Then how come the entasis at my middle is so visible?  Ruth





At 6:11 PM -0400 4/21/04, Met History wrote:
In a message dated 4/21/2004 6:06:52 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

My cheap ass, falling apart, held together with duct tape dictionary
doesn't have ENTASIS in it.  What is this?  Ruth

[from an article about another building, a bank at 205 East 57th:]
"Although it is hard to tell now, the exterior columns were executed with a
slight bulge in the middle - the architectural term is entasis - to
counteract the illusion of an inward curve caused when the column sides are
perfectly straight. The columns of the Parthenon are the best known example
of this device."

Of course, the open question is:  If entasis was meant to counteract an
illusion - presumably invisibly - why can you see it?

Christopher

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Ruth Barton
[log in to unmask]
Dummerston, VT

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