The acanthus () is one of the most common plant forms to make foliage ornament and decoration in the architectural tradition emanating from Greece and Rome.

Architecture

In architecture, an ornament may be carved into stone or wood to resemble leaves from the Mediterranean species of the '' Acanthus''

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of plants, which have deeply cut leaves with some similarity to those of the

thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterized by leaves with sharp spikes on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. T ...

and

poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, '' Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug ...

. Both ''

Acanthus mollis ''Acanthus mollis'', commonly known as bear's breeches, sea dock, bear's foot plant, sea holly, gator plant or oyster plant, is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae and is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a leafy, clump-forming ...

'' and the still more deeply cut '' Acanthus spinosus'' have been claimed as the main model, and particular examples of the motif may be closer in form to one or the other species; the leaves of both are, in any case, rather variable in form. The motif is found in decoration in nearly every medium. The relationship between acanthus ornament and the acanthus plant has been the subject of a long-standing controversy.

Alois Riegl Alois Riegl (14 January 1858 – 17 June 1905) was an Austrian art historian, and is considered a member of the Vienna School of Art History. He was one of the major figures in the establishment of art history as a self-sufficient academic discipl ...

argued in his '' Stilfragen'' that acanthus ornament originated as a sculptural version of the palmette, and only later began to resemble ''Acanthus spinosus''.

Greek and Roman

In ancient Roman and

ancient Greek architecture Ancient Greek architecture came from the Greeks, or Hellenes, whose Ancient Greece, culture flourished on the Greek mainland, the Peloponnese, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies in Asia Minor, Anatolia and Italy for a period from about 900 BC ...

acanthus ornament appears extensively in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders, and applied to

frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...

s, dentils and other decorated areas. The oldest known example of a Corinthian column is in the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae in Arcadia, c. 450–420 BC, but the order was used sparingly in Greece before the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

period. The Romans elaborated the order with the ends of the leaves curled, and it was their favourite order for grand buildings, with their own invention of the Composite, which was first seen in the epoch of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

. Acanthus decoration continued in popularity in

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture. It saw a major revival in the Renaissance, and still is used today. The Roman writer

Vitruvius Vitruvius ( ; ; –70 BC – after ) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work titled . As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissan ...

(c. 75 – c. 15 BC) related that the Corinthian order had been invented by

Callimachus Callimachus (; ; ) was an ancient Greek poet, scholar, and librarian who was active in Alexandria during the 3rd century BC. A representative of Ancient Greek literature of the Hellenistic period, he wrote over 800 literary works, most of which ...

, a Greek architect and sculptor who was inspired by the sight of a votive basket that had been left on the grave of a young girl. A few of her toys were in it, and a square tile had been placed over the basket, to protect them from the weather. An acanthus plant had grown through the woven basket, mixing its spiny, deeply cut leaves with the weave of the basket.

Byzantine

Some of the most detailed and elaborate acanthus decoration occurs in important buildings of the

architectural tradition, where the leaves are undercut, drilled, and spread over a wide surface. Use of the motif continued in

Medieval art The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, with over 1000 years of art in Europe, and at certain periods in Western Asia and Northern Africa. It includes major art movements and periods, national and regional ar ...

, particularly in sculpture and wood carving and in friezes, although usually it is stylized and generalized, so that one doubts that the artists connected it with any plant in particular. After centuries without decorated capitals, they were revived enthusiastically in

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

, often using foliage designs, including acanthus. Curling acanthus-type leaves occur frequently in the borders and ornamented initial letters of

illuminated manuscripts An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...

, and are commonly found in combination with palmettes in woven

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

s. In the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

classical models were followed closely, and the acanthus becomes recognisable again in large-scale architectural examples. The term is often also found describing more stylized and abstracted foliage motifs, where the similarity to the species is weak.

Gallery

File:Akantus Natur Architektur.JPG, Acanthuses, one natural and the rest manmade, on a Corinthian capital File:Xanten reconstructed composite capital.jpg, Reconstructed Corinthian capital, with original

colours Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorpt ...

Corinthian capital, AM of Epidauros, 202545.jpg,

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

Corinthian capital from the tholos at

Epidaurus Epidaurus () was a small city (''polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: ''Palaia Epidavros'' and ''Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong to the new municipality of Epi ...

