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BRUNELLESCHI, FILIPPO.
Term Paper ID:18694
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Essay Subject:
Career & major artistic & technical achievements of 15th Cent. Italian Renaissance sculptor/architect.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Career & major artistic & technical achievements of 15th Cent. Italian Renaissance sculptor/architect.
Paper Introduction:
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) was an important figure in Italian Renaissance art during the early fifteenth century. A resident of Florence, Brunelleschi was widely known during his time as a sculptor and architect. In addition, he made important contributions to the development of perspective as seen in the arts of drawing and painting. Without a doubt, however, Brunelleschi's greatest achievements were in the field of architecture. One of Brunelleschi's innovations in architecture was the development of the use of accurate proportions. Most architects during his time attempted to plan their buildings without making careful use of the principles of geometric design. In contrast, Brunelleschi sought to replace "the earlier builders' freehand treatment of arithmetical ratios with exact measurements" (Gilbert 70). In making this innovation,
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However, Brunelleschi was able toovercome this difficulty by utilizing a tapering effect in the constructionof the Cathedral's dome. Inthis regard, it has been noted that, although the lantern adds weight tothe top of the dome, it also "has the curious effect of stabilizing theentire structure, since without the pressure of its weight the ribs had atendency to tilt outward from the center, spreading at the top" (Gardner49 ). New York: Harcourt Brace, 198 .Gilbert, Creighton. This dome consists of anoculus, or opening, which is placed directly in the center, when viewedfrom the perspective of a person looking up at it. Brunelleschi's revolutionarytechnique involved "resting on the octagonal stone drum a series ofconcentric rings, or horizontal courses of brick and stone, each strongenough to support the next . The Pazzi Chapel is regarded as a high pointin Brunelleschi's artistic career, and its dome is furthermore consideredto be the finest aspect of the work itself. 1971): 58.Gardner, Helen. History of Renaissance Art Throughout Europe. Nevertheless, the central component of the buildingis the dome-covered area which is found in the middle section of theconstruction. As in his other works, Pazzi Chapel clearly articulatesBrunelleschi's basic ideas on the use of proportion, balance, andmathematical precision. Nevertheless, Brunelleschi's greatest achievement in terms ofarchitecture is considered to be his work on the Cathedral of Florence,which is also known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The work on the Old Sacristywas commissioned by the Medici, the powerful ruling family of Florenceduring the Renaissance period. Rather, he had to adapt his designin order to make it fit the already-existing structure. The elements of balance and proportion which are central to thisclassicism have come to be regarded as essential aspects not only of arthistory, but also of the art and architecture still being produced today.Brunelleschi, with his domes and other projects, forms a notable link inthis historical process because he "synthesized elements from both theGothic and Classical styles, solved the static problems he inherited andforeshadowed modern principles of construction" ("Brunelleschi" 58). As noted by art historian HaraldKeller, this structure "served to bind and support the two shells of thecupola [dome], since the horizontal rings bound together the verticalgroins and gave support to the very much weaker external shell" (33). In addition to this important contribution,Brunelleschi is known today for having made important technologicalinnovations in the design and construction of buildings. Because of the extreme thickness of the drum walls, and the difficultyof obtaining suitable support from them, Brunelleschi decided to actuallybuild two domes, with one being placed directly inside the other (31). The construction of that dome posed specialproblems which forced Brunelleschi to become the great architecturalinnovator that he is now remembered as being. Around the inner edge of the dome,there are twelve other oculi. "Toward an Interpretation of the Pazzi Chapel." Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 32 (Oct. The dome of the Cathedral of Florence was both the highest andlargest dome of Brunelleschi's time. The Renaissance in Italy: Painting, Sculpture. In addition, he made important contributions to the developmentof perspective as seen in the arts of drawing and painting. Tansey. In making this innovation,Brunelleschi was influenced by the models of ancient architecture that hehad seen during his visits to Rome. Brunelleschiabsorbed the influences of classical antiquity which were in turn laterabsorbed by the neoclassical artists and architects of the eighteenthcentury. Another important architectural work by Brunelleschi was that of thePazzi Chapel in Florence. Of these domes,the one that covers the Cathedral of Florence (Santa Maria del Fiore)stands out above all the rest. The rib