Ineffable sights of ancient Greece and Rome, such as the Parthenon and the Pantheon, often leave countless tourists spellbound, and more often than not oblivious to the classical architectural orders including Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Tuscan that their photos or selfies encapsulate.
Edward McParland has embarked on a knowledgeable venture via his enlightening book, leveraging his extensive experience in art history pedagogy at Trinity College Dublin and wide travels, notably in Italy. His agenda expressed through the subtitle, “From Looking to Seeing”, succinctly encapsulates his vision: to enable individuals to understand what they observe.
McParland’s scholarly yet comprehensible exploration focuses on the incorporation and innovative modification of classical antiquity architecture during the Renaissance period by such adept maestros as Brunelleschi, Bramante, Michelangelo, and Palladio, subsequently by Wren, Pearce, Chambers, Gandon, Soane and Lutyens.
Were these architects strictly replicating the past by blatantly imitating its standards? As McParland confirms, their work demonstrates an inventive advancement in expressivity levels, “from the camp to the sublime”, thereby illustrating that classicism eventually evolved into a “living system”.
Moreover, he explores the ancient use of sculpted human figures supporting parts of structures, such as the elegant caryatids replacing columns on the Erechtheion in Athens, and Snow White’s seven dwarfs acting as supporters of the pediment of Michael Graves’ postmodern Disney HQ in Los Angeles.
The core of McParland’s book lies in its astounding variety of illustrations, boasting an impressive count of 300, all deftly captioned for the readers’ convenience. It includes comparisons, featuring the lesser-known Dublin architect Joseph Jarratt, whose chancel in St Werburgh’s Church is deemed superior to Vignola’s Villa Giulia in Rome.
McParland’s scrutiny includes an analysis of how inscriptions were imparted onto classical structures and their portrayal in the artwork of renowned historical painters. A photograph revealing graffiti’s historical significance, depicting inscriptions made by stonemasons on a leisurely outing in 1839 on the parapet of the first-century roman aqueduct, Pont du Gard, is also of utmost importance. Interestingly, even a poster for The Pogues’ performance at the RDS in December 2008 using Imperial Roman script is considered noteworthy.
Many of the images included in the book are uncommon and represent half a century of the author’s personal findings. The book is embellished with a striking cover picture showing a replica classical Greek caryatid supporting the canopy of an otherwise modernist late-1930s Highpoint II apartment building situated in Highgate, London, designed by Berthold Lubetkin.
Flicking through the illustrations and merely reading the captions provides a tremendous introduction to this remarkable and eye-opening book. This book, steeped in the profound expertise, keen observations, and discerning judgement of Edward McParland acquired over many years, is an exquisite and rich output. It is truly an architectural treasure and a masterpiece.