, Archaeological Museum of Epidaurus, Greece, said to have been designed by Polyclitus the Younger, 350 BC File:Panel of Tellus, Ara Pacis, Rome (II).jpg,

acanthuses in an arabesque on the

Ara Pacis The (Latin, "Altar of Augustan Peace"; commonly shortened to ) is an altar in Rome dedicated to the Pax Romana. The monument was commissioned by the Roman Senate on July 4, 13 BC to honour the return of Augustus to Rome after three years in Hisp ...

, Rome, unknown architect and sculptors, 13-9 BC File:Man being attacked by a panther - Sala della Sfinge - Domus aurea - Rome.jpg, Roman acanthuses that replace the legs of a figure of a man that is attacked by a panther, Sala della Sfinge,

Domus Aurea The Domus Aurea (Latin, "Golden House") was a vast landscaped complex built by the Roman Empire, Emperor Nero largely on the Oppian Hill in the heart of ancient Rome after the Great Fire of Rome, great fire in 64 AD had destroyed a large part ...

, Rome, unknown painter, 65-68 AD File:12.8 Temple of Hadrian in Ephesus.JPG, Roman acanthuses of the Temple of Hadrianus,

Ephesus Ephesus (; ; ; may ultimately derive from ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, unknown architect or sculptor, 117-118 File:TopkapiSarayi-SecondoCortile-ColonnaLeoneImposta.jpg,

quasi-Corinthian capital of the Column of Leo, formerly in the Forum of Leo,

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, now in a courtyard of the Topkapı Palace, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey, unknown architect or sculptor, 457-474 File:Pilastri Acritani.jpg, Byzantine acanthuses on the

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...

at the top of the Pilastri Acritani (Pillars of Acre), originally in the Church of St. Polyeuctus, later taken and now displayed in the Piazzetta di San Marco,

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, unknown architect or sculptor, 524-527 Ravenna Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo capitel.jpg, Byzantine quasi-Corinthian capital in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo,

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

, Italy, unknown architect or sculptor, 6th century File:Column capital with acanthus leaf decoration, Spain, probably Cordoba,Umayyad Caliphate, 10th century AD, marble - Cincinnati Art Museum - DSC04137.JPG,

Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

capital with acanthuses, 10th century, marble,

Cincinnati Art Museum The Cincinnati Art Museum is an art museum in the Eden Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1881, it was the first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies, and is one of the oldest in the United States. Its collection of ...

, US Tournus (71) Abbatiale Saint-Philibert - Intérieur - Chapiteau - 13.jpg, Romanesque quasi-Corinthian capital of the Church of St. Philibert, Tournus, France, unknown architect or sculptor, 1008 to mid-11th century File:Entrechaux Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth 16x.JPG, Romanesque quasi-Corinthian capital of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth d'Entrechaux, Entrechaux, France, unknown architect or sculptor, 12th century File:Vienne Saint Maurice 28 07 2011 02 Feuille.jpg, Gothic acanthus on a corbel of the Vienne Cathedral, Vienne, France, unknown architect or sculptor, 1130-1529 File:Codex Sal IXc Boot.jpg, Gothic acanthuses on a page of the Codex Salemitanus IX c, 15th century, tempera colors, gold paint, gold leaf, and ink on parchment,

Heidelberg University Library The Heidelberg University Library (, International Standard Identifier for Libraries and Related Organizations, ISIL DE-16) is the central library of the Heidelberg University. Together with the 83 decentralized libraries of the faculties and ins ...

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, Germany Edward IV Plantagenet.jpg,

acanthuses on the fabric worn by king

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

, portrait painted by

Lucas Horenbout Lucas Horenbout, often called Hornebolte in England ( 1490/1495 – 1544), was a Flemish artist who moved to England in the mid-1520s and worked there as "King's Painter" and court miniaturist to King Henry VIII from 1525 until his death. ...

, 1470-1475 File:Visite Hôtel de Cluny 07 juillet 2015 4326.jpg, Gothic acanthuses on the Hôtel de Cluny, Paris, unknown architect or sculptor, 1485-1510 File:Parc de Versailles, Parterre du Midi, Vase, bronze, Claude Ballin, inv1850N°8968 01.jpg,

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

garden vase with acanthuses, by Claude Ballin, 1665, bronze,

Gardens of Versailles The Gardens of Versailles ( ) occupy part of what was once the ''Domaine royal de Versailles'', the royal demesne of the Palace of Versailles, château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the Palace of Versailles, palace, the gardens cover so ...

