Renaissance Period

Renaissance Period

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  SHORT REVIEW OFPREVIOUS CLASS In the previous lecture we studied about the early art of Renaissance which included sculptures, art and painting. The general characteristics present in sculptures were gravity, roundness of form and their relation with a background. As for the paintings the material mainly used was fresco while the general principles mostly followed were perspectives, roundness of form, positioning in space, humanization of religious events and the identification of fabric worn by characters in the paintings. CLASS REVIEW This lecture is about the time when Renaissance art and architecture had just started to gain recognition as a new form of design. Individualism had already started to develop, so the work of Filippo Brunelleschi, Alberti, Giuliano Da Sangallo and others stood out and got famous through out Europe.
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  RENAISSANCE PERIOD FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI Bornin 1377, Florence – Italy. He was one of the founding father of RENAISSANCE. He was a scholar of Latin and spent his time studying the Roman ruins scattered all over Europe. One of the things he is famous for is developing the technique of Geometric Linear Perspective. He was the first architect of Renaissance Period but before that he was an excellent mathematician, a goldsmith and a sculptor. During his time a change in building monuments is observed. FOUNDALING HOSPITAL (1419 - 1424) FACADE OF THE OPEDALE DEGLI INNOCENTI – Commissioned by Giovanni Li Medici  The first thing to be noticed is the Roman Arch; Brunelleschi studied roman work in great detail.  Simple facade compared to the Gothic Era.  Clear horizontal lines which added horizontality to the structure.  Cylinder Corinthian Columns – He composed them in such a way that the lower diameter is big compared to the upper diameter.  Bands that go around the arches.  Between two arches, roundels with an angel inside it.  No. of arches is eleven because an odd no. gives a central opening feel to the facade and at the end he placed a dead wall with a small window.  Further on top pedimented windows.  The interior has proper ventilation and it’s well lit because of many windows placed; unlike the Gothic architecture where the no. of windows and light entering was low.  Basically, his building gives a fusion of logic and traditional elements. Key Characteristics: Symmetrical, Non-Mysterious, Clearly Articulated. As far as proportion goes the Gothic Period has a ratio of 1:3 minimum between horizontality and verticality, where as now the proportion of buildings become 2:1
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  SANTO SPIRITO (1436) -Commissioned by the Pazzi Family.  Instead of the typical cross plan, Brunelleschi designed the first centralized plan of a chapel.  It is well proportioned. Entrance is proportioned with the ratio of 1:2.  The central dome is the double of the dome at the entrance accorded to proportion.  It has been composed of 4 squares.  There is visual order, everything is in harmony with each other in the plan as well as structure  It is actually a rectangular plan but because the transepts are short it gives a square feeling.  Instead of columns, pilasters with Corinthian capitals were designed. THE PAZZI CHAPEL (1429)  Longitudinal plan of church instead of centralized plan.  Nave and Transept is short hence it gives a centralized feeling.  Proportion of the building is 1:2.  Every aisle is a square stopped by a short wall.  Nave is double of the aisle square according to plan.  Crossing like a square topped by dome.  It is a horizontal, well lit and open kind of church.  Arches are decorated with bands of darker colors.  Even though the plan is horizontal the ambiance it gives is that of a centralized plan. Key Characteristics: Light, Airy, Horizontality, Simplicity, Logical, Proportionate. *The above mentioned characteristics would later be a part of modern architecture.
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  DOME OF FLORENCECATHDRAL (1420-36) Dominating the skyline of Florence, Florence Cathedral is the biggest cathedral. It had been 125 years since it’s construction but the cathedral was kept empty - without a ceiling or a dome. So a competition was held to design a dome for the cathedral. This time around as well there were two runner ups, none other than Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti. Brunelleschi won the competition. Since the Florentines wanted a tall, soaring dome and the open space in the cathedral was 140 Ft. wide, there was a limit to what you can achieve by vaulting for example 11-12 Ft. So the first issue was that the span of the building was too big and the second issue was scaffolding (the usual way to build an arch or dome was to support it with scaffolding called “centering.”) so Brunelleschi invented a pulley system like a crane – a machine with chains to counter the issue of scaffolding. As for the dome the whole structure was designed to be light and slim in both form and substance. In fact, from an octagonal drum of the dome stand eight segments, the sails, arranged on two shells separated by a space. Brunelleschi wove regular courses of herringbone brickwork, little known before his time, into the texture of the cupola, giving the entire structure additional solidity. There were 8 major ribs each of which had two more ribs made of stone, one piece placed on top of another, so a total of 24 ribs were designed. The shape of the dome is ogival (like an egg) to sustain the pressure. The lantern was built after his death but it was still designed by him.
