In architecture, an accolade is an embellished arch found most typically in late Gothic architecture. The term comes from French (l'accolade), referencing a "braced" arch.[1] It is also known as an ogee arch (English), un arco conopial (Spanish), resaunt (Middle English), arco carenato or inflesso (Italian), and kielbogen (German).[1][2]
An accolade is a pointed arch composed of two ogee curves, also known as sigmoid lines, which mirror one another.[3][1] It can be formed by a pair of reverse ogee curves over a three-centered arch ending in a vertical finial.[4][5] The form can also be described as the combination of a convex arch and a concave arch.[6]
Usage
An accolade is usually a decorative molding placed over an opening.[7] The structures are unable to support significant loads, so they are primarily decorative.[6] It has been primarily used over small openings like niches, tombs, windows, and screens as it is difficult to construct.[3][7][5]
History
The accolade was introduced and was most commonly used during the Decorated period of Gothic architecture.[3] It was an element of Church architecture in England from the eleventh to sixteenth century.[8] The peak of the accolade's popularity was during the thirteenth century.[9] During the fourteenth century, there was an evolution in its appearance.[10]
The first accolades in English Gothic architecture appear on the crosses constructed by Edward I in memory of Eleanor of Castile.[11] They are also used in Gothic goldsmithing as in the shrine of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, which was originally built in the 13th century.[1] The entrance to Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye is an accolade.[12] The St. John's Church, and one of its major influences, Strawberry Hill House, incorporates accolades into its design.[13]
Accolades appear as stylistic framing elements in artwork as early as the fifteenth century.[14] It also appears in Dutch art, like the woodcut illustration in The Book of the Golden Throne.[14]
Influences
The form was likely imported to England during the Crusades.[11] There exist accolades in the Ottoman style of architecture, as at the Monastery of St. Constantine on Lake Apolyon.[15] Demus argues that the accolades, or ogee arches, at the Porta dei Fiori and the Tesoro entrance, have Islamic influences.[16] Additionally, Venetian ogee arches resemble an Iranian mihrab niche that was brought to Paris.[16] However, there is no consensus regarding how the accolade became an element of Gothic architecture.[1]
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