Synopses & Reviews
Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis focuses on the architectural complex that is generally considered to be one of the outstanding achievements of Western civilization. Though the buildings and sculpture of the Acropolis, erected over the course of the fifth century B.C., have been scrutinized by scholars for more than a century, Robin Rhodes' sensitive analysis is the first to consider the ensemble as a whole and to explain how the monuments communicate meaningfully with one another to form an iconographic narrative. His study also examines the sculpture and decoration, which were conceived together with the abstract features, while relating both to the larger issues in Greek architecture and aesthetics.
Synopsis
Robin Rhodes's sensitive analysis is the first to consider the buildings and sculpture of the Acropolis as a whole and to explain how they communicate meaningfully with one another to form an iconographic narrative. He relates the buildings to larger issues in Greek architecture and aesthetics, discussing themes such as the relationship between landscape and religious architecture, the humanisation of temple divinities, the architectural expression of religious tradition and even specific history, architectural procession and hieratic direction, symbolism and allusion through architectural order, religious revival and archaism.
Synopsis
Robin Rhodes's sensitive analysis is the first to consider the buildings and sculpture of the Acropolis as a whole and to explain how they communicate meaningfully with one another to form an iconographic narrative. He relates the buildings to larger issues in Greek architecture and aesthetics.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-210) and index.
Table of Contents
List of illustrations; Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction: A Sense of Place and the Seeds of Monumentality; 1. History in the design of the Acropolis; 2. The Acropolis as processional architecture; 3. Religious tradition and broken canon: the Doric architecture; 4. The integrated Parthenon; 5. Creating canon: the Ionic temples; 6. Architectural legacy and reflections; 7. God and man: the spiritual legacy of the Periclean Acropolis.