File:Paris - le Dôme des Invalides - détail de la porte - 104.jpg, Baroque acanthuses of a monogram of

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

on the entrance door of the Dôme des Invalides, Paris, by

Jules Hardouin-Mansart Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Gra ...

, 1677–1706 File:Palatul Brâncovenesc, Potlogi, DB, 4.JPG, Brâncovenesc acanthuses of a railing of the Potlogi Palace, Potlogi,

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, unknown architect or sculptor, 1698 File:Horezu bicefal eagle.JPG, Brâncovenesc acanthuses of a railing of the Horezu Monastery, Horezu, Romania, unknown architect or sculptor, 17th-18th centuries File:Commode MET DP108735.jpg, Baroque acanthuses on a commode, by

André-Charles Boulle André-Charles Boulle (11 November 164229 February 1732), ''le joailler du meuble'' (the "furniture jeweller"), became the most famous French Cabinet making, cabinetmaker and the preeminent artist in the field of marquetry, also known as "inlay". ...

, 1710–1720, walnut veneered with ebony, marquetry of engraved brass and tortoiseshell, and gilt-bronze mounts, Metropolitan Museum of Art File:Château de Versailles, salon d'Hercule, cheminée (tête d'Hercule), Antoine Vassé.jpg, Baroque mascaron with acanthuses in the Salon d'Hercule, 1724–1736, designed by

Robert de Cotte Robert de Cotte (; 1656 – 15 July 1735) was a French architect-administrator, under whose design control of the royal buildings of France from 1699, the earliest notes presaging the Rococo, Rococo style were introduced. First a pupil of ...

Jacques Gabriel Jacques Gabriel (1667 – 23 April 1742) was a French architect, the father of the famous Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Jacques Gabriel was a designer, painter and architect of the 17th and 18th centuries and one of the most prominent designers of t ...

File:Alexis Peyrotte - Shell Cartouches and Acanthus Leaf Motif - Google Art Project.jpg,

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

acanthuses, by Alexis Peyrotte, 1740,

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum at the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile. It is one of 19 Smithsonian Institution museums and one of three Smithsonian facil ...

, New York File:Alexis Peyrotte - Acanthus Leaf Design - Google Art Project.jpg, Rococo acanthus, by Alexis Peyrotte, 1740, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York File:Salon ovale de la princesse in the Hôtel de Soubise (10).jpg, Rococo acanthuses on a wall of the oval salon of the Princesse in

Hôtel de Soubise The Hôtel de Soubise () is a city mansion '' entre cour et jardin''. It is located at 60 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, France. History The Hôtel de Soubise was built as an ''hôtel particulier'' for the Prin ...

, Paris, by

Germain Boffrand Germain Boffrand () (16 May 1667 – 19 March 1754) was a French architect. A pupil of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Germain Boffrand was one of the main creators of the precursor to Rococo called the ''style Régence'', and in his interiors, of the ...

, 1740 Départ de la rampe de l'escalier intérieur du Petit Trianon.jpg, Rococo acanthuses of a staircase railing in the

Petit Trianon The Petit Trianon (; French for 'small Trianon') is a Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical style château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, France. It was built between 1762 and 1768 ...

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

, France, by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, 1764 Pair of Spindle Vases - OA 11090 - Louvre (08).jpg, Neoclassical acanthuses on a vase, by the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, 1814, hard-paste porcelain with platinum background and gilt bronze mounts,

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

Ceiling of the Salle des Sept-Cheminées in the Louvre Palace (28223543502).jpg, Neoclassical acanthuses on the ceiling of the Salon des Sept cheminées,

Louvre Palace The Louvre Palace (, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxe ...

, Paris, by Francisque Duret, 1851 File:Base of a column in the Grand foyer of the Opéra Garnier.jpg, Beaux Arts acanthuses on the base of a column in the Grand Foyer of the

Palais Garnier The (, Garnier Palace), also known as (, Garnier Opera), is a historic 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the ...

