Savageness or Rudeness
In "The Stones of Venice," when John Ruskin talks about the quality of savageness or
rudeness in Gothic architecture he is celebrating the imperfection of man through the
individualism expressed by the craftsman. "Imperfection is in some sort essential to all that we
know of life. It is the sign of life in a mortal body, that is to say, of a state of progress and
change" (Ruskin, 1289). Ironically, Ruskin believed that the imperfect was more perfect in
architecture because it signifies that the world we live in is not perfect. "If we pretend to have
reached either perfection or satisfaction, we have degraded ourselves and our work" (Ruskin
705).
The pictures that we have posted as examples of savageness or rudeness show the
rawness in the cutting of the stones. The imperfect texture found within the stones is
incorporated as part of the art. It is evident that there are flaws in the way that the stones are
laid upon each other. Jagged lines and edges signify this type of celebration and use of
imperfection. "Men were not intended to work with the accuracy of tools, to be precise and
perfect in all their actions" and "our building must confess that we have not reached the
perfection we can imagine" (Ruskin 1283 & 705).
The photo of the fountain exemplifies the involvement of the individual worker in the
architecture. By examining the base of the fountain, it is evident that the fountain is constructed
of stones and mortar as opposed to a pre-fabricated concrete mold. In order to do this, the
craftsman chose each of the stones separately. Then, through careful consideration, the
craftsman chose the placement and configuration for each stone within the fountain. Ruskin's
factor of savageness and rudeness is evident in Texas Victorian architecture and shows "signs of
the life and liberty of every workman who struck the stone; a freedom of thought" (Ruskin 1284).
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