Kerry Downes. Borromini's Book: The “Full Relation of the Building” of the Roman Oratory by Francesco Borromini and Virgilio Spada of the Oratory. Wetherby: Oblong Creative, 2009. 536 pp. index. illus. tbls. map. bibl. $99. ISBN: 9780955657641.

Averlo formato perfettamente: Borromini's first two years at the Roman Oratory

“…By contrast, the character presented by Connors in 1980 is of a rather crazy maverick, a rule-breaker, extravagant and temperamental, a heretic maybe, who perpetually changed his mind on major aspects or components of his design and then invented spurious reasons for doing so. Connors even went so far as to accuse the architect of misleading the Fathers with a 'rhetoric of justification', 13 a point that will be discussed in more detail below. All this is consonant with the false image first promoted by his architectural rival, Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-80) in mid-century, perpetuated by the latter's first biographers, Filippo Baldinucci and Domenico Bernini, and repeated by most writers to the present day.…”

“…16 Connors first paraphrases this statement ('tried to assert that his predecessor had never bothered') and then, a few pages later, translates it as 'without, as far as I know, establishing the design of the rest of the building at the same time.' 17 The phrase 'as far as I know' is a common formula of evasion by disclaiming knowledge. Borromini, however, did not use it.…”

“…Connors writes that in August 1638 'Borromini was told to put the library behind the upper storey of the Oratory facade.' 29 If, as might be, that statement is literally true, it means that the change, as 'the desire of many', came from the Congregation, not the architect, who simply carried out instructions. In that case, where is the headstrong capricious architect who wakes up one morning and decides to cajole or browbeat the unwilling community into something new?…”

“…Connors also makes unwarrantable capital out of two source statements by removing their context. First, commenting on Borromini's basically sensible procedure of setting up his drawings by overdrawing or tracing Maruscelli's, 38 he says that, although accustomed to copying drawings in Maderno's studio, he 'later spoke of the copyist's role with some disdain', citing the preface to the 'Relation'. What Borromini says there is T would certainly not have applied myself to this profession with the aim of being merely a copyist.'…”

“…49 The stuccoframed blind windows on the sacristy south wall do not yet appear on the detailed plan now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, made shortly before work began, and also went unremarked. 50 For the adoption of a giant order for the first and second courts rather than Maruscelli's two superimposed orders, Borromini was more than once rebuked, according to the 'Relation', 51 even though, as Connors points out, the result is actually less ornate than Maruscelli's superimposed orders. 52 Nevertheless, Connors taxes Borromini for a 'habit of introducing improvised and unforeseen changes into the design as each new wing was begun', adding elsewhere that 'few of the Filippini could cope with a design that unfolded only gradually.'…”