The Program in Hellenic Studies at Columbia University and The Consulate General of Greece in New York

cordially invite you to a lecture by

Dr. Theodoros Koutsogiannis, Curator, Art Collection of the Hellenic Parliament

Views of Athens in America Greek-Revival Architecture and the Iconic Athenian Models

Although Athens was considered the cultural capital of the ancient world and the artistic model for the West, “the mother of arts and philosophy” as Cicero put it, actual ancient remains in the city of Athens did not contribute significantly in shaping the artistic and architectural development of the Renaissance because of the Ottoman occupation. The city had to wait for the travelers of the “Grand Tour” and the continually burgeoning antiquarianism of the 18th century, in order to participate in the artistic movement of Neoclassicism. It was the depiction of Athenian antiquities in illustrated editions that played a crucial role in the diffusion of Athens’ image.Furthermore, a series of architects employed such editions as “model books” for the formulation of individual motifs and even entire facades in their own neoclassical works of architecture. Stuart and Revett’s monumental edition The Antiquities of Athens, in particular, became a reference work for neoclassical architects, especially for those who adopted the so-called Greek-Revival style. A great many public buildings in England and Scotland, Bavaria and Prussia, as well as the United States – especially in east-coast cities – make direct stylistic references to Athenian monuments.

The lecture will try to interpret the phenomenon of Greek-Revival architecture, especially its American manifestations, and the visual, architectural as well as cultural and ideological references to their iconic Athenian models.

Department of Art History and Archaeology
Columbia University
Schermerhorn Hall, 6th Floor, Room 612