Question and Answer about Art Meseums

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1. Why does Carol Duncan believe that the art museum is a ritual setting?

Duncan noted that the Boston Museum of Fine Arts represents the similar architecture of a Greek temple. This resemblance can be seen in the Erechtheion, located in Athens, which exemplifies this comparison. The Erechtheion is built with Ionic orders, which is one of the three main orders that were used in classical Greek architecture. The Ionic is mostly famous for its “scrolls” that decorate the top of the column. You see the same style of columns holding up the architrave of the Boston Museum. Also visible, is the frontal staircase that leads up to the entrance, which is located just behind the columns. Indeed most of their history they were designed to resemble them.
The Greek temples and Renaissance palaces that house public art collections suggest secular values, but not religious beliefs. Museums are considered secular institutions, where “secular truth became the authoritative truth.” All secular places have rituality behind their purpose. The purpose or focus of every museum is to have the viewe...

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