Vitruvius what the caryatids should be like. Caryatids - a monument of ancient Greek architecture

A clothed woman, introduced into use by ancient Greek architecture to support an entablature and, therefore, replacing a column or pilaster.

If such a statue depicts a woman with a basket of fruits or flowers on her head, then it is also called a canephora. The name given to this architectural motif is believed to have come from the girls of the city of Caria, in Arcadia, who, at festivals in honor of the goddess Artemis, performed religious dances with baskets on their heads.

The most remarkable of the ancient caryatids adorn the chapel of the nymph Pandrosa, in the Athenian Acropolis. The most famous caryatids of ancient times are in the portico of the Erechtheion (Acropolis of Athens) and in the treasury of the Siphnosians in Delphi. Vitruvius conveys a legend according to which the Carians sided with the Persians against the Greeks, and when the latter won, they exterminated all the men in Caria and drove the women into slavery; Since then, architects have depicted Carian women under the burden of eternal redemption. In the Middle Ages, caryatids were almost not used at all, and again began to appear frequently in architecture, starting from the Renaissance. In modern art, caryatids are called not only female figures, dressed or half-naked, supporting beams, or any protrusions of a building, but also similar male figures, although more correct name the latter - Atlanteans.

History of the Erechtheion Temple

Erechtheion bordered by ruins more ancient (“city guard”) from the reign of the tyrant Peisistratus (561 – 527 BC), destroyed during the Persian invasion of 480 BC. There are two versions about it: the first says that the main statue of Athena was destroyed along with the temple of Athena Polias; according to the second version, this statue was saved and later returned to the dilapidated temple, where it stood until the appearance of the Erechtheion; while according to the third, after the Persian raid the statue was placed in the Protoerechtheion - a certain sanctuary built around 465 BC.

Erechtion Plan

Herodotus, who visited the Acropolis in the mid-5th century BC, wrote that among the burnt sanctuaries on the northern side was one that the Athenians of the early fifth century BC. called " temple of Erechtheus born from the earth" It definitely occupied the site of today's Erechtheion, since, as Herodotus wrote, it included the famous traces of the competition between Athena and Poseidon - the mark of a trident, a spring of salt water and an olive tree.

The north portico is visible on the left, the portico of the Caryatids in the center and the east portico on the right

After the burning of the Acropolis by the Persians Pericles created a whole program for the restoration of the sanctuaries that stood here. Despite financial difficulties, it was planned, among other things, to build a luxurious temple for the cult of Athena Polyada and Poseidon-Erechtheus. The temple we see today was built between 421 and 406 BC. Its architect may have been Mnesicles, while the sculptor was definitely Phidias, hired by Pericles to work on both the Erechtheion and the Parthenon.

The sacred olive tree of Athena on the territory of Pandrosion, behind which the entrance to Erechtion is visible. The entrance to the portico was to the left of the olive tree.

Even after construction began, many buildings continued to stand in the future temenos (sacred area) of the Erechtheion. buildings: the sanctuary of Athena Polyada (not to be confused with the temple), the tomb of Kekropos within the borders of the Kekropion, the altars of Poseidon-Erechtheus, Zeus Hypatos, Buta and Hephaestus, the sacred olive tree and the source of salt water, as well as traces of the trident of Poseidon. The Altar of Poseidon-Erechtheus was originally located probably near tombs of Erechtheus, which, in turn, together with the salty spring should have been located within the aditon (closed part) of the temple, since its cult was considered mystical. Traces of a trident should have ended up under the northern portico, since the architects left a hole in the roof to remind of the site of the impact (this feature was retained during restoration). Under the same portico there should have been a source collected in a reservoir, considered the “Sea of Erechtheus.” In part of the temple of Athena Polyada lived snake, which, according to Athenian belief, was the embodiment of the spirit of the founder of the city and the Acropolis, Kecropus, who had a half-snake appearance. The chief priestess of Athena had to feed this snake honey cakes. If the snake refused to eat, it was considered a bad omen.