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  LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI Bornin 1404, Genoa – Italy. He was an architect as well as renowned in many other fields like painter, sculptor, mathematician and poet. He spent a lot of time studying Vitruvius trying to find his ideal way of architecture. He wrote three books on treaties of architecture which clarified his ideal form and shape etc. He also wrote about centralized type of plan and emphasized that an arch is a simple opening in wall and not something you must place on two columns hence criticizing The Medieval Architectural Relation of columns and arch.  3 Storeys are clearly visible.  The order of columns is changing with floors.  Massive structure.  Heavy cornice at the top.  Visually the structure gets lighter as it goes up.  Net of facade is stretched.  Looks too stern.  Similar to the Roman’s Coliseum.  Low relief – no deep penetration.  The order of columns from ground to top is Duscan, Composite and Corinthian respectively.  Texture is subdued and uniform.  Pilasters are shallow. PALAZZO RUCELLAI (1446-51) SANTA MARIA NOVELLA (1458-70)  Facade of the gothic cathedral was redesigned and constructed during Renaissance by Alberti.  It feels like Alberti designed and then pasted the facade.  A very different facade from normal.  Scrolls at the side started a trend in Italy.  Structural geometry shows two superimposed squares.  Entrance has Corinthian pilasters.  Decoration is in the form of bands.
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  TEMPIO MALATESTINO (1450-1468) -Commissioned by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta.  Church of Francesco.  Gothic Cathedral reconstructed by Malatesta Family because he wanted himself, his wife and mistress as well as the future generations to be buried here (A pagan/roman idea)  Large Pediment on top.  Instead of pilasters there are piers.  Material of construction was marble taken from Roman ruins.  Inspiration taken from the Roman’s Triumphal Arch.  Construction incomplete. (Tempio Malatestino as envisioned by Alberti.) SANT’ ANDREA (1472) Now the Renaissance design had travelled to other cities. This church located in Mantua, Italy already existed, Alberti just replaced it with a new one. The facade is composed of a square that has tall pilasters. The massive wall has openings in the form of arches and is topped by a triangular pediment which seems like a hybrid between triumphal arch and a temple from Roman Architecture. Pilasters have Corinthian capital (they would later be called colossal order used by Michelangelo). Interior nave is flanked by huge massive walls spanned by barrel vaults. It is a simple yet massive structure. Interior was inspired by basilica from Constantine. It has no colonnade, arms and aisle. Chambers are single walled and independent. Breaking away from Christian's plan and moving more toward a centralized type plan.
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  GIULIANO DA SANGALLO Bornin 1443, Florence – Italy. He was an architect, sculptor, and military engineer active during the Italian Renaissance. Giuliano had the opportunity to study the works of ancient architects such as Pliny the Younger and Vitruvius as well as his more immediate predecessors such as Leonardo Battista Alberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. Through this, he was able to develop his creative eye and learn about classical design. He is known primarily for being the favored architect of Lorenzo de' Medici, his patron. Giuliano's first major, independent commission came from none other than the Medici family and it showed not only his architectural skill but also his knowledge of defensive fortifications. Lorenzo the Magnificent called upon Giuliano to build military fortifications and manage the artillery in the town of Castellina against an invasion led by the Duke of Calabria. In this role, Giuliano successfully pushed out the Calabrian forces and showed his natural talent for military building and strategy. SANTA MARIA DELLE CARCERI (1485)  First example of Greek-Cross Plan in Renaissance architecture.  Central plan – From the middle everything seems identical in all directions.  This church has four equal arms surmounted by a small dome.  White and green marble is used for exterior.  According to him, central plan was more appropriate for religious buildings.  No alter, no nave.  Entrance facade is not any different compared to other facades – every side looks the same.  Arms are very short.  It’s a massive, cubic building.  Facade is divided into horizontal storeys.  Doric topped by Ionic capital (a combination used by Brunelleschi and Alberti).
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  ANDREA MANTEGNA PIETRO PERUGINO DeliveryOfTheKeys/ChristGivingTheKeysToSaintPeter Locatedin Sistine chapel, Vatican City – Rome. It is a painting on fresco by an Italian painter Pietro Perugino; executed in 1481-1482. The concept of this painting was that Christ is fine with belonging to the Pagans as well. The key represent the power to forgive and to share the word of God thereby giving them the power to allow others into heaven. As for its general characteristics, he placed the key on axis. There is a vanishing point and clear geometric order present in the painting. It’s a composition in which 2D and 3D are interlocked with each other. Also it seems clearly well lit (which will later influence Rafael and Michelangelo). The main figures are organized in a frieze in two tightly compressed rows close to the surface of the picture and well below the horizon. The principal group, showing Christ handing the silver and gold keys to the kneeling St. Peter, is surrounded by the other Apostles, including Judas (fifth figure to the left of Christ), all with halos, together with portraits of contemporaries, including one said to be a self-portrait (fifth from the right edge). The flat, open square is divided by colored stones into large foreshortened rectangles. In the center of the painting is the porticoed Temple of Solomon. On either side are triumphal arches. Scattered in the middle distance are two scenes from the life of Christ, including the Tribute Money on the left and the Stoning of Christ on the right. CameraDegliSposi/CameraPicta The Camera Degli Sposi (bridal chamber), sometimes known as the Camera Picta (painted chamber), is a room frescoed with illusionistic paintings by Andrea Mantegna in the Ducal Palace, Mantua - Italy. Painted between 1465-74.  Each panel was painted differently before the whole wall was painted.  Edges were decorated with patterns and medallions.  Ceiling presents an oculus that illusionistically opens into a blue sky, with foreshortened putti playfully frolicking around a balustrade.  This painting is architectural as well as pictorial.