Running Head: Art and Architecture 1

Art and Architecture

Name

Institution
Art and Architecture 2

The dome, the flying buttress, vault roof and the arch were methods used from the late

Roman age and assimilated into cathedral buildings during mid-evil times. Other methods

adopted include hoist and cement, block and tackle and treadmill crane.

By using the arch and improving the use of bricks and concrete, the Romans facilitated

the construction of a number of aqueducts across the empire. Examples are the eleven aqueducts

in Rome such as Anio nuvus and Aqua Claudia, and the aqueduct of Segovia. The use of the arch

concept led to the building of numerous bridges, for example, the bridge at Vaison la Romaine

and port Julian, both in Provence, France.

The dome allowed the building of vaulted ceilings omitting crossbeams and supplied a

large public space such as basilicas and public baths. Most Roman architecture derived basis

from the dome. Examples are the baths of Caracalla the baths of Diocletian and Hadrian’s

Pantheon.

. Gottfried Richter, an art historian, cited the Triumphal Arch as the Roman architectural

advancement. The triumphal arch was a symbol of power which got revamped and consequently

used in Christian Basilicas at a time when The Roman Empire in the West was stable. The arch

stood before the altar signifying Christ’s triumph and the afterlife. The Pont du Gard aqueduct at

Segovia and the aqueducts of Rome are surviving examples in which the arch stands.

Christians had a unique way in which they designed their windows. They used

multicolored glass that came in various designs. This allowed the flow of natural light to flow in

from the windows which set high in the walls. This differed from the windowless temples of

older religions. This is a common feature in present day church architecture.