THE GREEK TEMPLE AND UTILITY BEAUTY

Abstract

Beauty in classical Antiquity was understood as an imitation of nature, and the ornament, as an element that attributed beauty to architecture. This could reproduce nature in a literal sense, for example, in the reproduction of leaves and flowers or in the depiction of men and women's body, as well as in a conceptual sense, for instance, reproducing proportions found in the natural world. The ornament, however, was not merely decorative. It had a function that could be simply structural or with the purpose of attributing character to the building, legitimizing its use and generating a stronger sense of beauty. The relationship between usefulness and beautifulness and the way in which beauty can overlap practical considerations are decisive for the distinction between ornament and work of art.