DOCSLIB.ORG

The Use of Inscriptions in the Architecture of Owen Jones and A.W.N

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

!"#$#%"#&'()&*%"+,-&!.)/&0()&1-)&23&4"-56%7'%2"-&%"&'()&865(%')5'96)&23&:;)"&<2")-&$"+&8= >=&?=&@9#%" 89'(26A-B/&C$62D&8=&E6F2D&GD26)- H2965)/&0()&<296"$D&23&'()&H25%)'.&23&865(%')5'96$D&E%-'26%$"-I&J2D=&KLI&?2=&M&A<9"=I&MLLNBI&77= NOPQNRS @9TD%-()+&T./&H25%)'.&23&865(%')5'96$D&E%-'26%$"- H'$TD)&1UV/&http://www.jstor.org/stable/991702 855)--)+/&LKWLNWMLNL&NN/XL Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=sah. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Society of Architectural Historians is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. http://www.jstor.org Engaging the Mind's Eye The Use of Inscriptions in the Architecture of Owen Jones and A.W.N. Pugin CAROL A. HRVOL FLORES Ball State University mong its other characteristics,architecture fulfills the aesthetic impact of a building and may advocatea par- the dual role of satisfying practical requirements ticularstyle throughthe scale, spacing,and type of lettering and demonstratingthe thinkingand valuesof soci- selected, as well as through the mediaused and the location ety and the state of technology prevalent at a particular of the text. The selection and placementof text can be one period in time. Consequently, built works communicate of the most important decorative elements in a structure manymessages through their scale, orientation,and plan, as communicating style. Obvious examples are found in the well as through the choice of style, method of construction, medievallettering styles on Gothic Revivalchurches or aca- and the texture and color of the materialsselected.1 Orna- demic institutions, the Roman lettering on Beaux-Arts mentation is another powerful tool for communication, buildings, and the sans serif lettering on contemporary emphasizingthe intentions of the designer or the patron. structures.3 One type of ornamentation of particularimportance in The promotion of a particularaesthetic is also signifi- architecturaliconography, and the subjectof this article, is cant in the third type, inscriptionsproduced for emblem- the use of inscriptionsas a significantcomponent in both atic, or symbolic, ornamentation. In this final category, the visual and symbolic expression of an architectural epigraphsare displayedon architectureto stimulatepartic- scheme. ular responses or develop associationswith ideas and con- For the purposeof this discussion,three types of archi- cepts beyond the literal meaning of the text provided;for tectural inscriptions will be identified: informative, aes- example, mottoes on coats of arms and other inscriptions thetic, and emblematic.2In the first type, inscriptions are displayed on medieval, Renaissance, and later buildings used to impartbasic information about a built work,includ- evokedconceptions of ownershipand familystatus in much the ing name and purpose of the structure or the signifi- the same way that companylogos communicateownership cance of the site. Informativeinscriptions may also provide and corporate power today. Emblematic inscriptions can a dedicatorymessage or commemorateindividuals impor- also be used to instigateassociations with broaderconcepts, tant to the work, including the designer,builder, or patron. deeper meanings, or more powerful emotions. For exam- Familiar examples of commemorativeinscriptions appear ple, many contemporary architects rely on emblematic in the data etched in cornerstones marking the construc- inscriptions in designing public spaces and memorials, tion of buildings and the lists engraved on memorials replacingthe expressivefigural sculptures preferred in ear- the recording names of war casualties. lier eraswith messagescapable of eliciting responsesin the In the second type, inscriptionsare meant to enhance viewer.4 Most publicationsconcerning writing on architecture The following exploratoryessay approachesthe topic do not addressthe emotional impact or emblematicinten- of architecturalinscriptions theoretically and from a socio- tions of inscriptionsor the importantrole written messages cultural perspective, emphasizing the role of inscriptions play within our visual culture.Instead, the majorityof texts within the studyof architectureand ornamentationas a rich discuss the craft of lettering, carving, and composition, resource into the mentality of a particularperiod and as a forminga body of instructionalmaterial valuable for under- significant expression of the intentions and complex aes- standing the methods of creating writing on architecture. thetic schemes developedby individualpatrons and design- The remaining publicationson inscriptions can be classi- ers. Specifically,I investigatethe significanceof inscriptions fied as theoretical,historical, or documentary.Theoretical within the decorative schemes of the British architects texts by major scholars, including Oleg Grabarand Ernst Owen Jones (1809-1874) and AugustusWelby Northmore Gombrich,investigate the subjectof inscriptionswithin the Pugin (1812-1852) and advancethe position that although broader contexts of ornamentation and perception. The Jones and Pugin had different motives for using inscrip- respected IslamicistOleg Grabarprovides critical analysis tions, both displaya comprehensionof Islamicornamenta- and insights on ornamentationin severalbooks, including tion as understood and explained by Jones. In addition, I TheAlhambra, The Formation of IslamicArt, and TheMedia- introduce new information on the relationship between tion of Ornament,and the noted art historian Ernst Gom- Jones and Pugin and stress their mutual agreement and brich developstheories of perceptionand ornamentationin involvement in many concerns important to nineteenth- The Senseof Order.5Questions and issues raised by both century architecture and the decorative arts. Finally, the these expertsare importantto the concerns of this article. ideas and terms presented in this essay are comparedwith Other writings on architecturalinscriptions furnish the findings and theoretical concepts proposed by Oleg skilledinvestigations and interpretationsof epigraphswithin Grabarin the texts cited above. specificgeographical and theoreticalcontexts. Neil Levine's Admittedly,the ubiquitoususe of homilies and quota- "The Book and the Building:Hugo's Theory of Architec- tions on all types of domesticobjects during the last century ture and Labrouste'sBibliotheque Ste-Genevieve" remains may have led to their dismissalas examplesof the sentimen- a seminal work, combining analysis of Labrouste'suse of tal moralizing popular with Victorians rather than con- inscriptions in the decoration of the Bibliotheque Sainte- tributing to the perception that inscriptions used on Geneviievewith a broaderdiscussion of the role of architec- buildingscan be a powerfultool and an importantelement ture in society and the nature of the relationshipbetween in carefully orchestrated decorative schemes intended to architecture and text. David Van Zanten's "Architectural evoke particular associations. The publication of Owen Polychromy:Life in Architecture"provides specific exam- Jones'spioneering study of the Alhambracan be identifiedas ples of the use of inscriptionswithin the largerdiscussion of a critical source introducing the concept of profuse epi- architecturalpolychromy, and Armando Petrucci'sPublic graphic programsinto Victorian design. Jones, one of the Letteringcites numerousexamples of epigraphson the build- earliestand strongest advocatesfor a new style of architec- ings of Rome to develop his thesis that writing on architec- ture to reflect nineteenth-century values and technology, ture is one of the instrumentsof public power.6In addition, criticizedhistoricism, in general,and the Gothic Revival,in several historicalstudies focusing on a particularperiod, a particular,as anachronismsinappropriate for contemporary specific building, or the work of a single architect contain architecture.This position did not prevent him, however, explanationsof the functionand intentionof passagesexhib- from admiring, collecting, and studying works produced ited on the architecturediscussed. Models of this type of his- during the Middle Ages, particularlymedieval illuminated toricalscholarship include Meyer Shapiro'sRomanesque Art manuscripts.In 1834,Jones and the French architectJules and two monographson buildingsby FrankLloyd Wright: Goury undertook a six-month on-site investigationof the JackQuinan's Frank Lloyd Wright's Larkin Building: Myth and Alhambra, Granada, Spain. As Europe's oldest surviving Fact andJoseph
Recommended publications
  • Cosmic Architecture Kozmička Arhitektura