Hole on the left in the roof of the northern portico in the place where Poseidon's trident fell

The generally accepted version is that the temple is named after the mythological hero Erichthonius, although it may be named after King Erechtheus of Athens, who is believed to have been buried here. Erechtheus is mentioned in Homer's Iliad as a great ruler, which is why he was often associated with Erichthonius (more on them below).

Architecture

Irregular shape Erechtheion is probably due to the fact that it was important for the ancient builders to include several adjacent sacred areas of land mentioned above. The building thus consisted of four parts, the largest of which was the eastern cella with an Ionic portico on six columns. The temple had two more porticos– one on the north side with six Ionic columns and a coffered ceiling, and one on the south side with six columns in the form of female figures (see below). In the northern and eastern porticos there were entrances to the Erechtheion, which probably symbolized the separate cult of the two deities.

The temple stood on a slope and was surrounded by places of worship of the ancient chthonic gods, which is why the simple site leveling it was impossible. As a consequence, it was built in such a way that its western and northern sides were three meters lower than its southern and eastern sides.

The Erechtheion is made entirely of Pentelic marble, and only the friezes were made of rare black limestone from the city of Eleusis, and the sculptural reliefs that were attached to it were also white, which is very unusual. The motifs depicted on the friezes are unknown. Usually these were colorful figures in motion against a monochrome background.

From antique accounting records and Plutarch's evidence suggests that the entire building was painted with frescoes, the doorways and window casings were covered with elaborate carvings, and the pillars were beautifully decorated (only a small part can now be seen). They were decorated, covered with gold and gilded bronze, and had multi-colored glass balls embedded in them. Found in the Erechtheion the most ancient samples Ionic (egg-shaped pattern) and guilloche (pattern of intersecting lines).

Venue to the east of the northern portico was paved with large slabs of Pentelic marble, and this was done with great care, not found anywhere else near the Erechtheion. On the western and southern sides of this courtyard, three steps of stairs leading to the temple have been preserved; and the longer staircases on the north and east sides have collapsed over time. It is likely that a monument stood on this site, and on the northern side the thrones of the priests were installed, and some religious ceremonies were held here. Some of the platform slabs have been preserved.

Area near the northern portico

About the original Erechtheion plan very little is known. On modern schemes it is divided into two or more rooms, however, exactly how many there were and whether the building had a second level is unknown. The eastern part of the temple, which is usually considered part of Athena Polyadas, was most likely the site of the cult of Poseidon-Erechtheus, since Pausanias, who approached here from the east, first entered the room in which the altars of Poseidon-Erechtheus, Hephaestus and Buta stood. He did not see any cult statues, so he called this part "ikimat" (building) rather than "naos" (temple). On the walls of the Ikimat he saw images of members of the priestly Eteobutad clan(Έτεοβουτάδαι), considered descendants of Booth and Chthonia (Bootus was the twin brother of Erechtheus and the first priest of Athena and Poseidon on the Acropolis; see below). In order for visitors to be able to see these paintings, good lighting was necessary and, perhaps, it was because of this that a window was made on each side of the entrance, which is extremely rare to see in Greek temples. In the eastern room for the three cults there was, respectively, three priests. During the excavations, signed bases of two thrones were found, on which the priests of Buta and Hephaestus sat. In the western part of the temple, according to Pausanias’ description, there was a wooden statue of Athena Polyada.

View of the Erechtheion from the east

During its history the temple has undergone many changes, was destroyed several times, the first time perhaps even before construction was completed. In the 1st century BC. During the siege of Athens by the Roman general Sulla, the Erechtheion burned down, after which it was rebuilt. In the 7th century he became Christian basilica, because of which all the internal walls were removed and new ones were built. After the conquest of part of Greece by the Crusaders and the formation of the Duchy of Athens (1204 - 1458), the Erechtheion became an episcopal palace. During Ottoman rule(1458 - 1832) the palace was turned into a harem for the garrison commander, and its northern portico was walled up. During the War of Independence from the Turks (1821 - 1830), the roof of the northern portico was blown up and the side walls of the cella were destroyed.

