Description
Book SynopsisThe Art of Building has captured the interest of artists from the Roman period to today. The process of construction appears in western art in all its details, trades, and operations. Michael Tutton investigates the representation of building processes and materials through an examination of paintings, illuminated manuscripts, watercolours, prints, drawings and sculpture. Technical terms are explained and detailed interpretations of each work are provided, with insights into the artists' inspiration and themes. Even paintings not wholly or principally devoted to construction sites may give tantalising glimpses of building activity. How do these images convey meaning? How much is imagined; how much is authentic? Fully referenced endnotes, bibliography, and glossary complement the text and captions, informing not only the architectural and construction historian, but also those simply interested in art.
Table of ContentsList of Figures
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE. The Carpenter
Access: Scaffolding, Ladders and Ramps, the Raw Materials
The Evidence for Early Scaffolding, ladders and ramps to the end of the Sixteenth Century Formwork
Scaffolding in the Seventeenth Century and Beyond
Timber framing and roof structure
Accidents and misadventures
Cranes, Hoists and other Lifting Equipment
Roman cranes
Medieval and Renaissance cranes
When things don't quite work
The mobile crane
CHAPTER TWO. Stone masons and bricklayers: materials, tools and equipment
Ancient Egypt
The Roman period
Medieval and Renaissance
Materials production and extraction
CHAPTER THREE. The Smith
The blacksmith on the building site
Smiths in mythology
Two fourteenth century images
Adam Dürr, a Nuremberg blacksmith
The striker
Conclusion
Glossary of technical terms
Bibliography
Index