    Cosmic Architecture Kozmička Arhitektura

    je značio nešto poput ‘univerzuma, reda i ornamenta’. [...] Za stare Grke riječ ‘Kosmos’ stavljena je u opreku s riječi ‘Chaos’. Kaos je prethodio nastanku svijeta kakvog poznajemo, ali ga Kozmička je naslijedio Kozmos koji je simbolizirao apsolutni red svi- jeta i ukupnost njegovih prirodnih fenomena. [...] Stari grčki ‘Kosmeo’ znači ‘rasporediti, urediti i ukrasiti’, a osoba Kosmése arhitektura (ukrašava) sebe kako bi svoj Kozmos učinila vidljivim.2 kako ¶ Ornament ima gramatiku. Ornament bi trebao posje- dovati prikladnost, proporcije, sklad čiji je rezultat mir... onaj mir koji um osjeća kada su oko, intelekt i naklonosti zadovo- Cosmic ljeni.3 ¶ Vjerujem, kao što sam rekao, da se može projektirati izvrsna i lijepa zgrada koju neće krasiti nikakvi ornamenti; ali jednako čvrsto vjerujem da se ukrašenu građevinu, skladno zamišljenu, dobro promišljenu, ne može lišiti njezinog sustava architecture ornamenata, a da se ne uništi njezina individualnost.4 ¶ Tipičan postupak drevne arhitekture je dodavanje idealnih aspekata ili idealnih struktura površini zgrade. [...] Cijepanje ili klizanje stvarne površine zida u izražajnu površinu je čin transfor- macije. ¶ Govori li nepravilna evolucija kamena o nevjerojat- noj gotičkoj priči o ljudskom životu? Ili je to usputna pojava nevažnih činjenica iscrpljenih kamenoloma i klesara? Ili je to pustolovina vremena? 5 gdje ¶ Ornament je svjesna zanatska intervencija u proi- napisao fotografije Arhiva / Archive Alberto Alessi (aaa) zvodnji polugotovih proizvoda, prije nego što budu montirani written by photographs by Arhiva / Archive Alinari (aa) na gradilištu. Ornament stvara sidrenu točku protiv homo- Ruskin Library, University of Lancaster (rl) genizacije i uniformnosti suvremene građevinske produkcije. Ornamentacija omogućuje izravan odgovor na lokalne uvjete proizvodnje, na geografske ili kulturne osobitosti.
  • Manifiesto De La Alhambra English

