Greek Architecture and Its Sculpture

by Ian Jenkins

From Athens and Arcadia on one side of the Aegean Sea and from Ionia, Lycia, and Karia on the other, this book brings together some of the great monuments of classical antiquity --among them two of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the later temple of Artemis at Ephesos and the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos. Drawing on the Greek and Lycian architecture and sculpture in the British Museum--a collection second to none in quality, quantity, and geographical and chronological range--this lavishly illustrated volume tells a remarkable story reaching from the archaic temple of Artemis, the Parthenon, and other temples of the Athenian Acropolis to the temple of Apollo at Bassai, the sculptured tombs of Lycia, the Mausoleum, and the temple of Athena Polias at Priene. Ian Jenkins explains each as a work of art and as a historical phenomenon, revealing how the complex personality of these buildings is bound up with the people who funded, designed, built, used, destroyed, discovered, and studied them. With 250 photographs and specially commissioned line drawings, the book comprises a monumental narrative of the art and architecture that gave form, direction, and meaning to much of Western culture.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Art History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2006

Reviews

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenkins is a curator in the British Museum for Greek architecture and sculpture. In this book he describes in depth several Greeks temples. Quite a bit is done on the temples and sculpture of the Acropolis: the Parthenon, the Nike-temple and the Erechtheum. Part of his studies concentrate on the so called Elgin marbles; the reliefs of the Parthenon Frieze which were bought from the Ottoman Empire by Lord Elgin. The other monuments are: the temple of Artemis and the mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
Good background information.

[Alina Manevskaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good historical and architectural book, covering the material about the remains of the ancient Greek monuments, exhibited at the British museum. The only thing that prevents me from giving five stars to this source is a chapter on the Greek Mausoleum. The language is easy to understand, and the book is very fascinating. Well done, Jan Jenkins!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regardless of your feelings on the removal of architectural sculpture from ancient structures, this book is useful for placing sculpture in the collection of the British Museum back into its larger architectural and archaeological contexts.

[Midori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book written by an informed scholar but extremely partial and one-sided reflecting narrow minded Brit colonial views.

[Braden Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasurable journey of archaeologically mediated histories. Beauty.