Download Art in the Classroom, January 2013 Subject: Ancient Architecture

Art in the Classroom, January 2013
Subject:
Ancient Architecture
Examples:
The Parthenon, The Great Pyramids, The Taj Mahal
Although we usually discuss paintings in Art Smart, it's important to know that art
comes in many forms. In addition to traditional artwork, such as painting, drawing,
and sculpture, architecture is considered a large part of the history of art. Today,
we are going to discuss three very famous buildings, created thousands of years
ago. The styles and methods of construction can still be found in modern day
architecture!
The Parthenon
Built: 447BC -- 432BC
(Explain how "BC" years are counted backwards to the year 1!)
The original Parthenon was built in 1300BC, but the one we study today was
constructed in the 440's BC as a part of the world's first democracy.
Size: 228 feet by 101 feet.
Builders: The Athenians hired two important architects, Callicrates and Ictinus,
along with a great sculptor, Phedias to rebuild the Parthenon. Phedias created a
giant statue of Athena, made of gold and ivory, which is still very famous today.
Location: On top of The Acropolis, Athens, Greece
History:
The Parthenon is considered the finest example of Greek architecture. It was built
on the highest hill in Athens called the Acropolis ("High City")*, a complex of
many religious temples. The Parthenon is a temple, built in honor of the Goddess
Athena. The people of Ancient Greece were famous for their understanding of
shapes and geometry. Many classic shapes, such as triangles, squares, and circles,
can be found in Ancient Greek architecture.
[*An acropolis is where the inhabitants could go as a place of refuge in times of
invasion. It's for this reason that the most sacred buildings are usually on the
acropolis. It's the safest most secure place in town.]
Like most temples of its time, The Parthenon was mainly used as a treasury sort of like a bank. It was also used as a Christian Church, an Orthodox Greek
Church, and an Islamic Mosque, depending on which group of people were ruling
this area of Greece at different periods of history. This is just like the Old
Academy Schoolhouse near the Fairfield Town Hall that was used a school, a
hospital, an inn, and a museum throughout the history of our town.
Style: Classical Greek
The first step in understanding The Parthenon is learning about the classic
"orders", or styles, of architecture: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The most
recognizable feature of each order is the columns used in the construction of public
building and temples.
Most of the surviving ruins of ancient Greece are of the Doric order, which
is the most basic, featuring sturdy, thick, unadorned columns set directly on a
foundation. The Parthenon has 46 Doric columns!
Elegant and slender Ionic columns are taller and more refined than Doric
columns. Ionic columns sit on a base and include vertical fluting and a crown
featuring a scroll-like design. Corinthian architecture is the most ornate of the
three orders.
You'll find examples of ancient Greek architecture in many modern
buildings (photo examples would be helpful here!):
Inspired by the Parthenon, the Lincoln Memorial may be the finest example
of classic Doric architecture in America. The Lincoln Memorial features thick and
masculine Doric columns an impressive colonnade and unadorned architrave.
The Jefferson Memorial features graceful Ionic columns, while The General
Grant National Memorial, better known as "Grant's Tomb" in New York City,
incorporates both Doric and Ionic features in its design.
The influence of Greek architecture is also apparent on the "Greek Revivalstyle" homes of the antebellum American south. Some of these homes feature
grand columns and colonnades, while others are simpler row houses in the city,
with small columns around the entrance. Savannah, Georgia, has many examples
of these gracious homes.
Examples of the three types of columns:
Questions:
 Have you seen examples of Ancient Greek columns in Fairfield?
 Can you spot different shapes in the pictures of The Parthenon?
 The Acropolis is considered a special place because it is very safe -- can you
think of safe places to go in our town?
Additional information on the types of columns:
Of the three columns found in
Greece, Doric columns are the simplest.
They have a capital (the top, or crown)
made of a circle topped by a square.
The shaft (the tall part of the column) is
plain and has 20 sides. There is
no base in the Doric order. The Doric
order is very plain, but powerful-looking
in its design. Doric, like most Greek
styles, works well horizontally on
buildings, that's why it was so good with
the long rectangular buildings made by
the Greeks. The area above the column,
called the frieze [pronounced "freeze"],
had simple patterns. There are many
examples of ancient Doric buildings.
Perhaps the most famous one is
the Parthenon in Athens, which is
probably the most famous and most
studied building on Earth. Buildings
built even now borrow some parts of the
Doric order.
The Parthenon
Ionic
DESCRIPTION:
Ionic shafts were taller than Doric ones.