    Manifiesto De La Alhambra English

    Fernando Chueca Goitia and others The Alhambra Manifesto (1953) Translated by Jacob Moore Word Count: 2,171 Source: Manifiesto de la Alhambra (Madrid, Dirección General de Arquitectura, 1953). Republished as El Manifiesto de la Alhambra: 50 años después: el monumento y la arquitectura contemporánea, ed. Ángel Isac, (Granada: Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, Consejería de Cultura, Junta de Andalucía : Tf Editores, 2006) 356-375. We, the signers of this Manifesto, do not want to be pure iconoclasts, for we are already too weary of such abrupt and arbitrary turns. So people will say: “Why the need for a Manifesto, a term which, almost by definition, implies a text that is dogmatic and revolutionary, one that breaks from the past, a public declaration of a new credo?” Simply put, because reality, whose unequivocal signs leave no room for doubt, is showing us that the ultimate traditionalist posture, which architecture adopted after the war of Liberation, can already no longer be sustained and its tenets are beginning to fall apart. […] Today the moment of historical resurrections has passed. There is no use denying it; just as one cannot deny the existence of the Renaissance in its time or that of the nineteenth century archaeological revivals. The arts have tired of hackneyed academic models and of cold, lifeless copies, and seek new avenues of expression that, though lacking the perfection of those that are known, are more radical and authentic. But one must also not forget that the peculiar conditions implicit in all that is Spanish require that, within the global historical movement, we move forward, we would not say with a certain prudence, but yes, adjusting realities in our own way.
  • Six Canonical Projects by Rem Koolhaas

    Six Canonical Projects by Rem Koolhaas

    5 Six Canonical Projects by Rem Koolhaas has been part of the international avant-garde since the nineteen-seventies and has been named the Pritzker Rem Koolhaas Architecture Prize for the year 2000. This book, which builds on six canonical projects, traces the discursive practice analyse behind the design methods used by Koolhaas and his office + OMA. It uncovers recurring key themes—such as wall, void, tur montage, trajectory, infrastructure, and shape—that have tek structured this design discourse over the span of Koolhaas’s Essays on the History of Ideas oeuvre. The book moves beyond the six core pieces, as well: It explores how these identified thematic design principles archi manifest in other works by Koolhaas as both practical re- Ingrid Böck applications and further elaborations. In addition to Koolhaas’s individual genius, these textual and material layers are accounted for shaping the very context of his work’s relevance. By comparing the design principles with relevant concepts from the architectural Zeitgeist in which OMA has operated, the study moves beyond its specific subject—Rem Koolhaas—and provides novel insight into the broader history of architectural ideas. Ingrid Böck is a researcher at the Institute of Architectural Theory, Art History and Cultural Studies at the Graz Ingrid Böck University of Technology, Austria. “Despite the prominence and notoriety of Rem Koolhaas … there is not a single piece of scholarly writing coming close to the … length, to the intensity, or to the methodological rigor found in the manuscript
  • Bioclimatic Devices of Nasrid Domestic Buildings

