Architectural Portal with Paired Planking Ionic Columns (only left-hand columns and part of arched opening shown) 1780 - 1850

This drawing of an architectural portal with ionic columns was made anonymously, on a sheet of paper, at an unknown date. The architectural style evokes the values of classical antiquity, which were periodically revived in European academies. Here, the paired ionic columns and arched opening suggest the entrance to an important building. But we can only speculate as to its purpose without further information. The classical style often signaled a connection to institutions like the state or the church. We might also consider how drawing academies in various European countries promoted the classical style as the basis for good taste and solid craftsmanship. The meaning of this drawing depends on further study of its origins, purpose, and circulation, consulting archives, records of architectural practice, and the history of drawing as a discipline.