This makes the columns look slender.
They also had flutes, which are lines
carved into them from top to bottom.
The frieze is plain. The bases were large
and looked like a set of stacked rings.
Ionic capitals consist of a scrolls above
the shaft. The Ionic style is a little more
decorative than the Doric.
The Temple of Athena Nike in Athens,
shown above, is one of the most famous
Ionic buildings in the world. It is located
on the Acropolis, very close to
theParthenon (shown in
the Doric section above).
The Great Pyramids
Built: 247 BC
Size: 481 feet tall ( The Great Pyramid remained the tallest building in the world
for 3800 years!)
Location: Giza, Egypt
History:
The most famous pyramid was built for the Pharoah Khufu and called The
Great Pyramid. Pyramids were considered "houses of eternity" where important
people were buried with their most treasured belongings. Pyramids had storage
rooms, courtyards, secret passageways, and fancy traps to prevent robbers. Theft
became such a problem that Egyptians stopped building pyramids after this era.
Ancient Egyptians didn't bury their Pharoahs and return to their lives. They
built cities around the pyramid during its construction called Pyramid Cities which
were paid for by the Pharoahs during their lifetimes -- there were many jobs
created during the construction besides building -- guarding and maintaining the
site, bakers to cook for the workers, basket weavers to create goods for the homes,
and many other kinds of merchants. The people built the pyramids to both ensure a
good "afterlife" for their pharoah and for themselves.
The massive pyramids were built by hand -- each stone weight 1 1/5 tons
and requires twelve men to put it into place. Workers were typically local
Egyptians, supplemented by nearby farmers who helped with the pyramids during
the flood season when their fields were under water. There were no power tools,
trucks, or even running water to make the job easier. It's hard to believe the
pyramids were built without any modern tools, but historians say it was the
Egyptians' knowledge of mathematics and precise calculations that allowed the
stones to fit together so perfectly and last for thousands of years.
The first pyramids were "step" style -- each side looked like a staircase and
resembled the pyramids built by the Ancient Mayans in Mexico. Later, a new style
emerged featuring smooth sides and no steps -- this was the look of the Great
Pyramid.
It took 30,000 people to construct the pyramids!
Questions:
 Have you ever seen a building in the shape of a pyramid?
 Do you think this shape would make a practical house? Why or why not?
 Do you think pyramids would be a good structure at the beach? In the
woods? On a mountain? Why or why not?
The Taj Mahal
Built: 1632 -- 1653 (Mughal Era of Architecture)
Location: Agra, India
Size: 538,292 square feet -- the equivalent of 10 (2,000 sq. ft. houses)!
History: This famous monument was built for the Emperor of India in honor of his
wife who died giving birth to their 14th child. The name Taj Mahal was based on a
nickname the Emperor called his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "beloved
ornament of the palace". The Emperor was so devastated when his wife died, he
commanded his court to remain in mourning for two years! The Taj Mahal is a
tribute to Mumtaz Mahal, but also a mausoleum or tomb, where she is buried.
The Taj Mahal was a tremendous project and required the muscle of 22,000
workers and 1,000 elephants over 20 years! It was built with all white marble,
brought in from all over India and Asia. The monument is decorated with 28 types
of precious and semi-precious jewel stones inside and outside the building. The bas
relief method is also used to decorate the walls, depicting historical events and
stories. Bas relief is a raised and sculpted form of plaster, and is also featured in
The Parthenon. The building's exterior also includes passages of the Koran (the
Islamic equivalent of the Bible) written in beautiful calligraphy. Although the
primary architectural style is Mughal, the Taj Mahal contains influences from
Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and other Indian styles.
The Taj Mahal is known for its extremely large domed top (similar to the
shape of an onion...just like The Kremlin in Russia and the Capitol Building in
Hartford, CT!). On top of the dome is a finial -- a decorative ornament -- that was
originally solid gold and was replaced by bronze on the early 19th Century. Most
of the features are symmetrical and include many small balconies called minarets.
Several mausoleums surround the Taj Mahal, containing the Emperor's family and
servants. Throughout the property are courtyards and gardens, along with a large
reflecting pool.
Today, the Taj Mahal receives 3 million visitors each year!
Questions:
 Do you think The Taj Mahal would "feel" different if it were a different
color? What if it were red? Purple? Black?
 Why do you think the Emperor chose white for the building materials?
 Can you think of other buildings that look like the Taj Mahal?
 If a building were created in your honor, what would it look like?