    Bioclimatic Devices of Nasrid Domestic Buildings

    Bioclimatic Devices of Nasrid Domestic Buildings Luis José GARCÍA-PULIDO studies in ARCHITECTURE, HISTORY & CULTURE papers by the 2011-2012 AKPIA@MIT visiting fellows AKPIA@MIT 2 The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3 2011-2012 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 6.1.A.1. Control of Spaces and Natural Light 6.1.A.2. Reflecting Surfaces 2. CLIMATIC CHANGES IN THE PAST AND THEIR INFLUENCES 6.1.A.3. North-South Orientation 6.1.A.4. Microclimate Provided by Courtyards IN SOCIETIES 6.1.A.5. Spatial Dispositions around the Courtyard. The 2.1. The Roman Climatic Optimum Sequence Patio-Portico-Qubba/Tower 2.2. The Early Medieval Pessimum 6.1.B. Indirect Methods of Passive Refrigeration (Heat 2.3. The Medieval Warm Period Dissipation) 2.4. The Little Ice Age 6.1.B.1. Ventilation 6.1.B.2. Radiation 6.1.B.3. Evaporation and Evapotranspiration 3. BUILDING AGAINST A HARSH CLIMATE IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD 7. BIOCLIMATIC DEVICES IN OTHER ISLAMIC REGIONS 3.1. Orientation and Flexibility WITH COMPARABLE CLIMATOLOGY TO THE SOUTHEAST 3.2. Shading IBERIAN PENINSULA 3.3. Ventilation 7.1 The North West of Maghreb 7.1.1. The Courtyard House in the Medinas of North Maghreb 4. COURTYARD HOUSES 7.2 The Anatolian Peninsula 4.1. The Sequence from the Outside to the Courtyard 7.2.1. Mediterranean Continental Climate 4.2. Taming the Climate 7.2.2. Mediterranean Marine Climate 7.2.3. Mediterranean Mountainous Climate 5. NASRID HOUSE TYPOLOGY 7.2.4. Dry and Hot Climate 7.2.5.
  • Grace Rochfort

    Grace Rochfort

    Rochfort: Classicism and Anti-Classicism Agora Rochfort 1 Classicism and Anti-Classicism in the Quintessentially Romantic Grace Rochfort (Editor’s Note: The two Delacroix paintings mentioned in this essay are available through these two links: www.mystudios.com/.../delacroix-dante.htmland www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/delacroix/) At the turn of the nineteenth century, two different groups of idealists had formed; both were unhappy with the state of the world, but each had its own ideas about how to effect change. It was a battle between the head and the heart. Classicists chose to use intellect and had a responsibility toward civic duty, while Romantics opted to follow emotion and were individualistic. Washington Irving’sTales of the Alhambra is a quintessentially Romantic work that defies all Classicism. Contrasting this are Eugene Delacroix’s paintings, which are a combination of Romanticism and Neo-Classicism. When compared, the distinct themes of Classicism and anti-Classicism help to create a tension between the works and give them intrigue. Eugene Delacroix was an innovative and revolutionary Romantic painter who embellished his creations with imaginative detail. His earliest paintings were based on hearsay, legends, and the imagination of other writers and artists. In 1832, he traveled to Morocco, where the subjects and themes that he was seeking in many of his paintings came to life. In the same year, Irving publishedTales of the Alhambra, a short story that captures the exoticism of the palace in Granada, Spain. Irving got so caught up in the foreign culture that one evening, when Published by Digital Showcase @ University of Lynchburg, 2007 1 Agora, Vol.
  • Theorizing Ornament Estelle Thibault

    Theorizing Ornament Estelle Thibault

    From Herbal to Grammar : Theorizing Ornament Estelle Thibault To cite this version: Estelle Thibault. From Herbal to Grammar : Theorizing Ornament. Fourth International Conference of the European Architectural History Network, Jun 2016, Dublin, Ireland. pp.384-394. hal-01635839 HAL Id: hal-01635839 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01635839 Submitted on 27 Oct 2019 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. EAHN Dublin 2016 1 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY NETWORK Edited by Kathleen James-Chakraborty EAHN Dublin 2016 2 Published by UCD School of Art History and Cultural Policy University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland. Copyright © UCD School of Art History and Cultural Policy No images in this publication may be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. ISBN 978-1-5262-0376-2 EAHN Dublin 2016 3 * Indicates full paper included Table of Contents KEYNOTE ....................................................................................................................................
  • La Alhambra in Granada, One of the Most Beautiful and Admired Monuments in the Wold

    La Alhambra in Granada, One of the Most Beautiful and Admired Monuments in the Wold

