Greek and Roman Architecture in Classic Illustrations

Perhaps the finest record of classical architectural detail ever made. Executed in the demanding technique of India ink and water color rendering, the illustrations include the Parthenon, Roman temples, Pantheon, Coliseum, many others. Unparalleled three-dimensionality and effects of scale. Enhanced with Introductory Notes by John Blatteau and Christiane Sears. Notes. Preface. 127 plates.

This is a great collection of classical Greek and Roman architectural reconstructions from the book - "Fragments d'Architecture Antique" - published by Hector d'Espouy (1854-1929) in 1905. The book presents some of the drawings rendered by participants in the French "Prix de Rome" art and architecture scholarship program which ran from 1663 to 1968.

The printing is not excellent, but very good considering the price. The selections show a true care and attention to detail in bringing these design elements back to life. The ancient world was amazing, in a way that we often ignore today in our modern age of machinery and computer-aided design. Certainly, we're more advanced in many areas. But take a good, long look at what these earlier socieities created out of stone, with simple tools, and you'll be quite impressed.

There is a more expensive book on this subject, published by the J. Paul Getty Museum, entitled "Ruins of Ancient Rome: The Drawings of French Architects Who Won the Prix De Rome 1786-1924" that manages to outdo this one in my opinion. But considering the price difference, this is understandable. In any case, I still enjoy this book, as it presents Greek elements not present in the other. You'll see studies of the Parthenon, the Precinct of Demeter at Eleusis, the Temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus, and so on. You'll also take a brief look outside Greece and Rome to the Mausoleum of Mausolus at Halicarnassus.

Overall, this is an excellent view into the architectural world of the ancients.