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Filename :

GC102.JPG

Description :

Foster Tomb Woodlawn Cemetery Bronx, New York William F. Foster’s (d. 1895) final resting place was built around 1899. The Tuscan columns, dentils and cupola are Classical Revival. The structure takes the form of a canopy tomb rather than a mausoleum, although its sheer size puts it in a classification usually reserved for mausolea. In the simplest sense, canopy tombs are tent like structures that shelter a sarcophagus. These structures, usually composed of columns or pillars supporting a dome, are open air affairs, and unlike mausolea, have no doors restricting entry. Canopies may be seen in a variety of ancient architecture. They didn’t become part of the European and American architectural repertory until the eighteenth century, when architects began using them for garden pavilions. The decorative potential of these canopied pavilions and kiosks were soon exploited by designers of funerary monuments. They are often seen seen hovering over a grave or small monument, or sheltering a sarcophagus.