    La Alhambra in Granada, one of the most beautiful and admired monuments in the wold. An old legend says that the Alhambra was built by night, in the light of torches. Its reddish dawn did believe the people of Grenada that the color was like the strength of the blood. The Alhambra, a monument of Granada for Spain and the world. La Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls (in Arabic, («qa'lat al-Hamra'» means Red Castle ). It is located on top of the hill al-Sabika, on the left bank of the river Darro, to the west of the city of Granada and in front of the neighbourhoods of the Albaicin and of the Alcazaba. The Alhambra is one of the most serenely sensual and beautiful buildings in the world, a place where Moorish art and architecture reached their pinnacle. A masterpiece for you to admire, and it is in Granada, a city full of culture and history. Experience the beauty and admire this marvel of our architectural heritage. Let it touch your heart. Granada is the Alhambra and the gardens, the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel, convents and monasteries, the old islamic district Albayzin where the sunset is famous in the world or the Sacromonte where the gypsies perform flamenco shows in the caves where they used to live...Granada is this and many more things. The Alhambra is located on a strategic point in Granada city, with a view over the whole city and the meadow ( la Vega ), and this fact leads to believe that other buildings were already on that site before the Muslims arrived.
  • 65 – Alhambra. Granada, Spain. Nasrid Dynasty. 1354-1391 C.E., Whitewashed Adobe, Stucco, Wood, Tile, Paint, and Gilding

    65 – Alhambra. Granada, Spain. Nasrid Dynasty. 1354-1391 C.E., Whitewashed Adobe, Stucco, Wood, Tile, Paint, and Gilding

    65 – Alhambra. Granada, Spain. Nasrid Dynasty. 1354-1391 C.E., Whitewashed adobe, stucco, wood, tile, paint, and gilding. (4 images) “the red female” – reflects the color of red clay of which the fort is made built originally as a medieval stronghold – castle, palace, and residential annex for subordinates o citadel is the oldest part, then the Moorish rulers(Nasrid) palaces . palace of Charles V (smaller Renaissance) built where part of the original Alhambra (including original main entrance) was torn down Royal complex had (for the wives and mistresses): running water (cold and hot) and pressurized water for showering – bathroom were open to the elements to allow light and air Court of the Lions o Oblong courtyard (116 x 66 ft) with surrounding gallery supported on 124 white marble columns (irregularly placed), filigree wall o Fountain – figures of twelve lions: symbols of strength, power, and sovereignty . Poem on fountain (written by Ibn Zamrak) praises the beauty of fountain and the power of the lions and describes the ingeious hydraulic systems –which baffled all who saw them (that made each of the lions in turn produce water from its mouth – one each hour) reflection of the culture of the last centuries of the Moorish rule of Al Andalus, reduced to the Nasrid Emirate of Granada (conquered by Spanish Christians in 1392) Artistic choices: reproduced the same forms and trends + creating a new style o Isolation from rest of Islam + relations with Christian kingdoms influenced building styles o No master plan for the total site o Muslim art in its final European stages – only consistent theme: “paradise on earth” o Red, blue, and a golden yellow (faded by time and exposure) are main colors o Decoration: mostly Arabic inscriptions made into geometric patterns made into arabesques (rhythmic linear patterns) Court of the Lions Hall of the Sisters .
  • Barcelona, Spain: Fall 2017

    Barcelona, Spain: Fall 2017

    Barcelona, Spain: Fall 2017 Course Descriptions (11/01/16 ht) Contra Costa Community College District (Diablo Valley College) HUM 105: Introduction to Humanities- Arts & Ideas 3 units Did you know that you can “read” gardens to determine what a culture thinks about power, death and beauty? Why are there so many references to nature in Barcelona’s architectural jewels? How did three Catalan artists change art forever? How do artists and writers respond to tragedies like WWI and the Spanish Civil War? If these questions intrigue you, or if you just love the idea of understanding the ideas and history behind the splendor of Barcelona, then take this fun interdisciplinary class. Through our unit on the cultural history of European gardens you’ll analyze the metaphysics inherent in places like Gaudi’s Park Güell, Granada’s Al Alhambra and Paris’ Versailles. We’ll study the philosophical roots of the Catalan Modernisme movement and see how Barcelona’s buildings were part of a larger trend of urban planning. You’ll learn the amazing story of how art was radically changed by Picasso, Miró and Dalí, three impoverished Catalan painters who saw “reality” a completely different way. Finally we’ll study the impact of WWI and the Spanish Civil War on the arts, from Picasso’s Guernica, to works by American writer Ernest Hemingway. This class will incorporate many field trips (maybe even an optional one to Paris), so be prepared to explore. MATH 124: Mathematics for Liberal Arts 3 Units Prerequisite: Intermediate Algebra = the prerequisite equivalent at DVC is MATH 120 or 119 or equivalent.
  • Ornamental Design Is… a Kind of Practical Science’ Theories of Ornament at the London School of Design and Department of Science and Art1

