For all those interested in the relationship between ideas and the built environment, John Onians provides a lively illustrated account of the range of meanings that western culture has assigned to the Classical orders. Onians shows that during the two thousand years from their first appearance in ancient Greece through their codification in Renaissance Italy, the orders - the columns and capitals known as Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite - were made to serve expressive purposes, engaging the viewer in a continuing visual dialogue. Bearers of Meaning offers a much-needed overview of the history of architectural theory as an inseparable twin of architectural practice and a vital element in the European intellectual tradition.
- ISBN13 9780521398480
- Publish Date 24 May 1990 (first published 21 February 1989)
- Publish Status Inactive
- Out of Print 18 January 2000
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Cambridge University Press
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 367
- Language English