Flutes are a feature of ancient architecture

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

For each separate era, for each country, which had its own unique culture, certain architectural features are characteristic. But it happens that the idea of a certain ancient creator, intended exclusively for his native region, has acquired a global scale. It is in this category that the notorious flutes fell. This phenomenon was first discovered in the buildings of the era of Ancient Egypt. What was his fate?

Description

So, flutes are vertical grooves that encircle the perimeter of a column or the semicircle of a pilaster. Due to them, these architectural structures become relief and unique. It is not known exactly how and why the ancient masters produced such creations. Logically, we can assume that the flutes produced some kind of visual effects. Small grooves, closely grouped on the column, made it more massive, tall and voluminous. It could give the building grandeurand power. Conversely, a building with columns, on which the flutes were too massive, and their number barely exceeded a dozen, looked more fragile and seemed smaller in size than it actually was.

History of occurrence

As noted above, modern historians do not know the author of this architectural feature. Also, the reason for the invention of the flute remains a mystery. This, however, did not prevent archaeologists from establishing the approximate date and place of birth of this phenomenon. We are talking about Egypt in the period of the end of III - beginning of II millennium BC. e. It was in this developed country that architects first began to decorate columns with flutes, the number of which was strictly either 8 or 16. The ancient Egyptian building with columns had another important feature. The grooves originated at the base of the trunk, and ended at the very top edge. The fact is that in other cultures and in later periods, the position of the flutes changes somewhat, as will be discussed below.

Antique period

Closer to the first millennium BC. e. vertical grooves on the column shaft became the property of ancient architects. In ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, the flutes were also solid, that is, they went from the base to the top of the column. But their width and frequency have changed considerably. The ancient creators made the grooves narrower, due to which they managed to increase their number on one pilaster or column. Due to this, all the buildings created according to their sketches look incredibly majestic, they seem huge and immense. On thein fact, 50 percent success lies in the visual effect. From antiquity, this architectural feature moves to European classics, and read about it below.

The revival of old traditions

Having learned about what flutes are in architecture, everyone who reads is ready to swear that he saw them in his city. Indeed, some buildings erected relatively recently, namely at the beginning of the 20th century, can boast of the presence of vertical grooves. How so? To begin with, let's make a small digression. In the medieval period, as you know, people completely renounced all ancient values. For a long time, no one remembered all the creations of that era, and this oblivion lasted right up to the end of the 19th century.

The Art Nouveau style, which then became very popular in all branches of art, decided to revive the traditions of the sand-covered past. Together with them, they remembered about flutes. This architectural creation has again become widely used by both European and Russian masters. That is why we often see not so ancient buildings, the columns of which are decorated with grooves, in Europe and in our homeland.

Otto Wagner

One of the leaders among Art Nouveau architects named Otto Wagner gave flutes a completely new life. First, he made them less deep and less wide. This innovation made it possible to use them not only to decorate the columns, but also to renew the walls. There are more in the flutes of Wagnerone notable feature is that they originate at the very top of a wall or pilaster, but never reach the bottom. Instead, they break off and form a downward triangle.

It is worth noting that such an innovation by Wagner appealed to St. Petersburg architects, who created during the prosperity of the Art Nouveau style.