sparkling is the carving that one hesitates to believe that it is a work of the later period at all. [ 201 | WROV IEC UBRARY? VICTORIA, ®. S. a I a JIS ATL mi JI AN Detait oF Porrat at TEPOZATL fh PLATE 76 The Noche Triste Memorial, Mexico City THIs quaint monument in the Calle del Puente de Alvarado forms a corner of the enclosing wall of the Church of San Hipolito, and marks the spot where, on the terrible night of July 1, 1520, over 600 Spaniards were slain on the causeway which then connected the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan with the mainland, during their attempted retreat from the city. The device represents a terrified Indian clasped in the embrace of an eagle, and recalls the tradition of an Indian who was selected by the gods to advise the Emperor Moctezuma of the danger which threatened him unless he forsook the sort of life he was leading. [ 205 | PLATE 77 The **Parroquia’’ of Taxco THE millionaire mining magnate, José de la Borda, who also created the famous Borda gardens at Cuerna- vaca, erected this church about 1757 as a token of gratitude for the good fortune which attended his min- ing ventures. No expense was spared to make the building a per- fect example of ecclesiastical design, and it is regarded as one of the most important churches, architecturally, in Mexico. The design suffers from the contraction of the bases, or cubos, of the towers, a defect which also appears in the church at Ocotlan, and which detracts from the usual massiveness of Spanish design. The in- tent may have been to increase the apparent height. The dome, covered with glazed tiles in blue, orange, green, and white, carries at its base the words Gloria a Dios en las alturas, “ Glory to God on the heights,” a fitting Spanish paraphrase. (See also Piates 76 and 78.) [| 206 ] 76. Tue Nocue Triste Memorian, Mexico City 77. [HE “ Parroguia” or Taxco s* PiaTE 78 A Window at Taxco A betait from La Parroquia. PLATE 79 An Old Stone Escutcheon Many of the coats-of-arms which ornamented the facades of the ancient Spanish palaces were ordered removed by the Government of the Republic. Some were saved, and are contained in the National Mu- seum. [ 209 ] 79. An Otp Stone EscutcHEeon 78. A Winvow at Taxco . s >) - PLATE 80 Pool in the Borda Garden, Cuernavaca Tuts delightful pool has a sentimental interest as having been a favorite resort of the Empress Carlotta during her unhappy reign. The bathing pavilions and stone seats were then gay with the followers of the brilliant court. This pool, or rather lake, for it is 40 feet wide and 500 feet long, forms the central or main feature of the garden. (See also PLATE 67.) PuaTE 81 Old House, San Angel A quite complete example of an old-time suburban house, aristocratic evidently, by the scalloped para- pets, or almenas, which could only betoken the abode of a person of rank. The barred windows giving on the street, and the enclosed garden, with the enormous mass of crimson-purple bougainvillea contrasting with the white walls, complete a most effective composition. [ 213 ] 80. Poot in THE Borpa Garpen, CUERNAVACA 81. Otp House, San ANGEL PLATE 82 Palacio de Mineria, Mexico City THE School of Mines, a vast, gloomy affair regarded as the masterpiece of the architect, Manuel Tolsa, was built in the years from 1797 to 1813, and is said to have cost at that time $1,500,000. The dimensions are inspiring, for the main facade has a length of 312 feet, and the principal patio is 86 feet square. Its mass and details are drawn from European sources and are cor- rect and in good taste, but its effect is cold and formal in comparison with the productions of native taste in the structures built in preceding years. The patio and staircase, however, possess great majesty and need not fear comparison with the best European work of the period. It is related that Tolsa was given only two months to make the plans for this enormous building, which may be an excuse for the serious settlements which mar the facade, amounting to at least three or four feet. The settlements began the year the building was fin- ished, and have continued more or less ever since, al- though great sums have been expended in efforts to prevent it. During his visit to Mexico in 1880, General Grant was lodged in this building. [ 217 ] PLATE 83 Stairway in Palacio de Minertia Tue treatment of the basement and entresol is worthy of note, as well as the two side porticoes, whose bases have sunk in the earth. The patio is probably the most interesting part of the building, and the stately stairway with the wide and easy steps and handsome balustrade should be better known. [ 218 ] 82. Paracio pE Mineria, Mexico Ciry 83. Srairway IN Paracio DE MINERIA PLATE 84 Lhe Church of El Carmen, Celaya Tuis church was the masterpiece of the architect, Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, a real genius of the Renaissance, whose biography, had he lived in Italy, might have adorned the pages of another Vasari. He was born in Celaya in 1745, and the story of his life re- futes the proverb about prophets being without honor in their own country, for it was his home town which gave him the opportunity to do his greatest work, the beautiful Church of EK] Carmen, which was dedicated in 1807 and cost $225,000, according to T’erreros. He was compensated for his work during the years from 1802 to 1807 by an honorarium of 2000 pesos annually, which he took in real estate consisting of some small houses which existed until recently. His own description of the church says that the dome is of the same height as the tower, 70 varas (195 feet), and is elliptical in plan, with eight windows in the drum, separated by pairs of Corinthian columns which, he says, give 90 square varas of light in the interior. The dome, as well as the bell-like termination of the tower, are covered with azulejos, an interesting circumstance which shows the persistence of this prac- tice up to the very end of the Vice-Regal period. Tresguerras had the faculty of imparting a sort of graciousness to the details of his work which relieved it of the formality which characterized that of Tolsa. Terreros regards him as the greatest architect Mexico ever produced. a3) PROW > Bat ‘aR « Vi ee TO Ke La ; me Pred h gh wa VAVTdD ‘NAWUVD TW AO HOUNHD AH, ‘Fg \ Six, RP a ER LIBRARY Lu O > = = uu Oo NT NMI whi ck aes. 0 sass ! |