These 22 columns used to sit on the East Portico of the United States Capitol building, before they were moved … here.
And as strange as they are, they’ve got something in common with every other Corinthian column.
Something you have to look closer to see. These are acanthus leaves.
Once you start looking for them, you'll notice them everywhere. And these leaves?
They say something about why we have decorated columns in the first place. Okay.
So there are different types, or orders, of columns you run into in classical architecture. The most important stuff is at the top part, on what’s called the “capital.”
The three big orders are Doric — think super basic. Ionic: look for the swirly things, called volutes.
And Corinthian — that’s where you want to look for the leaves. Composite is similar, but with the volutes added in.
It’s a little much. Corinthian columns probably entered the mix around 550 BC, but through all these centuries
of change, the ornamentation at the top stayed the same. And those leaves?
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