    Ornamental Design Is… a Kind of Practical Science’ Theories of Ornament at the London School of Design and Department of Science and Art1

    ‘Ornamental design is… a kind of practical science’ Theories of ornament at the London School of Design and Department of Science and Art1 Elena Chestnova ‘When Semper came to England he fell in with the wrong people’ – wrote Joseph Rykwert in his commentary to Semper’s first public lecture delivered at the Metropolitan School of Design in Marlborough House.2 The ‘wrong people’ implied those associated with the Department of Science and Art: 3 Henry Cole, Richard Redgrave, the closely connected Owen Jones and Matthew Digby Wyatt, William Dyce, Ralph Wornum and other instructors linked with the controversial Design Reform of the early 1850s. Semper had been employed at the school between 1852 and 1855, and while his time in London generally is considered to have been pivotal for his theoretical work, the impact of his associations at the school has been appraised negatively and the importance of his intellectual links with the Cole circle has been downplayed.4 This approach, however, ignores a host of significant issues that formed the context for the development of Semper’s theory of design as well as 1 This article is an outcome of the workshop ‘Gottfried Semper in London 1850–55’ held at the Accademia di architettura, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Mendrisio, on February 26, 2014, as part of the research and edition project ‘Architecture and the Globalization of Knowledge in the 19th Century: Gottfried Semper and the Discipline of Architectural History’ headed by Sonja Hildebrand (USI, responsible) and Philip Ursprung (ETH Zurich, co-responsible) with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
  • Promenade Among Words and Things: the Gallery As Catalogue, the Catalogue As Gallery

    Promenade Among Words and Things: the Gallery As Catalogue, the Catalogue As Gallery

    $UFKLWHFWXUDO Lending, M 2015 Promenade Among Words and Things: The Gallery as Catalogue, the Catalogue as Gallery. Architectural Histories, 3(1): 20, +LVWRULHV pp. 1–22, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/ah.da RESEARCH ARTICLE Promenade Among Words and Things: The Gallery as Catalogue, the Catalogue as Gallery Mari Lending* In the mid-19th century new casting techniques allowed for the production of huge building fragments. Well-selected cast collections would ideally display perfect series in galleries in which the visitor could wander among monuments and experience the history of architecture on a full scale and in three dimen- sions. The disembodied material of plaster proved capable of embodying a number of modern historical taxonomies and aesthetical programs, most importantly chronology, comparison, style, and evolution. Veritable showcases of historicism, the casts could illustrate in spatial arrangements new conceptions on the history, contemporaneity and future of architecture. The plaster cast became a main medium in which to publish antiquities as novelties for grand audiences, taking the printed and the published beyond the two-dimensional space of words and images. However, due to the increasing market of casts and their sheer size and weight, the reproductions as mounted in the galleries often behaved as disorderly as architecture does outside curatorial control. In the end only the catalogues, the paper versions of these imaginary museums, could create the order their plaster referents constantly aspired to destroy. An important chapter in the history of the architecture museum, these plaster monuments belong to a part of architectural print culture in which catalogues were curated and galleries edited.
  • The Renaissance Reception of the Alhambra: the Letters of Andrea Navagero and the Palace of Charles V Author(S): Cammy Brothers Source: Muqarnas, Vol

    The Renaissance Reception of the Alhambra: the Letters of Andrea Navagero and the Palace of Charles V Author(S): Cammy Brothers Source: Muqarnas, Vol

    The Renaissance Reception of the Alhambra: The Letters of Andrea Navagero and the Palace of Charles V Author(s): Cammy Brothers Source: Muqarnas, Vol. 11 (1994), pp. 79-102 Published by: Brill Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1523211 Accessed: 19-04-2016 01:52 UTC REFERENCES Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1523211?seq=1&cid=pdf-reference#references_tab_contents You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Brill is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Muqarnas This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 19 Apr 2016 01:52:31 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms CAMMY BROTHERS THE RENAISSANCE RECEPTION OF THE ALHAMBRA: THE LETTERS OF ANDREA NAVAGERO AND THE PALACE OF CHARLES V For sixteenth-century European visitors to Granada, the the reflections of a discerning, well-educated humanist. Alhambra presented a splendid, intact monument of a When Ferdinand and Isabella provided for the preserva- culture that was otherwise foreign. When Andrea Navag-