All Topics  
Metope (architecture)

 
Metope (architecture)

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Metope (architecture)
 
 
  Topics Metope (architecture) Topic Home

In classical architecture
Classical architecture

Classical architecture is the set of building styles and techniques of Classical Greece, as used in ancient Greece, the Hellenistic period, and the Roman empire....
, a metope (µet?p?) is a rectangular architectural element that fills the space between two triglyph
Triglyph

Triglyph is an architectural term for the vertically channeled tablets of the Doric frieze, so called because of the angular channels in them, two perfect and one divided, the two chamfered angles or hemiglyphs being reckoned as one....
s in a Doric
Doric order

The Doric order was one of the Classical order of Architecture of Ancient Greece or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic order and the Corinthian order....
 frieze, which is a decorative band of alternating triglyphs and metopes above the architrave
Architrave

The architrave is a moulded or ornamental band framing a rectangular opening. It is the lintel or beam that rests on the capital s of the columns....
 of a building of the Doric order
Doric order

The Doric order was one of the Classical order of Architecture of Ancient Greece or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic order and the Corinthian order....
. Metopes often had painted or sculptural decoration; the most famous example is the 92 metopes of the frieze of the Parthenon marbles depicting the battle between the Centaur
Centaur

In Greek mythology, the centaurs are a race of creatures composed of part human and part horse. In early Attica Pottery of ancient Greece, they are depicted with the torso of a human joined at the waist to the horse's withers, where the horse's neck would be....
s and the Lapiths.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Metope (architecture)'
Start a new discussion about 'Metope (architecture)'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Ac
In classical architecture
Classical architecture

Classical architecture is the set of building styles and techniques of Classical Greece, as used in ancient Greece, the Hellenistic period, and the Roman empire....
, a metope (µet?p?) is a rectangular architectural element that fills the space between two triglyph
Triglyph

Triglyph is an architectural term for the vertically channeled tablets of the Doric frieze, so called because of the angular channels in them, two perfect and one divided, the two chamfered angles or hemiglyphs being reckoned as one....
s in a Doric
Doric order

The Doric order was one of the Classical order of Architecture of Ancient Greece or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic order and the Corinthian order....
 frieze, which is a decorative band of alternating triglyphs and metopes above the architrave
Architrave

The architrave is a moulded or ornamental band framing a rectangular opening. It is the lintel or beam that rests on the capital s of the columns....
 of a building of the Doric order
Doric order

The Doric order was one of the Classical order of Architecture of Ancient Greece or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic order and the Corinthian order....
. Metopes often had painted or sculptural decoration; the most famous example is the 92 metopes of the frieze of the Parthenon marbles depicting the battle between the Centaur
Centaur

In Greek mythology, the centaurs are a race of creatures composed of part human and part horse. In early Attica Pottery of ancient Greece, they are depicted with the torso of a human joined at the waist to the horse's withers, where the horse's neck would be....
s and the Lapiths. The painting on most metopes has been lost, but sufficient traces remain to allow a close idea of their original appearance.

In terms of structure, metopes may be carved from a single block with a Triglyph
Triglyph

Triglyph is an architectural term for the vertically channeled tablets of the Doric frieze, so called because of the angular channels in them, two perfect and one divided, the two chamfered angles or hemiglyphs being reckoned as one....
 (or triglyphs), or they may be cut separately and slide into slots in the triglyph blocks as at the Temple of Aphaea
Temple of Aphaea

The Temple of Aphaia is located within a sanctuary complex dedicated to the goddess Aphaea on the Greek island of Aigina, which lies in the Saronic Gulf....
. Although they tend to be close to square in shape, some metopes are noticeably larger in height or in width. They may also vary in width within a single structure to allow for corner contraction, an adjustment of the column spacing and arrangement of the Doric frieze in a temple to make the design appear more harmonious.

Images of metopes


See also

  • Classical architecture
    Classical architecture

    Classical architecture is the set of building styles and techniques of Classical Greece, as used in ancient Greece, the Hellenistic period, and the Roman empire....
  • Classical order
    Classical order

    A classical order is one of the ancient styles of building design in the Classical antiquity, distinguished by their proportions and their characteristic profiles and details, but most quickly recognizable by the type of column and capital employed....
  • Doric order
    Doric order

    The Doric order was one of the Classical order of Architecture of Ancient Greece or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic order and the Corinthian order....