Wilkinson, John Gardner: The Architecture Of Ancient Egypt: In Which The Columns Are Arranged In Orders, And The Temples Classified; With Remarks On The Early Progress Of Architecture, Etc.; With A Large Volume Of Plates Ilustrative Of The Subject, And Containing The Various Columns And details, From Actual Measurement (Text) (London, 1850)

ARCHITECTURE of ANCIENT EGYPT.

PART I.

The Architecture of other people influenced oy that of Egypt.
—Polygonal Columns of Egypt the prototype of the Doric.
—No Round Buildings in Egypt.—Columns not from
Wooden Pillars in Egypt.—Early Houses.—Columns
derived from Square Stone Pillars of Quarries.—Painting
preceded Sculpture.—Origin of the Water-plant Column.
—Squared Stone older than polygonal masonry.—Origin
of the Arch.— Use of Bricks.—Size and Decoration of
Houses.—Egyptian Taste in Architecture and Sculpture.
Human Figure.—Drawing.—Decline of Art.—Tempo-
rary Revival.—A Change under the Ptolemies, hut not an
Improvement.—Buildings still Grand and Imposing.—
Variety of Capitals consistent with Egyptian Taste.

Though the Architecture of ancient Egypt ap-
pears, at first sight, to possess little resemblance to
that of the Greeks, and other people of antiquity,
there is no doubt that it exercised a very great influ-
ence on their earliest style, and gave it a direction,'
■which was only altered, and modified, by accidental
circumstances, resulting from a difference of habits,
of climate, or of taste; and this consideration, and
the fact of Egyptian architecture having long pre-
ceded that of any other country, render the study
of it both interesting, and instructive.

B