Skyline of College Hill, in Providence, epitomizes urban beauty. (Photo by author)
Here is a lovely video of the British philosopher and architectural theorist Roger Scruton called “Why Beauty Matters.” The usefulness of beauty in uplifting human lives serves as the bottom-line rationale for my book Lost Providence, on which I will be speaking very soon at the John Brown House Museum, courtesy of the Rhode Island Historical Society. The event starts at 6 p.m. today but starting at 5 you can roam for free around the beautiful old mansion that so fetched John Quincy Adams. I’ll be lecturing (with slides) in a room whose wallpaper is a lovely mural, but the room may be darkened somewhat, and I cannot promise that all of the images I’ll show will live up to the beauty of the room.
But if you have time, watch “Why Beauty Matters,” from the BBC.
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About David Brussat
This blog was begun in 2009 as a feature of the Providence Journal, where I was on the editorial board and wrote a weekly column of architecture criticism for three decades. Architecture Here and There fights the style wars for classical architecture and against modern architecture, no holds barred.
History Press asked me to write and in August 2017 published my first book, "Lost Providence." I am now writing my second book.
My freelance writing on architecture and other topics addresses issues of design and culture locally and globally.
I am a member of the board of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which bestowed an Arthur Ross Award on me in 2002.
I work from Providence, R.I., where I live with my wife Victoria, my son Billy and our cat Gato.
If you would like to employ my writing and editing to improve your work, please email me at my consultancy, dbrussat@gmail.com, or call 401.351.0457.
Testimonial: "Your work is so wonderful - you now enter my mind and write what I
would have written."
- Nikos Salingaros, mathematician at the University of Texas, architectural theorist and author of many books.
Architecture Here and There 