Coffered ceiling of the north portico

On the southern side of the Erechtheion is portico of the Caryatid, the roof of which is supported by columns in the form of six women in flowing robes. This portico was built to disguise the huge wooden beam that was used to strengthen the southwest corner of the temple after the adjacent buildings (Kekropion and) were demolished.

This portico appeared later than the main building. The creation of his sculptures is attributed to Alcamenes or Callimachus.

Portico of the Caryatids. View from the east

The Caryatids of the Erechtheion stand with the main weight on one leg - on the left the three that stand on the right, and on the right the three that stand on the left. If you look at the portico from the south, the caryatids look very unstable - as if they were ready to slide off the edge. But if you look at the portico from the corner, that is, consider it not as a flat picture, but as three-dimensional image, then the caryatids look very stable due to the fact that all of them have straight supporting legs in the foreground, which, thanks to the vertical folds of clothing, resemble columns with flutes.

Posture and weight distribution of Caryatids

One caryatid with part of the entablature above it, was taken to England in 1801 by Lord Elgin. He tried to remove the second sculpture, but technical difficulties arose and then they tried to saw it. As a result, the caryatid was simply broken and left in place.

All the caryatids of the portico are copies, while five of the original statues are in the Acropolis Museum, and the sixth is in the British Museum in London.

Correct view of the portico of the Caryatids from the west

These sculptures began to be called caryatids only in recent times, whereas previously, according to the inscription found in the temple, they were called simply “ bark"("girls"). Similar girls took part in the Panathenaic procession and carried peplos and other items for the statue of Athena Polyada.

Caryatid is any sculpture of a woman that performs the same functions as an ordinary column. The Greek word "Caryatids" literally translates as "maidservants of the city of Caria" (the city is located in the Peloponnese). Caryatids hold the entablature directly on their heads, which makes them different from canephorus, between the entablature and the head of which there is a basket with fruits or flowers (for example, the famous “washwoman” in).

Correct view of the portico of the Caryatids from the east

Dimensions of the Erechtheion

North portico: length 10.72 m, axial distance of external columns 3.09 m (3.15 m corner and 3.067 front), diameter of external columns 0.817 m (corner 0.824 m), column height 7.64, entablature height 1.68 m.

East portico: length 11.63 m, axial distance of external columns 2.11 m, diameter of external columns 0.6 m, height of columns 6.59, height of entablature 1.54 m at front and 1.51 at sides.

Western portico: axial distance of external columns 1.97 m, diameter of external columns 0.62 m, height of columns 5.61 m, height of entablature 1.54.

Erechtheus I, Erechtheus II and Erichthonium

ErechtheusI(Ἐρεχθεύς) in Greek mythology was the archaic king of Athens and the founder of the polis (city-state). As a god he was associated with Poseidon and was called " Poseidon-Erechtheus" Erechtheus as a mythical figure and Erechtheus as a historical character were fused into a single hero in Euripides' lost tragedy Erechtheus (423 BC).

In Homer's Iliad, Erechtheus was the son of the “fertile Earth,” whom she gave birth to from Hephaestus (which is why his altar stood in the temple). His upbringing was not carried out by Gaia herself, but by Athena, who found him, and gave the basket with him to the Arrephorii who lived in Pandroseion. Erechtheus was considered the progenitor of all Athenians, who even called themselves “sons of Erechtheus.”

Ionic column capital in the north portico

Erichthonium(Ἐριχθόνιος) was the son of Erechtheus, who also ruled in Athens. Plutarch combined both names in the myth of the birth of Erechtheus. Early Greek authors also made no distinction between him and his grandson, Erechtheus II. Only in the 4th century BC. these characters are divided. There is the same legend about the birth of Erichthonius as about the birth of Erechtheus I.