, Paris, designed by Charles Garnier, 1860–1875 Austrian Parliament Building - colored sections 04.jpg,

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

Corinthian pilasters on the

Austrian Parliament Building The Austrian Parliament Building (, colloquially ''das Parlament'') in Vienna is the meeting place of the two houses of the Austrian Parliament. The building is located on the in the first district, ''Innere Stadt'', near Hofburg Palace and t ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, by Theophil von Hansen, 1873–1883 File:Mayeux Vase - OA 2467 - Louvre (02).jpg, Neoclassical

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...

mascaron with acanthuses on a handle of the Mayeux Vase, by the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, 1878, hard-paste porcelain, gilded copper molding on the collar, and gilded bronze handles,

File:Materials and documents of architecture and sculpture - classified alphabetically (1915) (14779646911).jpg, Neoclassical terracotta and enamel acanthuses of the door of the fine art hall of the Exposition Universelle of 1878, Paris, by Paul Sedille, 1878 4 Șoseaua Pavel D. Kiseleff, Bucharest (01).jpg, Romanian Revival acanthuses on a stained-glass window of the (

Șoseaua Kiseleff ''Șoseaua Kiseleff'' (''Kiseleff Road'') is a major road in Bucharest, Romania. Situated in Sector 1 (Bucharest), Sector 1, the boulevard runs as a northward continuation of Calea Victoriei. History The road was created in 1832 by Pavel Kisel ...

no. 4),

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

, by

Ion Mincu Ion Mincu (; December 20, 1852 – December 6, 1912 in Bucharest) was a Romanian architect known for having a leading role in the development of the Romanian Revival style. Most of his projects are located in Bucharest, including his main work ...

, 1889-1892 File:3-5 Strada Icoanei, Bucharest (44).jpg, Romanian Revival glazed ceramic acanthus in the courtyard of the Central Girls' School (Strada Icoanei no. 3-5), Bucharest, by

, 1890 Polychrome stucco fragment from Strada Plantelor no. 4, in the UNARTE Building at no. 28 Calea Griviței, Bucharest (01).jpg, Beaux Arts ceiling

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

fragment from Strada Plantelor no. 4,

, unknown architect, 1891 File:Grave of Georgiev Brothers in the Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest, Romania (05).jpg, Romanian Revival acanthuses on the Gheorghieff Brothers Tomb, Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest, by

, 1900 File:Écoinçon en bronze sculpté des vitraux de la façade de la boutique Fouquet, D.8078(26).jpg,

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

and

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

acanthus designed as a bronze element of a stained glass window of Bijouterie Fouquet in Paris, by

Alphonse Mucha Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator, and graphic artist. Living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, he was widely known for his distinctly stylized ...

, 1900, charcoal drawing,

Musée Carnavalet The Musée Carnavalet () in Paris is dedicated to the History of Paris, history of the city. The museum occupies two neighboring mansions: the Hôtel Carnavalet and the former Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau. On the advice of Baron Haussmann, ...

, Paris File:Portique monumental Jules-Félix Coutan 004.JPG, Art Nouveau corbels with Byzantine Revival acanthuses on the portico monumental Jules-Félix Coutan in the Félix-Desruelles Square, Paris, by Jules Coutan and the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, 1900 PetitPalaisParisIngresso.jpg, Beaux Arts acanthuses on the

Petit Palais The (; ) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built for the Exposition Universelle (1900), 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...

, Paris, by Charles Giraud, 1900 File:15-17 Strada Jules Michelet, Bucharest (33).jpg,

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

acanthus in Strada Jules Michelet no. 15-17, Bucharest, by Victor Ștefănescu, 1920 File:24 Strada Louis Pasteur, Bucharest (03).jpg, Romanian Revival acanthuses of fish in a relief of Strada Louis Pasteur no. 24, Bucharest, unknown architect, 1930 12 Strada Carol Davila, Bucharest (01).jpg, Romanian Revival capital with acanthuses of Strada Carol Davila no. 12, Bucharest, unknown architect, 1930 File:South Bay Galleria column, Redondo Beach, California, US, by RTKL Associates and Theo Kondos Associates, 1985.png,

Postmodern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...

neon Neon is a chemical element; it has symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is the second noble gas in the periodic table. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with approximately two-thirds the density of ...

Corinthian capital in South Bay Galleria,

Redondo Beach, California Redondo Beach (Spanish for ) is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area. It is one of three adjacent Beach Cities, beach c ...

, US, by RTKL Associates and Theo Kondos Associates, 1985 File:Postmodern acanthus leave on the leg of a table in Cărturești Verona in Bucharest (01).jpg,

acanthus leave on the leg of a table with different legs, unknown designer, 2010, painted wood, Cărturești Verona (Strada Arthur Verona no. 15), Bucharest

Architecture

Greek and Roman

Byzantine

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links