construction of this dome iscleverly designed so that "the twelve other oculi seem to float betweenthese ribs" (Barolsky 228). In addition, it is interesting to note that Brunelleschi"not only discarded traditional building methods and designed new ones butalso invented much of the machinery that was necessary for the job"(Gardner 489). This wide distancecreated a serious difficulty in terms of constructing a dome to cover it.In particular, the wide space involved completely eliminated thepossibility of using the traditional way in which domes had beenconstructed in the past. Like the Cathedral of Florence, the PazziChapel is notable in that it shows Brunelleschi's outstanding capabilitiesin working with dome structures. This made the weight of the dome itself much lighter and thereby mucheasier to work with under the circumstances. Thus, as noted by Renaissancehistorian Rosa Maria Letts, "the dome, which almost seems to float on thecylindrical base of white stucco, finishes the building with consistentelegance and restraint" (49). 7th ed. Because this lantern is quite large and heavy, it seemsimpossible to believe that it does not simply force the entire dome to comecrumbling down. The overall plan for the Pazzi Chapel isrectangular in shape. However, as noted, the wide span in thepre-existing structure of the Cathedral of Florence prohibited thearchitects of the time from utilizing this traditional approach to dome-building. The drum wall asit existed was made up of a series of stone blocks. AIA Journal 55 (Mar. Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) was an important figure in ItalianRenaissance art during the early fifteenth century. the stones then formed eight heavy ribsresting on the corners of the octagon" (Letts 21). It stands as a clear testament ofBrunelleschi's innovative skill as an architect. This idea, of course, presented specialstructural problems at the time. In fact, because of the state of architectural technology at thetime, when Brunelleschi came to work on the project in 1417, he immediatelyrealized the necessity of inventing a completely new technique. Part of Brunelleschi's technique involved making the density of thedome be as thin as possible. Art historians have been particularly impressedwith Brunelleschi's dome in the Pazzi Chapel. "The Science of the Magi: The Old Scarsity of San Lorenzo and the Medici." Source: Notes in the History of Art 6 (Fall 1986): 1-11."Brunelleschi: Studies of His Technology and Inventions, Frank D. 1977): 156-166.----------------------- 1 This workis particularly notable because of the technological innovations thatBrunelleschi arrived at for handling the problems of constructing theCathedral's dome. The most challenging problem facing Brunelleschi in the constructionof the dome for the Florence Cathedral, however, was the fact that thespace needing to be covered by the dome was quite wide. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1973.Keller, Harald. Once the bricks of the dome had become self-supporting in thismanner, the wooden framework could then be removed without fear of theentire construction falling down. Brunelleschi began working on the Cathedral in about 1417,and the work was not completed until the late 143 s. This tapering effect proved to be a source of great stability forthe structure as a whole because "it reduces the outward thrust around thedome's base" (Gardner 489). Vol. Architecture. However,the technique was completely unknown before Brunelleschi's time, and todayhe is credited with having been its inventor. "Brunelleschi's Dome." Architectural Review 162 (Sep. However, in actuality, this lantern has the effect ofsupporting the overall construction rather than detracting from it. Thesetechnological developments are particularly noticeable in the various domeprojects that Brunelleschi worked on during his lifetime. As noted by Rosa Maria Letts in her discussion onRenaissance style architecture, "at that time vaults were built like archesby centering method: a beam was placed across the archway on top of thewalls. A resident ofFlorence, Brunelleschi was widely known during his time as a sculptor andarchitect. Although this dome stands out as hismajor achievement, it must be noted that Brunelleschi was also influentialin the creation of a number of other important Renaissance constructions.For example, during the 142 s, while still working on the dome of theFlorence Cathedral, Brunelleschi completed the Old Sacristy church in SanLorenzo. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1981.Mainstone, Rowland. At its base, where it joins the drum, the domeconstruction is of the same thickness as the wall. This statement shows the extent to whichBrunelleschi was able to attain the high ideals of classicism in hisarchitectural work. Prager and Gustina Scaglia." Rev. of Brunelleschi: Studies of His Technology and Inventions, by Frank D. The space whichthe dome had to span was approximately 14 feet wide. There was yet another innovationused by Brunelleschi in his construction of the dome for the FlorenceCathedral which had both artistic and structural merits. This was the first and only original work by Brunelleschi to becompleted during his lifetime (Gilbert 71). 