Accolade (architecture)

In architecture, an accolade is an embellished arch found most typically in late Gothic architecture. The term comes from French (l'accolade), referencing a "braced" arch.[1] It is also known as an ogee arch (English), un arco conopial (Spanish), resaunt (Middle English), arco carenato or inflesso (Italian), and kielbogen (German).[1][2]

Accolade over an arch in Portugal

An accolade is a pointed arch composed of two ogee curves, also known as sigmoid lines, which mirror one another.[3][1] It can be formed by a pair of reverse ogee curves over a three-centered arch ending in a vertical finial.[4][5] The form can also be described as the combination of a convex arch and a concave arch.[6]

Usage

An accolade is usually a decorative molding placed over an opening.[7] The structures are unable to support significant loads, so they are primarily decorative.[6] It has been primarily used over small openings like niches, tombs, windows, and screens as it is difficult to construct.[3][7][5]

History

The accolade was introduced and was most commonly used during the Decorated period of Gothic architecture.[3] It was an element of Church architecture in England from the eleventh to sixteenth century.[8] The peak of the accolade's popularity was during the thirteenth century.[9] During the fourteenth century, there was an evolution in its appearance.[10]

The first accolades in English Gothic architecture appear on the crosses constructed by Edward I in memory of Eleanor of Castile.[11] They are also used in Gothic goldsmithing as in the shrine of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, which was originally built in the 13th century.[1] The entrance to Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye is an accolade.[12] The St. John's Church, and one of its major influences, Strawberry Hill House, incorporates accolades into its design.[13]

Accolades appear as stylistic framing elements in artwork as early as the fifteenth century.[14] It also appears in Dutch art, like the woodcut illustration in The Book of the Golden Throne.[14]

Influences

The form was likely imported to England during the Crusades.[11] There exist accolades in the Ottoman style of architecture, as at the Monastery of St. Constantine on Lake Apolyon.[15] Demus argues that the accolades, or ogee arches, at the Porta dei Fiori and the Tesoro entrance, have Islamic influences.[16] Additionally, Venetian ogee arches resemble an Iranian mihrab niche that was brought to Paris.[16] However, there is no consensus regarding how the accolade became an element of Gothic architecture.[1]

See also

References
  1. Binski, Paul (2017). "The Gothic Line of Beauty: Motif and Medieval Aesthetics". Quintana: Revista do Departamento de Historia da Arte (16). doi:10.15304/qui.16.5593. ISSN 2340-0005.
  2. Bulletin monumental, Vol. 177-3 : Après l'incendie : Notre-Dame de Paris. Paris: Société Française d'Archéologie. 2019. ISBN 978-2-901837-79-4. OCLC 1138500631.
  3. Parker, John Henry (1850). A Glossary of Terms Used in Grecian, Roman, Italian, and Gothic Architecture: Text. J.H. Parker.
  4. Sturgis, Russell (1901). A Dictionary of Architecture and Building, Volume I. Macmillan. p. 10.
  5. Curl, James Stevens; Wilson, Susan (2016). Oxford Dictionary of Architecture. Oxford University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-19-967499-2.
  6. Jurco, Ancuta-Nadia & Sanda-Mariana, Bodea & George, Crisan & Scurtu, Iacob-Liviu. (2017). METHOD TO DEVELOP THE DOUBLE-CURVED SURFACE OF THE ROOF. 12.
  7. Harris, Cyril M. (1983-01-01). Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture. Courier Corporation. ISBN 978-0-486-24444-0.
  8. Bond, Francis (1913). An Introduction to English Church Architecture from the Eleventh to the Sixteenth Century. H. Milford.
  9. Honour, Hugh. (27 August 2013). A world history of art : a History. Fleming, John, 1919-2001 (Revised seventh ed.). London. ISBN 978-1-78067-117-8. OCLC 941907107.
  10. Jean Mesqui. Le château de Verrès en 1390 et l’architecture seigneuriale en Val d’Aoste du XIe siècle au XVe siècle. Bulletin Monumental, Societe Francaise d'Archeologie, 2019, 177 (3), pp.219-250. ⟨halshs-02956017⟩
  11. Prache Anne. Jean Bony, The English Decorated Style, Gothic Architecture transformed 1250-1350. Oxford, Phaidon, 1979,92 p.. In: Bulletin Monumental, tome 139, n°2, année 1981. pp. 109-110
  12. "Research on the Meaning of Flamboyant Architecture - ProQuest". search.proquest.com. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  13. "A 'Bastard' Building; a Child of Strawberry [Hill] uglier than its Parent: St John's Church, Deansgate". Visit Manchester. 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  14. K., R. A. (1958). "An Ivory Diptych from the Waning Middle Ages". Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University. 17 (2): 55–64. doi:10.2307/3774319. ISSN 0032-843X.
  15. Mango, Cyril (1979). "The Monastery of St. Constantine on Lake Apolyont". Dumbarton Oaks Papers. 33: 329–333. doi:10.2307/1291440. ISSN 0070-7546.
  16. Howard, Deborah (1991). "Venice and Islam in the Middle Ages: Some Observations on the Question of Architectural Influence". Architectural History. 34: 59–74. doi:10.2307/1568594. ISSN 0066-622X.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.