The most ornate classical order was inspired by a basket on a grave
In short: The Corinthian order is the most elaborate of the three principal classical architectural styles. While its name links it to the Greek city of Corinth, legend suggests it was born in Athens from a sculptor's observation of an acanthus plant growing through a votive basket left at a young girl's burial site.
The Corinthian order represents the final development of the three primary classical orders, distinguished by its slender proportions and highly decorative capitals. Unlike the earlier Doric and Ionic styles, the Corinthian capital is defined by two ranks of stylized acanthus leaves and stalks, known as cauliculi, which support small volutes. This ornate design allowed for significant flexibility, with variations ranging from stiff, schematic leaves to naturalistic, deeply undercut carvings.
Architectural historian Vitruvius attributed the order's invention to the sculptor Callimachus, who was supposedly inspired by a basket covered with a tile and surrounded by acanthus leaves. While the name honors Corinth, the style likely originated in Athens. The earliest known example, dating to approximately 420 BC, was found at the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae. Later, the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, erected around 334 BC, provided the first documented exterior use of the order.
Proportion serves as a fundamental element of the Corinthian aesthetic. Mark Wilson Jones notes that the ratio of total column height to shaft height is typically 6:5, often resulting in full column heights that are multiples of 6 Roman feet. In Roman practice, the order became a symbol of imperial grandeur, appearing on structures like the Temple of Mars Ultor and the Colosseum. By the Renaissance, theorists like Sebastiano Serlio and Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola standardized the order, cementing its place in the classical canon.
Beyond its classical roots, the Corinthian order demonstrated remarkable adaptability. It influenced the Indo-Corinthian capitals of Gandhara, which blended Hellenistic foliage with Buddhist iconography, and persisted through Byzantine and medieval architecture. Even as the classical system evolved, the Corinthian capital remained a versatile motif, frequently compared by writers like Nicolas Poussin to the delicacy of a young girl, contrasting with the muscular vigor associated with the Doric order.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Corinthian order
- Also: www.britannica.com — Corinthian order | architecture | Britannica
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