For all those interested in the relationship between ideas and the built
environment, John Onians provides a lively illustrated account of the
range of meanings that Western culture has assigned to the Classical
orders. Onians shows that during the 2,000 years from their first
appearance in ancient Greece through their codification in Renaissance
Italy, the orders--the columns and capitals known as Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite--were made to serve expressive
purposes, engaging the viewer in a continuing visual dialogue.