Acanthus (ornament)

File:Timeline of acanthus leafes in different styles, each one beaing notated with a letter. a-Greek, b-Roman, c-Byzantine, d-Romanesque, e, f-Gothic, g-Renaissance, h, i-Baroque, j, k-Rococo.jpg;}} {{nowrap|b) Roman;}} {{nowrap|c) Byzantine;}} {{nowrap|d) Romanesque;}} {{nowrap|e & f) Gothic;}} {{nowrap|g) Renaissance;}} {{nowrap|h & i) Baroque;}} {{nowrap|j & k) Rococo}}]]

File:Acanthus mollis 02 by Line1.JPG leaf; in both this and A. spinosus the leaf forms are rather variable]]

In architecture, an ornament may be carved into stone or wood to resemble leaves from the Mediterranean species of the Acanthus genus of plants, which have deeply cut leaves with some similarity to those of the thistle and poppy. Both Acanthus mollis 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 argued in his Stilfragen that acanthus ornament originated as a sculptural version of the palmette, and only later began to resemble Acanthus spinosus.{{sfn|Riegl|1992|pp=187–206}}

In ancient Roman and ancient Greek architecture acanthus ornament appears extensively in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders, and applied to friezes, 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 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.{{cite journal |last=Strong |first=D. E. |year=1960 |title=Some early examples of the composite capital |journal=Journal of Roman Studies |volume=50 |pages=119–128|doi=10.2307/298294 |jstor=298294 |s2cid=162473543 }} Acanthus decoration continued in popularity in Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture. It saw a major revival in the Renaissance, and still is used today.

The Roman writer Vitruvius (c. 75 – c. 15 BC) related that the Corinthian order had been invented by Callimachus, 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.

Some of the most detailed and elaborate acanthus decoration occurs in important buildings of the Byzantine architectural tradition, where the leaves are undercut, drilled, and spread over a wide surface. Use of the motif continued in Medieval art, 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, often using foliage designs, including acanthus. Curling acanthus-type leaves occur frequently in the borders and ornamented initial letters of illuminated manuscripts, and are commonly found in combination with palmettes in woven silk textiles. In the Renaissance 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.

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

Corinthian capital, AM of Epidauros, 202545.jpg|Ancient Greek Corinthian capital from the tholos at Epidaurus, Archaeological Museum of Epidaurus, Greece, said to have been designed by Polyclitus the Younger, {{circa}}350 BC{{sfn|Honour|Fleming|2009|p=147}}

File:Panel of Tellus, Ara Pacis, Rome (II).jpg|Roman acanthuses in an arabesque on the Ara Pacis, Rome, unknown architect and sculptors, 13-9 BC{{sfn|Robertson|2022|p=323}}

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, Rome, unknown painter, 65-68 AD

File:12.8 Temple of Hadrian in Ephesus.JPG|Roman acanthuses of the Temple of Hadrianus, Ephesus, Turkey, unknown architect or sculptor, 117-118

File:TopkapiSarayi-SecondoCortile-ColonnaLeoneImposta.jpg|Byzantine quasi-Corinthian capital of the Column of Leo, formerly in the Forum of Leo, Constantinople, 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 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, unknown architect or sculptor, 524-527{{cite book|last1=Eastmond|first1=Anthony|title=The Glory of Byzantium and early Christendom|date=2013|publisher=Phaidon|isbn=978 0 7148 4810 5|page=81|url=|language=en}}

Ravenna Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo capitel.jpg|Byzantine quasi-Corinthian capital in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, 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 capital with acanthuses, 10th century, marble, Cincinnati Art Museum, 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, {{circa}}1008 to mid-11th century{{sfn|Watkin|2022|p=123}}

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, {{circa}}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, Heidelberg, Germany

Edward IV Plantagenet.jpg|Renaissance acanthuses on the fabric worn by king Edward IV, portrait painted by Lucas Horenbout, {{circa}}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{{cite web|url=https://www.pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00088431|website=pop.culture.gouv.fr|title=Ancien hôtel de Cluny et Palais des Thermes, actuellement Musée National du Moyen Âge|access-date=1 October 2023}}

File:Parc de Versailles, Parterre du Midi, Vase, bronze, Claude Ballin, inv1850N°8968 01.jpg|Baroque garden vase with acanthuses, by Claude Ballin, 1665, bronze, Gardens of Versailles

File:Paris - le Dôme des Invalides - détail de la porte - 104.jpg|Baroque acanthuses of a monogram of Louis XIV on the entrance door of the Dôme des Invalides, Paris, by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, 1677–1706{{sfn|Bailey|2012|pp=238}}

File:Palatul Brâncovenesc, Potlogi, DB, 4.JPG|Brâncovenesc acanthuses of a railing of the Potlogi Palace, Potlogi, Romania, 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{{sfn|Florea|2016|p=243}}

File:Commode MET DP108735.jpg|Baroque acanthuses on a commode, by André-Charles Boulle, {{circa}}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, Jacques Gabriel

File:Alexis Peyrotte - Shell Cartouches and Acanthus Leaf Motif - Google Art Project.jpg|Rococo acanthuses, by Alexis Peyrotte, 1740, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 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, Paris, by Germain Boffrand, 1740{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=241}}

Départ de la rampe de l'escalier intérieur du Petit Trianon.jpg|Rococo acanthuses of a staircase railing in the Petit Trianon, Versailles, France, by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, 1764{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=273}}