Door decoration in the north portico

ErechtheusII- son of Pandion I and Zeuxippa (Pandion I himself was the son of Erichthonius). According to Pseudo Apollodorus, Erechtheus II had a twin brother, Booth, who married his daughter Chthonia. The brothers divided the power they inherited from their father - Erechtheus II became the ruler, and Booth became the high priest of Athena Polyada with the right to pass this post on by inheritance. According to the surviving fragment of the tragedy of Euripides, Erechtheus II, having conquered Eleusis, was struck by the trident of Poseidon, since the murdered king of Eleusis turned out to be his son. Tragedy ends in the words of Athena, addressed to Erechtheus’s widow Praxitea: “... and for your husband I will order the construction of a sanctuary in the center of the city; he will be known by the one who killed him under the name "Sacred Poseidon"; but among the townspeople, when sacrificial animals are killed, he will also be called “Erechtheus.” To you, however, since you rebuilt the foundations of the city [sacrificed your daughters to save it], I grant the duty of being the first to offer sacrifices by fire and to be called my priestess.”

It is likely that all three heroes were duplicates one historical character, invented by the Athenians in order to lengthen their history and thereby secure their rights to the land.

The main eastern portico of the Erechtheion. The Panathenaic procession entered through it. Right column with entablature - copy

Cult of Erechtheus and Athena

Cult of Erechtheus and Athena on the Acropolis is considered the oldest and most revered in the city. They were both pre-Olympic chthonic (earthly and underground) gods.

Erechtheus was a god who shook and broke the earth. This was his Athenian name, while throughout the rest of Greece he was mainly known as Poseidon.

View of the door to Pandrosion from the eastern side of Erechtion

Athena, who was often worshiped in the same temples as Erechtheus, was neither his wife nor his daughter. This coexistence of an unrelated and unrelated god and goddess can be explained by the fact that they were probably previously worshiped separately by two different groups of people living near the Acropolis. They agreed to live in peace and therefore built a single temple on this hill, symbolizing their good neighborliness.

The right part of the pediment of the eastern portico (copy). Below it is a frieze of black limestone

Herodotus often mentions the Pelasgians who settled around the Acropolis Hill not only in prehistoric time, but also later, at the dawn of the historical period. The Pelasgians were also the tribe of the Kranai (Κραναοί), in whose honor Athens was called “Athens of the Kranai.” Also near the Acropolis lived the Ionians, expelled from the Peloponnese by the Achaeans, and large group Cecropids, thanks to whom Attica was called “Cecropia” for some time. All these groups fought each other for land and to establish their deity. Myth-makers poets Later they presented this struggle as a struggle of the gods “for possession of the earth.” The most famous of these myths is the story of the contest between Poseidon and Athena, which took place during the peak of the confrontation between the old chthonic and new Olympian gods (that is, probably during the Dark Ages in 1150 - 900 BC). Chthonic Poseidon was defeated as he was confronted by the young Olympian goddess. Athena was one of the first chthonic gods to leave the underground pantheon and join the Olympian (heavenly) pantheon. Her chthonic essence was preserved only in popular cults (such as her cult in the Erechtheion).

Upper part east wall Erechtheion

Cult of Athena

From the second half of the 6th century BC. The cult of Athena flourished on the Acropolis. From the 5th century Athena Parthenos became a separate goddess with her own character. She became the beautiful official goddess of the state, living in the largest temple, in whose honor the Great Panathenaea was held for several days. Her statue by Phidias in the Parthenon was 12 meters high. She weighed more than a ton, and her clothes and weapons were made of gold.

Caryatids are plaster statues of girls dressed in loose clothing, which are used as supporting elements - columns or pilasters. The architectural pedigree of the gypsum Caryatids extends back at least three thousand years. Today, the Caryatid is one of the most famous stucco sculptures, which is used as a decorative element in many plaster compositions and inspires designers to create more and more masterpieces of plaster art.

History of the creation of the Caryatid

Undoubtedly the most famous examples The Caryatids are six magnificent stucco maidens who make up the so-called porch of the maidens attached to the Erechtheion on the Acropolis in Athens. The Erechtheion itself, which was built by the ancient Greeks as a temple, is one of the main monuments of ancient Greek architecture. Subsequently, the Erechtheion and the plaster Caryatids, built in the 5th century BC, were copied again and again by famous architects and sculptors, from Ancient Rome to modern London and Chicago.

