“Greek art was extremely simple and direct; both in design and construction the Greek mind abhorred complicaton.”

—  Ernest Flagg

Small Houses: Their Economic Design and Construction (1922)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Greek art was extremely simple and direct; both in design and construction the Greek mind abhorred complicaton." by Ernest Flagg?
Ernest Flagg photo
Ernest Flagg 65
American architect 1857–1947

Related quotes

Ernest Flagg photo

“The Greeks designed by a modulus of fixed measure”

Ernest Flagg (1857–1947) American architect

Small Houses: Their Economic Design and Construction (1922)
Context: The Greeks designed by a modulus of fixed measure, and that modulus, for the Doric order, was the distance between centers of the triglyphs.... The triglyphs stand in the frieze, at the corners of the building and at regular intervals at all sides of it; between then are panels, called metopæ, which are always square. The distance between the triglyphs, therefore, determines the height of the frieze. The height of the frieze determines that of the architrave, which is the same. The distance between the triglyphs also determines the spacing of the columns, for except at the corners of the building the center of each column coincides with that of every second triglyph. Upon the spacing of the triglyphs, therefore, depend absolutely the proportions of plan and order. That spacing constitutes a fixed modulus for the entire design which never varies in its application and is, in fact, the harmonic scale of the monument.<!--Ch. II

Marshall McLuhan photo

“The Greek “point of view” in both art and chronology has little in common with ours but was much like that of the Middle Ages.”

Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980) Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar-- a professor of English literature, a literary critic, and a …

Source: 1960s, The Gutenberg Galaxy (1962), p. 64

Ernest Flagg photo

“In the human figure as it approaches perfection… is contained the sure guide for the determination of all true principles of design. …it was because the ancient Greeks… realized this truth that they excelled all others in art.”

Ernest Flagg (1857–1947) American architect

Small Houses: Their Economic Design and Construction (1922)

Emil Nolde photo

“The most perfect art was Greek art. Raphael is the greatest of all masters in painting.”

Emil Nolde (1867–1956) German artist

Such were the doctrines of every art teacher only twenty or thirty years ago.
1.
1900 - 1920, On Primitive Art – Emil Nolde, 1912

Isadora Duncan photo

“The dance of the future will have to become again a high religious art as it was with the Greeks. For art which is not religious is not art. It is mere merchandise.”

Isadora Duncan (1877–1927) American dancer and choreographer

Source: The Art of the Dance (1928), p. 62.

Walter Scott photo

“There is yet spirit in him, were it well directed- but, like the Greek fire, it burns whatever approaches it.”

Walter Scott book Ivanhoe

Source: Ivanhoe (1819), Ch. 43, Malvoisin to Mont-Fitchet

El Greco photo

“If Vasari really knew the nature of the Greek style of which he speaks, he would deal with it differently in what he says. He compares it with Giotto, but what Giotto did is simple in comparison, because the Greek style is full of ingenious difficulties.”

El Greco (1541–1614) Greek painter, sculptor and architect

full of ingenious difficulties [= translation of Greek art historian Nicos Hadjinicolau] /
full of deceptive difficulties [= translation of Spanish art historians Xavier de Salas and Fernando María]

Quote of El Greco, as cited in 'Hand-written Note Shows El Greco Defending Byzantine Style In Face Of Western Art', Dec. 2008 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081218132252.htm
the different translation by Nicos Hadjinicolau leads him to the conclusion that El Greco was defending Byzantine art; which is rejected by Fernando María

Will Cuppy photo

“[Footnote] He [Alexander] was often extremely brutal to his captives, whom he sold into slavery, tortured to death, or forced to learn Greek.”

Will Cuppy (1884–1949) American writer

The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950), Part II: Ancient Greeks and Worse, Alexander the Great

Emil Nolde photo

“The most perfect art was Greek art. Raphael is the greatest of all masters in painting'. Such were the doctrines of every art teacher only twenty or thirty years ago.”

Emil Nolde (1867–1956) German artist

1.
1900 - 1920, On Primitive Art – Emil Nolde, 1912

Related topics