Corinthian order
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order. The Corinthian, with its offshoot the Composite, is the most ornate of the orders, characterized by slender fluted columns and an elaborate capitals decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls.
The name "Corinthian" is derived from the Greek city of Corinth, although the order first appeared used externally at Athens. Although of Greek origin, the Corinthian order was actually seldom used in Greek architecture. It came into its own in Roman practice, following precedents set by the Temple of Mars Ultor in the Forum of Augustus (ca. 2 AD). It is employed in southern Gaul at the Maison Carrée, Nimes (illustration, below) and at the comparable podium temple at Vienne. Other prime examples noted by Mark Wilson Jones are the lower order of the Basilica Ulpia and the arch at Ancona (both of the reign of Trajan, 98-117) the "column of Phocas" (re-erected in Late Antiquity but 2nd century in origin), and the "Temple of Bacchus" at Baalbek (ca. 150 CE).
Notable examples
- Greece
- Rome
- Pantheon, Rome (illustration)
- Temple of Mars Ultor
- Renaissance and Baroque
- Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts
- United States Capitol (illustration)
- St. La Salle Hall, Manila
- Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall, Manila
- Enrique M. Razon Sports Center, Manila
- Ukraine
- Great Lavra Belltower (fourth tier - 8 columns)
- Germany
- The Reichstag, Berlin
See also
