We continue the cycle of materials by an expert in the field of history and theory of art - Maria Krestyanikova.

Architecture of Antiquity.

Three orders: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian - fluted columns

Antiquity - from the word "old". But is this architecture so old?

To begin with, let's define the framework of the eras: Antiquity is Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

This is the most beautiful paganism in the world and the most perfect sculpture (about it in another article).

The architecture of antiquity is first (and perhaps the only) order system. Order - from the word "order". The warrant is the law by which all ancient temples are built.

In ancient Greece, there were three of them:

— Дорический – самый лаконичный. С капителью в виде плоской подушки.

— Ионический – изящный. С капителью в виде закрученной валюты.

— Коринфский – самый изысканный. С капителью в виде листьев аканта (по-нашему – чертополоха).

Each of the orders had a gender as well. Doric is masculine. Ionian - female. Corinthian is girlish. It was believed that the order could only be used in temple architecture. In no case in a residential area - it was considered sacrilege.

But the Romans were already more free with the order. They used it in all buildings in a row, be they palaces or administrative complexes. Well, and, of course, temples.

The Romans even came up with two new orders: Tuscan and Composite. Tuscan is almost the same as the Doric one, only with smooth columns, and the composite one has absorbed all the most beautiful (according to the Roman aesthetes): the currencies of the Ionic order and the leaves of the Corinthian.

Now let's walk a little through Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris, Washington. And let's look at the buildings that surround us in these cities. Not a single epoch, starting with the Renaissance, did not do without the use of elements of Antiquity, namely, the order system: columns, capitals and, so beloved by us, porticoes.

The portico, with its gable roof, pediment and in some places a preserved arcotherium at the top of the pediment, reminds us of our favorite huts of three windows with a ridge on the roof ...

But, we are distracted. And yet, is Antiquity so old? Or does it continue to live, fill our life, in our contemporary architecture? ..

Byzantine architecture.

Sophia of Constantinople

In order to appreciate the entire scale of the empire, which existed for a little over a thousand years, it is enough to visit Sophia of Constantinople.

It's just that nothing else has survived ... Some "scraps" of the stadium, where the infamous Nika uprising once took place, do not count. They cannot give a sense of monumentality and splendor, gigantic ambitions and wealth of the empire.

Emperor Justinian, power-hungry, at times very cruel, extremely ambitious, conceived the construction of a new temple.

He invested in this building not only a fourth of the country's budget, he decided to create a building of unprecedented height and power.

Perhaps that is why such an architecture did not have a continuation. Simply because it was extremely difficult to repeat it.

The height of the dome, its construction, decorations, mosaics, brilliance and grandeur of the imperial sweep - it was felt in every detail. For example, the throne in the main altar was faced with slabs cast from a mixture of gold, platinum and crushed precious stones: pearls, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Just imagine this brilliance and radiance emanating from the altar.

The dome soon collapsed, however. The architect who traveled to Rome to measure the dome of the Pantheon miscalculated. I had to build a new one. It had to be made a little flatter. But it still stands.

You don't have to travel to Istanbul to experience the meaning and influence of Byzantine architecture. As you know, Constantinople assumed the importance and greatness of the Roman Empire, and in the 16th century Moscow was called the Third Rome, and bears this title to this day.

And, starting from the X century, the entire Russian culture is permeated with the influence of Byzantium.

Therefore, if you want to plunge into this Byzantine luxury, go to an Orthodox church. Most likely, both the structure and the decoration of the temple will tell you, at least indirectly, about the greatness that Byzantium possessed.

And the Greeks, by the way, believe that someday Constantinople will become Greek again. After all, it is Greece that considers itself a splinter of Byzantium.

Architecture of the Middle Ages: Romanesque and Gothic.

Notre Dame la Grande in Poitiers - Romanesque

There are two styles that characterize the Middle Ages: Romanesque (from the word Roma) and Gothic (from the word "goth", which in the view of the Renaissance man (when the name "Gothic" was invented) was rather derogatory).

The Romanesque style took from Rome what was possible to take, and what those who came to the place of the Great Empire always wanted to take: a round arch and rich decoration - mosaics.

But the Romanesque style not only took, but also brought in, for example, an abundance of reliefs on the facades, which served as "the Gospel for the illiterate," telling and attracting parishioners to churches. After all, Christianization in Europe at that time was in full swing.

Over time, medieval cities grow. Temples, which often serve as defensive fortresses for the townspeople, are being built ever larger to accommodate the entire population of the city. More material is required, and this is an extra cost. And these economic challenges give rise to an ingenious solution to the problem - to ease the wall.

Интерьер Сен-Шапель в Париже — готика

The thick Romanesque arched wall is divided into narrow pillars that diverge to the ceiling with ribbed veins, and frees up space for the beauty of glass stained-glass windows, which appeared in Europe by the 13th century.

Light, color, beauty, openwork design, striving upward - all these characteristics are familiar to us and admire. But all medieval architecture is covered with legends and not always divine. So, for example, there is almost not a single large medieval temple that would not have been built by concluding a treaty with the enemy of humanity. Which leads to bewilderment, how can this be? Temple, and such a specificity of legends. But this sometimes has visual confirmation. For example, Amiens Cathedral in a stained glass rose has a clear image of a pentagram.

And the Cologne Cathedral is still under construction, for a thousand years, because under the "contract" at the end of construction, the end of the world will come ...

But I want to believe that all the legends were created because of the amazing beauty of these buildings. Man, for some reason, is inclined not to believe in divine beauty, ascribing everything "above" to the creation of hands that are by no means divine. Probably, it is for this unbelief that he is punished.

The title photo shows the Japanese Imperial Palace. Miniature.

To be continued…

Best regards, Maria Krestyanikova