What is a acroterion in architecture?

What is a acroterion in architecture?

acroterion, plural Acroteria, in architecture, decorative pedestal for an ornament or statue placed atop the pediment of a Greek temple; the term has also been extended to refer to the statue or ornament that stands on the pedestal.

Which sculpture served as an Akroteria?

According to Webb, during the Hellenistic period the winged victory or Nike figure was considered to be “the most appropriate motif for figured akroteria”.

Where is acroteria?

An acroterion is an ornamental sculpture or pedestal that sits above the pediment of a Classical temple. The most common places to find acroteria are at the apex of the pediment, as well as the corners. Greek acroteria were often floral in design, made of terracotta or stone, and sometimes held additional statues.

Where are triglyphs and metopes found?

Most Greek temples have a pattern under the pediment known as triglyphs and metopes. The triglyphs alternate with the metopes across the front of the temple.

What is a Kouros figure?

A kouros is a statue of a standing nude youth that did not represent any one individual youth but the idea of youth. Used in Archaic Greece as both a dedication to the gods in sanctuaries and as a grave monument, the standard kouros stood with his left foot forward, arms at his sides, looking straight ahead.

Who built the tholos?

architect Theodore the Phocaean
The Tholos is a circular building within the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, built by the architect Theodore the Phocaean in 380-370 B.C. It had 20 Doric columns on the circular colonnade and 10 or 13 Corinthian semi-columns in the interior of the cella. Its metopes were richly decorated with sculpture in relief.

What do metope carvings show?

The Parthenon metopes are carved in high relief, meaning that the background is carved deeply to allow the figures to be nearly free-standing and create dramatic depth. Although each of the four walls of metopes tells a different story, the overarching theme is that civilization will triumph over chaos and savagery.

Who bombed the Parthenon?

Indeed, few cultural monuments demonstrate this more perfectly than the Athenian Parthenon, which was unceremoniously bombed in 1687 by a Venetian-led army of mercenaries hired by Poland, Venice, and the Vatican—the very Europeans whose culture it is meant to embody—to push the Ottoman Turks out of Europe.

What is an acroterion in architecture?

An acroterion or acroterium or akroteria is an architectural ornament placed on a flat pedestal called the acroter or plinth, and mounted at the apex or corner of the pediment of a building in the classical style.

What is the meaning of acroterium?

Acroterion. It was Latinized by the Romans as acroterium. Acroteria is the plural of both the original Greek and the Latin form. According to Webb, during the Hellenistic period the winged victory or Nike figure was considered to be “the most appropriate motif for figured akroteria”.

What is an acroterion angularium?

An acroterion placed at the outer angles of the pediment is an acroterion angularium ( angulārium means ‘at the corners’). The acroterion may take a wide variety of forms, such as a statue, tripod, disc, urn, palmette or some other sculpted feature.

What is akroteria?

Acroteria is the plural of both the original Greek and the Latin form. According to Webb, during the Hellenistic period the winged victory or Nike figure was considered to be “the most appropriate motif for figured akroteria”. ^ a bWebb, Pamela A. (1996).

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