Tympanum (architecture)

The tympanum tympanum or in architecture a jewelry area in pediments or in the arch of portals.

History

In the ancient architecture, especially the temple, the tympanum is the triangular pediment surface that was already emphasized because of their size and frontal and was provided with figurative or ornamental decor. This decoration consists of Greek temples often made of fully three-dimensional figures. Initially, the gables were filled with powerful reliefs, such as the soon after 600 BC, built the Temple of Artemis in Kerkyra, the west pediment center occupies the Gorgon Medusa with her children, flanked by panthers. Moved all the way into the interstices of the pediment find smaller scenes their representation, such as a lightning spin Direction Zeus in the fight against giants. Almost free plastic, but still marked by opposing Lion is also written around 570 BC gable decoration of the first ring hall temple on the Athenian Acropolis, in whose interstices among other Heracles fighting Triton. After the middle of the 6th century BC, the compositional scheme and the groups of animals changes are now in turn housed in the crotch before they disappear from the gables. The central composition is now occupied by gods fighting or lined figure groups. The esteem in which we had for this character gables, shows up on finding the figures of late archaic temple of Apollo at Delphi, whose pediment sculptures were buried downright after the destruction of the temple in 373 BC. The theme of each gable representations is increasingly emerging out of the local reference. To the east pediment of the Temple of Zeus in Olympia shows the preparations for the chariot race between Pelops and Oenomaus, the mythical ruler of Pisa located in Olympia; it is the origin myth of the sanctuary itself, which is shown here in it highlighted the lowest position. And similar is the case with the birth of Athena in the east pediment of the Parthenon or the dispute over the Attic land between Athena and Poseidon on its west side. On the pediment of the younger Kabirentempels in Samothrace from the late 3rd century BC, probably ultimately a purely local cult legend of the sanctuary was shown, which was of no superior interest for Greece.

At Roman temples the gable figures recede in favor of a relief or the pediments remain jewelry and figurenlos.

In the Christian church, the tympanum is a semi- circular or ogival arch box above the portals. Romanesque Tympanonreliefs have typically Majestas Domini motifs or world court representations.

Fields on doors, especially in the modern architecture since the Renaissance are called Supraporte.

• Probably decorated in the Byzantine Empire in the 4th and 5th century mosaics,
• In Romanesque churches in part unadorned ( for example, in northern Germany fieldstone churches )
• Richly decorated with reliefs from the Gothic - - especially in Germany and France; also fully sculpted figures occur.

More images

Pantheon in Rome, antique tympanum to the entrance

Tympanum at the Elisabeth Church in Marburg

Tympanum at the west portal of the Ulmer Münster

Tympanum above the main entrance of St. Nikolai, Stralsund

Romanesque tympanum of the south portal, Collegiate Church of St. Dionysius to Enger

Tympanum in Conques (France)

Tympanum in high school at the Hamburger Straße, Bremen

Romanesque tympanum of the church from the ground up, community Wullersdorf

Door with a Romanesque tympanum, St. Martin's Church in Battenberg (Pfalz )

Tympanum Art in Thailand

B ) religious: Hindu God Indra on his mount Erawan

C ) monarchical symbolism: the ruling Chakri dynasty, Bangkok Royal Palace

D) purely decorative: Wat Ratcha Orasaram, Bangkok