Illustrated Architecture Dictionary

Corinthian
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Buffalo Savings Bank - capital

According to the Roman author Vitruvius, in The Ten Books on Architecture, "The third order, called Corinthian, is an imitation of the slenderness of a maiden."

This style was developed in the Greek city of Corinth. Much used by the Romans for its showiness.

The other two Classical Greek orders were Doric and Ionic. (The other two Classical orders, Tuscan, and Composite, were developed by the Romans.)

The Orders of classical architecture were formalized by the Greeks and applied to the design and proportion of buildings used the post-and-lintel, or column and entablature construction

The Doric Order emerged in the sixth century BC, and was followed by the Ionic Order in the east Greek territories of Anatolia. ...

The moldings of the entablature of the Ionic Order - that is the architrave, frieze and cornice - include the egg-and-dart, leaf-and-dart and waterleaf, all of which
are broadly-based ... . Other decorative borders such as the bead-and-reel and astragal look convincingly as if they were originally turned in wood, for architectural decoration in wood preceded what was later carried out in stone.

The Doric Order of architecture was little used by the Romans in Italy. The Tuscan Order was a simplified version with base, unfluted shaft and simply molded capital. The Ionic Order, however, became popular and its enrichmentswere further elaborated.

The Corinthian Order (which is more properly regarded as a variation of the Ionic) was mainly used in the interiors of Greek temples in the fourth centuryBC. It became dominant in Roman architecture in response to a taste for more decorative styles and for its easier adaptation to different features, such as engaged columns and pilasters.

The Corinthian capital made use of the acanthus leaf as its major motif, like the purely Roman variation, the Composite capital, which has horizontally linked volutes of Ionic type set over a bell of acanthus leaves.

- British Museum Pattern Books: Roman Designs, by Eva Wilson, 1999


See also: Greek Revival Style

Corinthian order: The slenderest and most ornate of the three classical Greek orders, characterized by a Corinthian entablature and column

Corinthian entablature: Three major parts include cornice, frieze, and architrave

The cornice sometimes includes modillions, dentils, anthemion, and egg-and-dart

The frieze sometimes includes sculpted relief

Corinthian column: The slenderest and most ornate of the three classical Greek columns, including

Tallest base of the three classical Greek orders
Slender, fluted shaft
Ornate, bell-shaped capital decorated with a fleuron, volutes, and acanthus leaves


Corinthian capital, in its perfected form, has two tiers of eight acanthus leaves. From the uppermost of these rise stalks which terminate in volutes. These support the abacus, (top slab). At the center of the four convex faces is a carved anthemion (fleuron).

Hellenic form of Corinthian capital: row of water leaves (type of lotus leaf) above a row of acanthus leaves

Examples from Buffalo:

Other examples:


Corinthian pilaster

Photos and their arrangement © 2002 Chuck LaChiusa
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