From The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand (1943)
“Why do you want me to think that this is great
architecture?” He pointed to the picture of the Parthenon.
“That,” said the Dean, “is the Parthenon." “So it is.” “I haven’t the time to waste on silly questions.” “All right, then.” Roark got up, he took a long ruler from the desk, he walked to the picture. “Shall I tell you what's rotten about it?" “It's the Parthenon!” said the Dean. “Yes, God damn it, the Parthenon!” The ruler struck the glass over the picture. “Look,” said Roark. “The famous flutings on the famous columns—what are they there for? To hide the joints in wood—when columns were made of wood, only these aren't, they're marble. The triglyphs, what are they? Wood. Wooden beams, the way they had to be laid when people began to build wooden shacks. Your Greeks took marble and they made copies of their wooden structures out of it, because others had done it that way. Then your masters of the Renaissance came along and made copies in plaster of copies in marble of copies in wood. Now here we are, making copies in steel and concrete of copies in plaster of copies in marble of copies of wood. Why? . . . The Parthenon did not serve the same purpose as its wooden ancestor. An airline terminal does not serve the same purpose as the Parthenon. Every form has its own meaning. Every man creates his meaning and form and goal. Why is it so important—what others have done?" Copyright 1971 by Ayn Rand |
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