The Education in Architecture of the Man of Taste

The Education in ArchitecturebaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA of the Man of Taste m ic h a e l Mc Ca r t h y T h e S w iss tra v e lle r R o u q u e t w ro te an a c c o u n t o f th e a rts in E n g la n d d u rin g th e m id d le o f th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry , a n d re­ m a rk e d : “ In E n g la n d , m o re th a n in a n y o th e r c o u n try , ev ery m a n w o u ld fa in b e h is o w n a rc h ite c t” .1 It is n o t th e p u rp o se o f th is p a p e r to illu stra te th e tru th o f R o u q u e t’s o b se rv a tio n , b u t to p o in t to so m e re a so n s w h y ta ste in E n g la n d a t th a t d a te sh o u ld h av e b e e n so c o n c e rn e d w ith th e a rt o f a rc h ite c tu re , a n d to e x a m in e th e av en u es o f e d u c a tio n in ta ste th a t w ere av ailab le to th o se w h o so u g h t to a c q u ire a n d d e m o n stra te g o o d ta ste in th e ir a rc h ite c tu ra l u n d e rta k in g s. T h e stu d y o f a rc h ite c tu re w as n o t so m e th in g n ew to E n g la n d in th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry . W riters o n e d u c a tio n h a d fro m tim e to tim e a sse rte d th e d e sira b ility o f in c lu d in g a rc h ite c tu re a m o n g th e su b je c ts o f stu d y fo r y o u n g m e n . M ilto n a n d L o c k e are e x a m p le s fro m th e p re v io u s c e n tu ry ,2 a n d in th e e a rly e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry th e se p re sc rip tio n s d e riv e d g re a te r a p p a re n t v a lid ity fro m tw o n ew tre n d s o f th o u g h t. T h e first w as th e b e g in n in g o f th e th e o ry o f th e su b lim e . Jo se p h A d d iso n e x p lic itly re la te d th is c a te g o ry o f aes­ th e tic e x p e rie n c e to a rc h ite c tu re in th e Spectator issu es d e v o te d to 337 338 / MICHAEL ihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Mc Ca r t h y baZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA th e su b je c t in 1 7...