Investigation on the Implementation of Optical Refinements in the Partrthenon Frieze Reliefs
Issues related to visual representations as perspective distortions, optical illusions and refinements were known in antiquity, since a number of architectural monuments are illustrative of such practices. The Parthenon of Acropolis in Athens is a relevant example where this knowledge was probably a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ksiegarnia Akademicka Publishing
2016-12-01
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| Series: | Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.akademicka.pl/saac/article/view/3113 |
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| author | Konstantinos-Dionysios Bouzakis Dimitrios Pantermalis Areti Sakellaridou Athina-Antonia Bouzaki Marianthi Grigoriadou Ioannis Mirisidis |
| author_facet | Konstantinos-Dionysios Bouzakis Dimitrios Pantermalis Areti Sakellaridou Athina-Antonia Bouzaki Marianthi Grigoriadou Ioannis Mirisidis |
| author_sort | Konstantinos-Dionysios Bouzakis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Issues related to visual representations as perspective distortions, optical illusions and refinements were known in antiquity, since a number of architectural monuments are illustrative of such practices. The Parthenon of Acropolis in Athens is a relevant example where this knowledge was probably applied. The present paper aims at providing analytically documented evidence of whether optical refinements were considered in adjusting the background level inclination of the Parthenon west frieze reliefs and in the design of the carved human figures. For this reason, the implementation of optical refinements for avoiding perspective distortions is elucidated and the calculations for their prediction described. Employing this mathematical analysis, optical refinements related to the west frieze reliefs and their background inclination were determined. These diminish optical illusions when a region of the frieze blocks’ is observed from a viewpoint on the stylobates’ level between two columns. Also presented are characteristic anthropometric proportions per interna- -tional standards, and their modifications when optical refinements are applied. These modified proportions of a human body are compared to those of human figures carved on the Parthenon west frieze blocks. The latter were determined via evaluation of their digital data obtained by means of 3D laser scanning. What was revealed, was an impressive conformity between the reliefs’ background inclination along with the depicted human body proportions of the Parthenon frieze, and the corresponding ones calculated for avoiding optical illusions due to perspective distortions. These findings give substantial weight to the hypothesis that optical refinements were implemented in the Parthenon west frieze. However, they cannot exclude the fact that the human body proportions followed aesthetic rules and norms of the Parthenon construction period. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T03:32:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58e0822ac32c4a0baac3ec86bb090a24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1899-1548 2449-867X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T03:32:16Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Ksiegarnia Akademicka Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization |
| spelling | doaj.art-58e0822ac32c4a0baac3ec86bb090a242022-12-21T17:17:10ZengKsiegarnia Akademicka PublishingStudies in Ancient Art and Civilization1899-15482449-867X2016-12-012010.12797/SAAC.20.2016.20.03Investigation on the Implementation of Optical Refinements in the Partrthenon Frieze ReliefsKonstantinos-Dionysios Bouzakis0Dimitrios Pantermalis1Areti Sakellaridou2Athina-Antonia Bouzaki3Marianthi Grigoriadou4Ioannis Mirisidis5Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GreeceNew Acropolis Museum of Athens, GreeceGerman University of Technology in OmanArchaeological Museum of Nikopolis, Preveza, GreeceAristotle University of Thessaloniki, GreeceUniversity of Western Macedonia, GreeceIssues related to visual representations as perspective distortions, optical illusions and refinements were known in antiquity, since a number of architectural monuments are illustrative of such practices. The Parthenon of Acropolis in Athens is a relevant example where this knowledge was probably applied. The present paper aims at providing analytically documented evidence of whether optical refinements were considered in adjusting the background level inclination of the Parthenon west frieze reliefs and in the design of the carved human figures. For this reason, the implementation of optical refinements for avoiding perspective distortions is elucidated and the calculations for their prediction described. Employing this mathematical analysis, optical refinements related to the west frieze reliefs and their background inclination were determined. These diminish optical illusions when a region of the frieze blocks’ is observed from a viewpoint on the stylobates’ level between two columns. Also presented are characteristic anthropometric proportions per interna- -tional standards, and their modifications when optical refinements are applied. These modified proportions of a human body are compared to those of human figures carved on the Parthenon west frieze blocks. The latter were determined via evaluation of their digital data obtained by means of 3D laser scanning. What was revealed, was an impressive conformity between the reliefs’ background inclination along with the depicted human body proportions of the Parthenon frieze, and the corresponding ones calculated for avoiding optical illusions due to perspective distortions. These findings give substantial weight to the hypothesis that optical refinements were implemented in the Parthenon west frieze. However, they cannot exclude the fact that the human body proportions followed aesthetic rules and norms of the Parthenon construction period.https://journals.akademicka.pl/saac/article/view/3113Parthenon west friezeperspective distortionanthropometric proportionsoptical refinements |
| spellingShingle | Konstantinos-Dionysios Bouzakis Dimitrios Pantermalis Areti Sakellaridou Athina-Antonia Bouzaki Marianthi Grigoriadou Ioannis Mirisidis Investigation on the Implementation of Optical Refinements in the Partrthenon Frieze Reliefs Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization Parthenon west frieze perspective distortion anthropometric proportions optical refinements |
| title | Investigation on the Implementation of Optical Refinements in the Partrthenon Frieze Reliefs |
| title_full | Investigation on the Implementation of Optical Refinements in the Partrthenon Frieze Reliefs |
| title_fullStr | Investigation on the Implementation of Optical Refinements in the Partrthenon Frieze Reliefs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation on the Implementation of Optical Refinements in the Partrthenon Frieze Reliefs |
| title_short | Investigation on the Implementation of Optical Refinements in the Partrthenon Frieze Reliefs |
| title_sort | investigation on the implementation of optical refinements in the partrthenon frieze reliefs |
| topic | Parthenon west frieze perspective distortion anthropometric proportions optical refinements |
| url | https://journals.akademicka.pl/saac/article/view/3113 |
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