Discover the critical vocabulary of Western architecture and the enduring influence of the five classical orders within this fully illustrated Grove Art Essentials volume. Beginning with the syntax of columns and entablatures in ancient Egypt, the authors outline the development of the classical orders and their variations in ancient Greece and Rome, tracing the revival and adaptation of these forms in the medieval period to the present day. Balancing convention and variety, the five major orders were codified in the Renaissance, and subsequent Western architecture with classical leanings continues to adopt this visual language almost as if sacrosanct. This text explores the character and history of the Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite, and Tuscan orders and traces their legacy through the architecture of the Western world.