Architectural Comparisons

Ancient and Modern

Arch of Titus, Rome	Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Many examples of Greek or Roman temples, arches, or monuments could be juxtaposed to 18th and 19th century buildings to illustrate the intensive influence of the Greeks on our own 'modern' age.   The above illustrations capture some of that authentic borrowing.    Architects trained within the prestigious French Academy (the same one founded by Louis XIV in 1648) were taught to replicate the exact details of the Classical style. 

The Pantheon, Rome	University of Virginia, Architect: Thomas Jefferson

In the comparison above, we see how Jefferson, a Neo-Classicist inspired by the style during his ambassadorship to France, emulates both ancient sources such as the famous Pantheon, in Rome as well as French and English 17th and 18th century Classicist styles.  Europe for centuries imitated the three Greek orders--the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian--as they were continued by the Romans, Renaissance and the age of Enlightenment to our own time. Which of the three orders are used in these buildings?   How many other buildings in Washington D.C. can you name which emulate this style?