Metope (architecture)

As metope (Greek μετόπη [ metope ], " between the opening [ of the triglyphs ]") the space between two triglyphs in the Doric frieze or in triglyph is called in architecture. This space can be either open or closed with intermediate fields.

Ancient Architecture

The triglyph is part of the Doric order, which was developed BC in ancient Greece of the 7th century and used primarily in the temple architecture. But later, the Doric order, and with it the metopes was used as ornamental gliederndes and forming principle of order in architecture. In the early days the metopes were open and could be occupied by vases or sacrificial animal skulls. Later, the spaces were closed with plates of different material. These panels could be painted or decorated with reliefs.

The metopes as separated individual images that could accommodate a maximum of three characters in a rule, most individual scenes of a larger context presented dar. rare scenes over several metopes are distributed, rather grabbed you see scenes from a parent action, in particular military action, out and developed in such a way the entire Done. Other thematic links could be illustrated. So showed about the metopes from the Temple of Zeus in Olympia over the cella the twelve deeds of Heracles, six on a temple site. Mythical individual scenes such as the abduction of Europa or the kidnapping of a herd of cattle through the Dioscuri were equally content of the presentation as scenes of the Argonauts or the Trojan War. The fighting against the Centaurs, the Amazons, the giants, as they meet as the Parthenon in Athens, return to many temples again. The reliefs are sometimes of great artistic value, for example, the metopes of the Parthenon in Athens.

From a building metopes can be worked with a neighboring triglyph from a workpiece. Mostly, however, they are formed as separate plates that were inserted between the triglyphs. They are usually almost perfect square, but could be significantly high rectangular or wide rectangular. On the basis of the Doric metopes Eckkonfliktes the one side of the building could be of different widths. Thus, only the Eckmetopen were widened as a possible solution to compensate the conflict. However, the Eckkontraktion the column position was used and this spread over two Säulenjoche, even more neighboring metopes could be affected.

Romanesque Architecture

Which is located between the ends of the beams stone Romanesque console Friese fields also are mentioned in the literature metopes '. They are usually undecorated, but can - especially in south-west France and northern Spain space - be with ornamental, decorated with figurative motifs rare.

Unciti, Navarra - Iglesia de San Martín Artáiz

Sotillo, Segovia - Iglesia de la Natividad de la Virgen

Sepúlveda, Segovia - Nuestra Señora de la Asunción ( Duratón )