For this assignment, I have selected the architectural example of the Lion attacking and falling down a bull found in the link org/toah/works-of-art/42.11.35/”>https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/42.11.35/. This architectural work features a lion that is attacking and falling down a bull. The Lion is attacking the ball at the middle part of its body the front arms of the lion have held the bull close to its belly while the lion’s mouth is on the back of the bull. In contrast, the bull has fallen due to this attack. This architectural design beatifes the building and brings out the beauty inherent.
This architectural work dates back to between 525 and 500 BC (Hellner, 2012). The architectural design type was mainly used in the Greek and Attic cultures as a way of adding aesthetic value to the buildings of the time. This type of decorative architecture was mainly used in creating architectural decorations for pediments, particularly in small houses. A sample of this architectural work mainly shows the front side of the line and the middle part of the bull portrait was discovered at Olympieion, Athens in the year 1862 (Hellner, 2012). It was believed that the portrait represented the architectural structures of Athens in the period between 525 and 500 BC.
Concerning the timeframe, this architectural design was intended to symbolize the happenings of the time. First, it could symbolize the changing culture and civilization of the ancient Greek. It depicts a point of conflict between the beauty of the culture and emerging civilization (Barletta, 2016). The bull represents the Greek culture of the time that was under attack by the emerging civilization. On the other hand, the lion is a symbol of that civilization that was beginning to take root in ancient Greek during this time.
This type of architectural design was the most popular form of archaic art. It allowed the architects to incorporate violent movements into the systematic composition. Though the structure is static and systematic, it gives the impression of motion and violence (Hellner, 2012). Through such structures, the artist of the time was able to communicate motion and violence through such static and systematic structures. Therefore, the design enhanced the creativity of artists and architects and consequently gave voice to the motionless design of the time.
Like in many other aspects of the society, the ancient Greek architectural has greatly influenced the contemporary designs as witnessed in the United States and many parts of Europe. These contemporary designs have largely borrowed from the ancient designs that characterized the ancient architecture in Greece (Hellner, 2012). The architectural design depicted in this example has equally influenced contemporary architectural designs. Many structures in the U.S have borrowed this design concept while depicting motion and violence in static structural design. Some examples of the building that depict such architectural designs include Cambridge University, Prado Museum located in Madrid and Downing College building among others (Barletta, 2016). The structures in these buildings equally depict animals that are in motion and some instances exhibit violence as is the case with the ancient Greek architectural design under review.
In summary, the example of the architectural design under analysis is one of the ancient Greek buildings that existed before 500 BC. The design shows a line that is pouncing on a bull and attacking it. This architectural design enabled architects to incorporate motion and violence in static designs. Its resemblance with many contemporary designs shows the extent to which ancient Greek architectural designs have influenced contemporary designs. The future of architecture mirrors its history in many cases.
References
Hellner, N. (2012). Architecture, Greek. The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, 7(12), 412-431.
Barletta, B. A. (2016). Monumentality and Foreign Influence in Early Greek Temples. A Companion to Greek Architecture, 2(1), 31-45.