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The caryatids that we can see today on the Acropolis are copies. One of the original statues was brought by Lord Elgin's men in the early 1800s. The history of this statue is very unusual, because when the lord returned to his homeland, Sultan Selim III allowed him to “take out of the country only one piece of stone with inscriptions.” Being a connoisseur of art, Lord Elgin chose a magnificent statue of a girl, which caused a mixed reaction from those around him. It can now be seen in the British Museum, while the other five have since been moved to the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

Despite the stunning beauty of the sculptural composition “porch of the maidens” (also called the porch of the Caryatids), it was actually added to the temple for reasons of practicality. The fact is that in order to support the western end of the roof of the Erechtheion, the architect needed several 4.5-meter powerful ones. This is why two porches were added to hide the supporting elements and achieve the magnificent aesthetics of the temple.

Despite the fact that when mentioning the ancient Caryatids, the conversation most often comes down to the Erechtheion, in fact, the “porch of the maidens” is far from the first example of the use of plaster stucco statues of women as supporting elements. For example, the Caryatids at Delphi are at least two to three hundred years older, and the use of women as support for the construction of religious objects, such as ritual pools, and as handles for mirrors is considered an even older tradition.

World "tour" of the ancient Greek Caryatids

It is enough to take one look at the magnificent Caryatids of the Acropolis to understand that Lord Elgin is far from the only art connoisseur who would like to own such a work of stucco art. Many centuries before his questionable activities at the Acropolis, the Romans used copies of these sculptures in the Pantheon and Forum Augustus in Rome, and at Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. Since then, the Erechtheion and its stucco maidens have inspired designers and architects around the world.

Caryatids of London

Not far from the British Museum is St Pancras Church, built between 1819 and 1822 in the Greek Revival style. Project for new church St Pancras was designed in Paris in 1818, just two years after the British Museum acquired a collection of sculptures brought from the Acropolis by Elgin. Inspired by the magnificence of the art of the ancient Greeks, successful British architects, William and Henry William Inwood, used a range of architectural elements, traditional for Greece. The portico has characteristic Ionic columns, and above the entrance to the crypt there is exact copy"porch of the maidens", and the ceiling of the octagonal tower was copied from the marble Tower of the Winds in the Athenian Agora.

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Interestingly, when Henry William Inwood realized that his designs had made a great impression on European connoisseurs, he decided to go to Athens himself. There he immediately set to work making plaster casts of the various decorations of the Erechtheion. It should be noted that Elgin did not agree with him. Although Inwood must have already known about the capricious lord's controversy, he did not consider it possible to destroy the magnificent architectural creations of the Acropolis and limited himself to only plaster copies, which helped preserve unique objects of ancient Greek art.

The Caryatids of St Pancras Church also have a unique iconography which links them to their position at the entrance to the crypt. They stand in front of a stone sarcophagus, and each plaster woman holds either an extinguished torch or an empty jug. These special symbolic features make them unique, but there is no doubt that the tribune in St Pancras Church is a direct imitation of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis.

American Caryatids

Through Atlantic Ocean in Chicago - another amazing journey of the Greek Caryatids of the Erechtheion. In 1893, the World's Columbus Exposition was held in Chicago to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in New World. The exhibits presented at the exhibition were dedicated to important historical events different eras. Subsequently, on the basis of the exhibits, the Field Museum of Natural History was formed.

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The museum's classic design is immediately apparent - the architect in charge was William Pierce Anderson. The museum building is made in the neoclassical style, which creates a solemn and majestic impression on the viewer. Comparing the museum building to Chicago's modern innovation center, with its skyscrapers of glass and metal, only enhances the visual impact of this distinctive appearance.

Each side of the portico has balconies that were created by the architect, inspired by the splendor of the Erechtheion. Each of them has caryatid pillars designed by sculptor Henry Goering. The architect himself said about these sculptures, “they best samples decorative sculptures that have been created at all times." Initially, Goering was commissioned to create a series of neoclassical sculptures that were supposed to decorate the museum building, but the artist himself decided differently. Having created four balconies with eight plaster caryatids, the architect placed low relief panels above each of them, each representing one of the four thematic sections of the museum, namely anthropology, botany, geology and zoology.