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{{cite web|url=https://www.amisdulouvre.fr/acquisitions/paire-vases-fuseau|title=PAIRE DE VASES « FUSEAU »|website=amisdulouvre.fr|access-date=10 May 2023}}

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, Paris, by Francisque Duret, 1851{{sfn|Bresc-Bautier|2008|p=122}}

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, Paris, designed by Charles Garnier, 1860–1875{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=296}}

Austrian Parliament Building - colored sections 04.jpg|Greek Revival Corinthian pilasters on the Austrian Parliament Building, Vienna, by Theophil von Hansen, 1873–1883{{sfn|Watkin|2022|p=490}}

File:Mayeux Vase - OA 2467 - Louvre (02).jpg|Neoclassical Medusa 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, Louvre

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 {{ill|Kiseleff Roadside Buffet|ro|Bufetul din Șoseaua Kiseleff}} (Șoseaua Kiseleff no. 4), Bucharest, Romania, by Ion Mincu, 1889-1892{{sfn|Celac|Carabela|Marcu-Lapadat|2017|p=153}}

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 Ion Mincu, 1890{{sfn|Celac|Carabela|Marcu-Lapadat|2017|p=123}}

Polychrome stucco fragment from Strada Plantelor no. 4, in the UNARTE Building at no. 28 Calea Griviței, Bucharest (01).jpg|Beaux Arts ceiling stucco fragment from Strada Plantelor no. 4, Bucharest, Romania, 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 Ion Mincu, {{circa}}1900

File:Écoinçon en bronze sculpté des vitraux de la façade de la boutique Fouquet, D.8078(26).jpg|Art Nouveau and Gothic Revival acanthus designed as a bronze element of a stained glass window of Bijouterie Fouquet in Paris, by Alphonse Mucha, {{circa}}1900, charcoal drawing, Musée Carnavalet, 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, Paris, by Charles Giraud, 1900{{sfn|Jones|2014|p=294}}

File:15-17 Strada Jules Michelet, Bucharest (33).jpg|Art Deco acanthus in Strada Jules Michelet no. 15-17, Bucharest, by Victor Ștefănescu, {{circa}}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, {{circa}}1930

12 Strada Carol Davila, Bucharest (01).jpg|Romanian Revival capital with acanthuses of Strada Carol Davila no. 12, Bucharest, unknown architect, {{circa}}1930

File:South Bay Galleria column, Redondo Beach, California, US, by RTKL Associates and Theo Kondos Associates, 1985.png|Postmodern neon Corinthian capital in South Bay Galleria, Redondo Beach, California, 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|Postmodern acanthus leave on the leg of a table with different legs, unknown designer, {{circa}}2010, painted wood, Cărturești Verona (Strada Arthur Verona no. 15), Bucharest

• Arabesque (European art)
• Palmette

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}

• {{cite book |last1=Bailey |first1=Gauvin Alexander |title=Baroque & Rococo |date=2012 |publisher=Phaidon |isbn=978-0-7148-5742-8 |language=en}}
• {{cite book |last1=Bresc-Bautier |first1=Geneviève |title=The Louvre, a Tale of a Palace |date=2008 |publisher=Musée du Louvre Éditions |isbn=978-2-7572-0177-0 |language=en}}
• {{cite book |last1=Celac |first1=Mariana |last2=Carabela |first2=Octavian |last3=Marcu-Lapadat |first3=Marius |title=Bucharest Architecture - an annotated guide |publisher=Order of Architects of Romania |year=2017 |isbn=978-973-0-23884-6}}
• {{cite book |last1=Florea |first1=Vasile |title=Arta Românească de la Origini până în Prezent |date=2016 |publisher=Litera |isbn=978-606-33-1053-9 |language=ro}}
• {{cite book |last1=Honour |first1=Hugh |last2=Fleming |first2=John |title=A World History of Art - Revised Seventh Edition |date=2009 |publisher=Laurence King Publishing |isbn=978-1-85669-584-8 |language=en}}
• {{cite book |editor-last1=Jones |editor-first1=Denna |title=Architecture The Whole Story |date=2014 |publisher=Thames & Hudson |isbn=978-0-500-29148-1 |language=en}}
• {{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Philippa |last2=Darley |first2=Gillian |year=1986 |title=Dictionary of Ornament |location=New York |publisher=Pantheon |isbn=9780394509310 |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryoforna00phil |url-access=registration}}
• {{cite book |last1=Riegl |first1=A |title=Problems of style: foundations for a history of ornament |year=1992 |location=Princeton, New Jersey |publisher=Princeton University Press |translator-last=Kain |translator-first=E. |isbn=978-0-691-65658-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Robertson |first=Hutton |title=The History of Art - From Prehistory to Presentday - A Global View |date=2022 |publisher=Thames & Hudson |isbn=978-0-500-02236-8 |language=en}}
• {{cite book |last1=Watkin |first1=David |title=A History of Western Architecture |date=2022 |publisher=Laurence King |isbn=978-1-52942-030-2 |language=en}}

{{refend}}

• {{cite book |last1=Hopkins |first1=Owen |title=Architectural Styles: A Visual Guide |date=2014 |publisher=Laurence King |isbn=978-178067-163-5 |language=en}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Ornaments}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Ancient Greek architecture

Category:Ornaments

Category:Visual motifs