Master builders of Byzantium / Robert Ousterhout.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ousterhout, Robert G.

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Building--Byzantine Empire.

Building.

Architecture, Byzantine.

Byzantine Empire.

Physical Description:

vii, 320 pages : illustrations, plans ; 26 cm

Edition:

First paperback edition.

Place of Publication:

Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, [2008]

Summary:

"In a pioneering study that approaches Byzantine architecture from the perspective of its masons - its "master builders" - Robert Ousterhout identifies the problems commonly encountered in the process of design and construction. He analyzes written evidence, the archaeological record, and especially the surviving buildings, concluding that Byzantine architecture was far more innovative than has previously been acknowledged." "Ousterhout explains how masons selected, manufactured, and utilized materials from bricks and mortar to lead roofing tiles, from foundation systems to forms of vaulting. He situates the richly decorated church interiors, clad in marble and enlivened with decorative programs in mosaic and fresco, within the purview of the master builder." "The study focuses on the churches built in the area of Constantinople between the 9th and 14th centuries, referring also to builders and buildings in Greece, Russia, the Balkans, and Jerusalem."--BOOK COVER.

Contents:

Introduction: The Problem of Byzantine Architecture

Ch. 1. Defining the Byzantine Church

Ch. 2. The Mysterious Disappearing Architect and His Patron

Ch. 3. Drawing the Line and Knowing the Ropes

Ch. 4. Buildings That Change

Ch. 5. Building Materials

Ch. 6. The Construction of Foundations and Walls

Ch. 7. Structural Design, Structural Expression, and the Construction of Arches and Vaults

Ch. 8. Builders and Artists: Creating the Decorated Interior.

Notes:

"First published in hardcover by Princeton University Press 1999"--T.p. verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 296-[309]) and index.

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Gift of Ellen Miller.

ISBN:

9781934536032

1934536032

OCLC:

173809019