Anne Bulckens' Analysis of the Proportions of the Parthenon and its Meanings
Jay Kappraff

Bridges: Mathematical Connections in Art, Music, and Science
Pages 221–226

Abstract

Based on the PhD thesis of Anne Bulckens, the proportional system of the Parthenon is examined. With the appropriate choice of a module and the length of a "Parthenon foot," all dimensions are shown to be integers. These integer values are shown to be related to the musical scale of Pythagoras. Among the many musical relationships expressed by this structure, this paper focuses on a pentatonic scale made up of lengths, widths and heights of the outer structure and the inner structure or cella.

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