1973): 228-231.Blumenthal, Gabriel. Thus, because the Old Sacristy was designed and built byBrunelleschi alone, the project gave him "the opportunity to develop fullyand translate into physical reality his geometrical, numerological, andmetaphysical concepts" (Blumenthal 3). The drum, as built, was both tall and thick.Thus, it stood at "a height of almost fifty-six feet and a thickness ofthirteen feet" (Keller 31). This tapering effect also gives the dome ofthe Cathedral of Florence its unique shape, which is somewhat pointed atthe top in contrast to the other domes of the period which are all round atthe top. Abrams, 1969.Letts, Rosa Maria. In this regard,the top of the dome includes a large lantern, or opening, which looks outonto the sky. Horst de la Croix and Richard G. The Renaissance. In addition to the use ofbricks instead of stone blocks, Brunelleschi figured out yet another way tomake the overall construction of his dome lighter than it normally wouldbe. Brunelleschi also rejected the way of dome construction whichinvolved stacking bricks together so that they would end up supporting eachother. In this work, Brunelleschi was able toarticulate most of his original ideas on geometrical and proportionalconstruction. In solving this unique problem, Brunelleschi came up with a number ofideas. Works CitedBarolsky, Paul. Ed. At that time, the wallof the drum which was intended to support the weight of the proposed domehad already been built. Brunelleschi began work on this project in about144 . In creating his designfor the dome, Brunelleschi had to take into consideration the amount ofstress which this existing stone wall would be able to handle.Specifically, Brunelleschi was aware that his dome would have to "acceptthe support that these [walls] provided without overtaxing it" (Mainstone158). This style of dome construction, known as the double shell, isknow a standard form of procedure in the field of architecture. This unique appearance supports the fact that this work is "thefirst dome completely geared to being seen from the outside" (Gilbert 71).Earlier architects had designed their domes with the idea that they wouldonly be seen from the inside. Most architects during histime attempted to plan their buildings without making careful use of theprinciples of geometric design. In addition, it reflectsthe historical importance of Brunelleschi's work and the fact that he was akey figure in the development of the Italian Renaissance. Because the drum wall had already beenconstructed, Brunelleschi did not have the luxury of being able to createhis design for the dome from scratch. One of Brunelleschi's innovations in architecture was thedevelopment of the use of accurate proportions. Gardner's Art Through the Ages. When he came to workon the project, Brunelleschi was immediately faced with a problem that noother architect before him had been able to solve. From this centralopening, there are twelve supporting ribs which branch out and connect itto the outer edge of the dome itself. Inthis way, Brunelleschi was able to span the wide space given to him whileat the same time keeping the weight of the exterior dome as light aspossible. In this way,Brunelleschi not only utilized the natural support caused by the brickspressing against one another, but also devised a natural system of ribs orgroins which provided additional support. Brunelleschi's adaptation of theseancient models became an important element not only in the Renaissancestructures of his own time, but also in the classically influenced styleswhich were developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.Brunelleschi's classicism sharply contrasted the medieval and Gothic styleswhich had preceded it by introducing such ideas as harmonic proportion,balance, and unity of design. With this idea in mind, hearrived at a plan for building supports which would arise from each of theeight points on the wall's octagonal shape. . Above that, however,the dome becomes progressively thinner until it reaches the top (Mainstone161). A wooden framework on the beam supported the bricks of the archuntil the desired height was reached and the final round of bricks becameself-supporting by the insertion of a final centre brick, the keystone" (2 -21). Because of the high standards of Renaissance stylewhich are seen in the Pazzi Chapel, it has come to be "universally regardedas one of the most beautiful and representative works of the Renaissance inFlorence" (Barolsky 228). Without adoubt, however, Brunelleschi's greatest achievements were in the field ofarchitecture. Brunelleschi realized that he had to work with the basic octagonalshape which was provided by the existing drum. For example, he decided to substitute lightweight bricks for theblocks of stone which had been previously used in dome construction (Keller33). New York: Harry N. II. In contrast, Brunelleschi sought toreplace "the earlier builders' freehand treatment of arithmetical ratioswith exact measurements" (Gilbert 7 ). By shifting this emphasis, Brunelleschicreated an impressive architectural work which has become a noteworthy andmemorable part of the Florentine skyline. Brunelleschi's work on the dome of Florence Cathedral was conductedbetween the years 1417 and 1436. However, it was not completed until nearly twenty years followinghis death in the year 1446. Prager and Gustina Scaglia. .
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