Caryatids in Serbia

Another unique example using those same Caryatids - the Old Palace in Belgrade, also known as the Old Court, which was the home of the Obrenović dynasty - the original line of Serbian rulers - in the late nineteenth century - early twentieth century. Built towards the end of the 19th century, this palace with its neoclassical splendor was to supplant all previous residences of Serbian rulers. Today this building is considered by experts and historians to be one of the highest achievements of Serbian architecture of that period.

The two most distinctive external classical features of the palace are the magnificent Caryatids and Doric columns. Taking a closer look at them, it is easy to notice that they look almost identical to the caryatids on the Erechtheion in Athens. The building was damaged during the First and Second World Wars and has since been extensively rebuilt and renovated. Today this building houses the Belgrade City Assembly.

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Caryatids, as well as quadrigas, are still used in architectural creations around the world. Some of them are purely for decorative purposes, while others have retained their original function and are installed as a support pole. The Caryatids of St. Pancras Church support the vault of the massive building, while the Chicago Caryatids are decorative, as there are photographs showing the canopies without supporting pillars.

These are just three examples of the use of Caryatids as decoration and functional elements in architecture. However, these examples demonstrate how our present is greatly influenced by our past. To this day, magnificent plaster Caryatids do appear everywhere, especially when you least expect to see them. For example, the magnificent fountain on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, the stairs Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, fountains and palaces of Rome.

Gypsum Caryatids are classics of world sculpture. Today, stylized supporting female statues are very often used by designers not only in classic interior compositions, but also as a separate element of modern minimalist motifs, a thin thread connecting the ancient past and our time.

Our customers and partners regularly ask the question, why is our company called Caryatida? What does Caryatid mean?

This is because from our point of view, the Caryatid is the culmination in the construction of two basic concepts of AESTHETICS and FUNCTIONALITY, in addition, very often Caryatids They are right on the façade.
Why Aesthetics? - Tell me, what could be more beautiful than a woman?
Why functionality? - what could be more functional than a load-bearing column? It is on them that almost any building rests. It is difficult to find a building that can do without load-bearing columns.
Caryatids are beautiful two-pieces that have been holding parts of building structures on their shoulders (arms) since ancient times. In our understanding, the best buildings are those in which all elements consider beauty and functionality.

Dictionary help

Caryatids, Greek architect., female figures, without arms, in long clothes, serving to support parts of the building mainly. on the front side, instead of columns and pilasters. In the latest art K. name. and male figures of the same kind (more correctly, Atlanteans).
(Brockhaus and Efron)

Caryatid (from Greek. karyаtides, literally - the priestesses of the temple of Artemis in Caria in the Lakonika region in Ancient Greece) is a sculptural image of a standing female figure that serves as a support for a beam in an architectural structure (or figuratively expresses this function by decorating a structural support). K. were widespread in the architecture of antiquity and European architecture of the 17th–19th centuries.
(Great Soviet Encyclopedia)

CARYATID(Greek, from the city’s own name). A statue of a clothed woman, used instead of a pillar to support an entablature.
(Dictionary of foreign words, Chudinov A.N. 1910)

CARYATID Greek. karyatis, idos, named after the city of Kariya. A female statue without arms, in long clothes, used to support vaults instead of pillars and pilasters.
(Explanation of foreign words, Mikhelson A.D., 1865)

CARYATIDS(gr. karyatides Carian maidens) archit. a vertical support in the form of a female figure supporting a beam ceiling.
(New Dictionary of Foreign Words. EdwART, 2009)

in English caryatid
karyatide in German
in French cariatide, caryatide
in Italian cariatide, canefora
cariátide in Spanish
in Ukrainian karyatidi, -tid

And despite the fact that some authors of dictionaries claim that the Caryatids are women CLOTHED and WITHOUT HANDS. We still assert (since we collect sculptures of Caryatids) that Caryatids are women with arms and often half-naked and sometimes completely without clothes, which undoubtedly makes them even more attractive.

