The Emblem and Architecture

This publication is a collection of essays on the function and significance of emblematic decoration of buildings in Europe from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, dealing with general issues involved in architectural emblematics, while a number of the essays are case studies of specific types of building. The emblematic decoration of buildings, both secular and ecclesiastical, was widespread in Europe from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The function and significance of such decoration is, however, frequently overlooked. The two introductory essays seek to come to grips with the general issues involved in architectural emblematics. The remaining essays are case studies of specific types of building while the final two consider the relation of architecture to the book. The essays are revised versions of selected papers presented at an international conference on the subject held at the Canadian centre for Architecture in November 1994.