Maison Carrée Colouring

The Maison Carrée stands in Nîmes, France, where the Romans founded the colony of Nemausus. Its French name means Square House, although the building is really a long rectangle. Erected in the first century CE, it is one of the finest surviving Roman temples. It was connected with the imperial cult and dedicated to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, the grandsons and intended heirs of Emperor Augustus, who died young and were honoured as Princes of Youth. The temple helped express the authority of Rome and loyalty to the Augustan family in the provinces. Architects describe the Maison Carrée as a Corinthian, hexastyle, pseudoperipteral temple. These big words become simple when you look closely: Corinthian refers to the leafy column capitals, hexastyle means six columns stand across the front, and pseudoperipteral means the side columns are attached to the walls instead of forming a completely open walkway. The temple stands on a high podium reached by a broad stair. Its deep porch, triangular pediment and carefully balanced proportions make the front look dignified and welcoming. Later generations reused the building for different purposes, which helped it survive. Restorations since the seventeenth century recovered much of its ancient form, although the roof, porch ceiling and interior cella are not entirely original. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 2023. For this colouring page, begin with creamy limestone, pale honey, warm white or light grey. Make the long column shafts mostly light, then add a soft grey or tan on one edge to make them look round. Colour the leafy Corinthian capitals with tiny touches of gold, olive or terracotta while keeping their outlines visible. The roof can be muted red or orange to suggest tiles, and the front door can be dark brown or bronze. Try straight vertical strokes on the columns, horizontal strokes on the podium and careful small strokes on the capital leaves. Colour the little tree in two greens and the flowers with red, blue, purple or yellow. Keep the sky pale blue and the ground sandy beige. Leaving bright spaces on the steps and pediment will help the temple look sunlit and will keep its six-column front easy for young historians to recognise.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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Grown-up note: Please supervise printing and choose age-appropriate art materials.