James S. Ackerman
Contributor
Arthur Kingsley Porter Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts, Harvard University. Author of The Architecture of Michelangelo; Palladio.
Primary Contributions (1)
Architecture, the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. The practice of architecture is employed to fulfill both practical and expressive requirements, and thus it serves both utilitarian and aesthetic ends. Although these two…
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Publications (2)
Palladio: The Complete Buildings (April 2008)
The classical Roman revivalist No other architect in the history of Western art has had an influence so spontaneous and yet so enduring as Andrea Palladio. Palladianism broke through all cultural stylistic barriers. It spread not only throughout the Neo-Latin nations but held Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the countries of Eastern Europe in its sway and formed the lineaments of English architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. Palladio lived in an age which was extremely exciting for...
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The Architecture of Michelangelo (September 1961)
In this widely acclaimed work, James Ackerman considers in detail the buildings designed by Michelangelo in Florence and Rome—including the Medici Chapel, the Farnese Palace, the Basilica of St. Peter, and the Capitoline Hill. He then turns to an examination of the artist's architectural drawings, theory, and practice. As Ackerman points out, Michelangelo worked on many projects started or completed by other architects. Consequently this study provides insights into the achievements of the whole...
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