llustration]

The Gothic style flourished principally in England, France, and parts of
Germany. Nearly all the principal cathedrals and churches in these
countries, and many in our own, are built after this style. The most
beautiful example in this country is St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York.
The finest specimen in the world is probably the Cathedral of Cologne,
which was commenced in the 14th century, but was not completed until many
years later.

III. MODERN ART.

In the 15th century a remarkable revival occurred in literature and the
fine arts, showing a decided tendency to return to the old classic ideas of
the Greeks and Romans. After an almost complete neglect, which lasted for
centuries, artists and men of letters turned their attention to the long
neglected relics of pagan civilization as worthy of study for their
intrinsic beauty alone. Symbolism was relegated to a minor position, and
beauty was once more cultivated for its own sake. This epoch is termed the
Renaissance--which literally means a rebirth or revival.

1. _Renaissance Style._--The term Renaissance is also applied to one of the
early styles which came into vogue at this time. It flourished principally
in southern Europe. It is not a pure style, but marks a transition period
from the old popular Gothic and Saracenic forms to the revivified classic.
It naturally exhibits a queer mixture of conflicting elements--classic and
mediaeval thrown together without much regard to propriety or fitness. It
still showed traces of symbolism.

2. _The Cinquecento Style._--The Renaissance reached its most perfect
development in the Cinquecento or the 15th century style. It followed the
Quatrocento or 14th century style. Entirely untrammeled by symbolism, and
with the whole field of classic and mediaeval ornament to glean from, its
aim was to develop a perfect style of ornament. The best examples of this
period are founded on the soundest principles of ornamental art. Nothing
that could be turned into an element of beauty was neglected. Animals, real
and fictitious, flowers, leaves, fruit, the human form, etc., were
conventionalized and made to contribute their part to enhance the beauty of
the whole. Some of the principal characteristics of the Cinquecento style
are the delicate arabesque scroll work, the profusion and beauty of the
curves, its admirable variations of standard classic ornaments, such as the
anthemion and scroll. The coloring, also, was one