Large houses in England, such as Petworth House, Hampton Court, Blenheim Palace or Richmond Palace, are surrounded by gardens that are among the most beautiful in the world and are considered ideals of landscape architecture. Each of these gardens is like a fairy-tale pastoral scene with picturesque lakes, gently flowing streams on gentle slopes, meadows … Read more
Simple refuge, a woodcut by Wang Meng from the 14th century during the Yuan dynasty. The inscription on it says: “This was painted by the Master of the Yellow Crane Mountain, Wang Meng, for the esteemed student of the Simple Refuge.” The most important characteristic of the Chinese garden, its irregular and organic form, emerged … Read more
The Ryoan-ji Temple, loosely translated as “Temple of the Peaceful Dragon,” is today one of the protected monuments of Kyoto, the former capital and cultural center of Japan, and according to UNESCO, a part of the world cultural heritage. It belongs to the Rinzai school of Buddhism. Ryoan-ji is one of 1600 Buddhist temples in … Read more
The Indian Hindu temple is a reflection of millennia of cultural development, deep religiosity and mysticism, art that captivates with its beauty, and science that reveals a profound understanding of natural laws. Tens of thousands of temples on the Indian subcontinent convey scenes from the great epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the fables of … Read more
In Tivoli, a town near Rome, there is one of the most beautiful residential buildings built during the long existence of the Roman Empire. On an area of about a hundred hectares, more than thirty individual buildings of this unique urban complex were built, which, although devastated by centuries of looting and devastation, still show … Read more
Although its origins are tied to temporal, spatial, and ethnic constraints, the art of ancient Greece is still recognized today, after two and a half millennia, as a unique, timeless, universal value. Greek artists managed to create works that embody their philosophical, ethical, and aesthetic ideas, which have a symbolic value much deeper than it … Read more
In the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Amiens, the main nave, dramatically high at 42 meters, was built in just sixteen years. “Material light, created both by nature in the sky and by human skill on earth, is only a reflection of clear light of knowledge, and above all of the true light.” Abbot Suger Gothic art … Read more
One does not become a great architect solely through intellectual work, but rather through cultivating and enriching the heart. The emergence of the artist’s individuality. The basic concept of that period is expressed through the attitudes of form follows function and less is more. Modernism was born. The shift in the perception of art in … Read more
In ancient times, Buddhist monks, known as bhikshus, did not have a permanent residence. They lived under trees or in caves, or would construct viharas, simple shelters made of twigs and leaves, near populated areas. Gradually, it became customary to place these viharas next to each other, giving rise to monasteries, called sangharamas, which were … Read more
