Bearers of Meaning: The Classical Orders in Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance - Hardcover

Onians, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691040435 ISBN 13: 9780691040431

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 1989

Synopsis

For all those interested in the relationship between ideas and the built environment, John Onians provides a lively illustrated account of the range of meanings that Western culture has assigned to the Classical orders. Onians shows that during the 2,000 years from their first appearance in ancient Greece through their codification in Renaissance Italy, the orders--the columns and capitals known as Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite--were made to serve expressive purposes, engaging the viewer in a continuing visual dialogue.

About this title

Book Description

John Onians provides a lively illustrated account on relationship between ideas and the built environment and on the range of meanings that western culture has assigned to the Classical orders. Bearers of Meaning offers a much-needed overview of the history of architectural theory and a vital element in the European intellectual tradition.

Review

"There is a great deal of original thought in this book. It covers a vast period of time with an enviable command of scholarship and unfaltering self-possession. It . . . sees the light when the Classical orders are once again . . . spoken of with curiosity and respect and when Classical fundamentals are being sought as a refuge from the disordered philosophies of the recent past."---John Summerson, The Times Literary Supplement

Edition details

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691040435
• ISBN 13: 9780691040431
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368