Photos of different Caryatids.

Our customers and partners regularly ask the question, why is our company called Caryatid? What does Caryatid mean?

This is because, from our point of view, the Caryatid is the culmination in the construction of two basic concepts of AESTHETICS and FUNCTIONALITY, in addition, very often the Caryatid stands on the facade.

Why Aesthetics? - Tell me, what could be more beautiful than a woman?

Why functionality? - what could be more functional than a load-bearing column? It is on them that almost any building rests. It is difficult to find a building that can do without load-bearing columns.

Caryatids are beautiful two-pieces that, since ancient times, have been holding parts of building structures on their shoulders (arms). In our understanding, the best buildings are those in which all elements consider beauty and functionality.

Dictionary reference.

(Brockhaus and Efron)

Caryatid (from the Greek karyаtides, literally - the priestess of the temple of Artemis in Caria in the Lakonika region in Ancient Greece) is a sculptural image of a standing female figure that serves as a support for a beam in an architectural structure (or figuratively expresses this function by decorating a structural support). K. were widespread in the architecture of antiquity and European architecture of the 17th–19th centuries.

(Great Soviet Encyclopedia)

CARYATIS (Greek, from the city’s own name). A statue of a clothed woman, used instead of a pillar to support an entablature.

(Dictionary of foreign words, Chudinov A.N. 1910)

CARYATID Greek. karyatis, idos, named after the city of Kariya. Female statue without arms, in long clothes, used to support vaults instead of pillars and pilasters.

(Explanation of foreign words, Mikhelson A.D., 1865)

CARYATIDES (gr. karyatides Carian maidens) archit. a vertical support in the form of a female figure supporting a beam ceiling.

(New Dictionary of Foreign Words. EdwART, 2009)

in English caryatid

in German k aryatide

in French cariatide, caryatide

in Italian cariatide, canefora

cariátide in Spanish

in Ukrainian karyatidi, -tid

Photos of different Caryatids.

So, today is Saturday, April 15, 2017, and we traditionally offer you answers to “ Current issues" We encounter questions ranging from the simplest to the most complex. The quiz is very interesting and quite popular, we are simply helping you test your knowledge and make sure that you have chosen the correct answer out of the four proposed. And we have another question in the quiz - What, according to Vitruvius, should the caryatids be?

A. dressed
B. naked
C. barefoot
D. crowned with laurel wreaths

The correct answer is A - DRESSED

Caryatid- a statue of a dressed woman, introduced into use by ancient Greek architecture to support an entablature, replacing a column or pilaster.

It was first mentioned by Vitruvius in his treatise dedicated to Octavian Augustus:

“So, for example, if someone in his building puts instead of columns marble statues of women in long robes, called caryatids, and places mutulas and cornices on them, then he will give the following explanation to the curious: the Peloponnesian city of Carius concluded an alliance against Greece with its enemies - the Persians ; Subsequently, the Greeks, having gloriously won their freedom by the victorious end of the war, with general consent declared war on the Carians. And so, having taken their city, killed the men and devastated their state, they took their wives into slavery, while not allowing them to take off either their long clothes or other attire of married women, not only in order to lead them once in a triumphal procession , but so that they, serving as a grave example of slavery, covered with eternal shame, clearly pay for the crime of their fellow citizens. For this reason, the architects of that time used sculptures of these women for public buildings, placing them to carry weights, so that posterity would remember the punishment of the Carians.”
- Vitruvius, “10 Books on Architecture.” I: 1.5

Let's look at Greek buildings, images of which are collected in numerous literary works. We will make sure that decorative sculpture takes a secondary place and is subordinate to the contours of the profile. The Greeks are above all in love with form. They reject everything that can contribute to the disruption of its harmony and unity. It is this instinct that makes them invariably prefer nude sculpture. They dress their statues only in obedience to the conventions of religion, but they free themselves from these rules at the first opportunity. The first statues of Aphrodite were, or should have been, clothed from head to toe. The instinct of the Greeks turned out to be stronger than the dogmas of religion, and starting from the age of Pericles, sculptors set them aside.