At the very beginning of the twenty-first century, the literary scene all over
the world was shaken by the echoes of a best-seller. A novel published in America, the
origin of industrial literature, was breaking incredible sales records, reaching millions
of copies, and was translated into almost all languages of the world. This book is a
novel that internalized all elements of art in the post-modern era in the most
professional way and puts the arts of painting and architecture at the center of its
viewfinder: It is “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown.
All elements that should have a place in a post-modern work of art were carefully
spread in The Da Vinci Code. Elements such as conspiracy theory, esotericism,
theology, cryptology, popular history, and intrigue, which are among the elements of
the most significant interest in the age we live in, were fed into the work in such a taste
and dose as if they were applied with the skill of a master cook.
While the book proceeded with short and easy-to-read chapters and interruptions that
transferred the element of curiosity to the next section, decorated with the techniques of
the writers of the media age that excited the readers' excitement, it attracted attention to
the architectural spaces and cult works of art that it plateaued itself. Even though
Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is its “leitmotif,” some significant European
cathedrals, the Louvre Museum, and some monumental structures in London and Paris
comprise the spaces where the novel takes place. In other words, in the novel, The Da
Vinci Code, the art of architecture occupies an extensive space in addition to such
branches of plastic art as painting and sculpture. Temple Church, the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, Westminster Abbey, Rosslyn Chapel, the Château de Villette, the
Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, and the Louvre Museum are the most
important of these.
Although Dan Brown's worldwide best-seller is a product of popular literature, it
creates an attraction with its theme around monumental structures, architectural works,
works of art, legends, myths, and theological parables that are of great importance in the history of humanity and talks about the creations that are essential, encouraging,
instructive, developing and inspiring for architects, within the framework of qualified
research. Considering this aspect, it is a valuable novel that should be at the center of
the attention of architects.
Keywords: Audrey Tautou, Architecture in contemporary literature, Dan brown, Jean reno, Leonardo da vinci, Opus Dei, Post-modern literature, Rosslyn chapel, Ron howard, The da vinci code, The last supper, Temple church, The church of saint-sulpice in paris, The château de villette, The eiffel tower, The arc de triomphe du carrousel, The louvre museum, Tom hanks, The mona lisa, Virgin of the rocks, Westminster abbey.
