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Printer Friendly Version Gothic And Renaissance Architecture Early Gothic During the Romanesque Period many creations and innovations of architecture were occurring in various places, but it wasnt until the construction of the Abbey Church of St. Denis that Gothic Architecture truly began to take shape. Here at this church in a region called Ile-di-France in northern France the various architectural innovations were brought together and formed the Gothic style. Abbot Suger was a very innovative and energetic man who is said to be responsible for this advancement in architecture. In 1122 Suger was elected abbot of the French Royal Monastery of St. Denis. At this time St. Denis was not in its true splendor. The church was un-kept, overcrowded, and beginning to decay. The original building was built in 775 as a Carolingian basilica. Revisions had been made in 832 to enlarge the eastern chapel, but little work had been done since then. Sugar had aspirations to rebuild the church, yet had other matters that needed his attention before anything could be done. The Abbey was in financial trouble and faced a lot of criticism for the religious practices of the monks from Bernard of Clairvaux. As Suger worked to strengthen the churchs finances and reputation, he researched and developed images of what he would like his church to become once the church itself was more in order. He studied the designs dictated by God, as was written in the Biblical descriptions of the Temple of Solomon. He read what he thought to be writing of St. Denis that documented the use of lights mystical and metaphysical properties. He took and great interest in the discussions of colored light. Suger was planning on creating a building that was above all other buildings. He was determined to surpass the church of Hagia Sophia that was seen as the most splendid church in Christendom. In order to do so, Suger questioned travelers from Constantinople about the Hagia Sophia and its structure. Once the other concerns of the church were attended to, Suger was able to put his research and ideas into action. Construction on the new church began in 1137. By 1140 the church had a new west front and narthex that incorporated a twin-towered faade of Norman churches and sculptured portals that were developed in south France. The improvements on the west side of the building encouraged immediate extension of the east side. For here the improvements only continued. Suger used his fascination with colored light in the new choir that was built in 1144. Rib vaults were used to cover the irregular bays of the

original complex. The interior was transformed into an open, airy, and radiant space which satisfied Sugers desires. Abbey Suger died in the 1150s, but the innovations that were created at St. Denis lived on. High Gothic The Early Gothic period was a time of exploration and innovation. During this time the buildings still possessed redundant features from the Romanesque period. But this had changed with the maturation into the High Gothic period. This period was characterized by its progressive structural and artistic features. Three structural components of Gothic architecture had been developed in this progression. The first was the pointed arch. This arch was much more sophisticated than the Romanesque semicircular arch and exerted less outward thrust. The second structural element of Gothic Architecture was the rib vault. This was a thin shell construction with folded plates. These rib vaults reduced the weight and allowed for greater building heights. The final structural element of Gothic architecture is the flying buttress. This is a type of buttressing that was built at right angles to the wall. Slender arches connected to the wall at strategic points. These slender arches gave the upper section of the buildings skeletal frame strength. While the French Royal Monastery of St. Denis may have been the first monument of the Early Gothic, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Chartres was the first monument of the High Gothic. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame was a very important building which held the tunic that was thought to be worn by the Virgin Mary. The building was pledged by two separate fires and was rebuild and improved upon many times in a span of twenty-six years from 1194 to 1220. The interior elevations of the building were divided into three sections: the nave arcade, the triforium passage, and the clerestory windows. Sugers ideas of colored light were incorporated into the Cathedral of Notre-Dame with three stained glass lancet windows. The interiors luminescence was one of Chartres main features like many of the other Gothic cathedrals. The west front doorways of the building were sculpted with jamb statues of the kings and queens of the Old Testament. These jamb figures on the west were quite stylized and stiff. These figures show the progression of realism in the Gothic sculptor when compared to the portals carved a century later on the north and south transepts. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame may have been the first monument of the High Gothic, but it was not the only. The Cathedral of St. Etienne at Bourgew was another building of the High Gothic that had a divergent design approach to that of Chartes. The interior of Bourgew differed drastically. The paired aisles were heightened to brace the high vaults of the nave and choir. The vaults were much higher indeed. The vaults rose 113 feet at Chartes and 158 feet at Beauvis. Although the vaults at Beauvis were quite high, they were not very impressive. They collapsed in 1284, possibly because of inadequate bracing. The vaults were rebuilt but never completed. The choir and transept are all that is left standing today. The Cathedral at Reims was another building in the progression of High Gothic Architecture. Although the Cathedral at Reims design was based on Chartres, the chapels were deeper and the height of the building was greater. The great height of the building was achieved by adjusting the proportions of the nave and enlarging the clerestories to fill the wall plane between the piers. One of the most impressive aspects of the Reims Cathedral is its west front sculpture. The jamb figures of the Annunciation and the Visitation were very innovative.

They showed an enlightened understanding of the human body along with a very thoughtful compensation of perspective. The figures have elongated necks to compensate for the angle at which the figures will be seen. The Amiens Cathedral is another example of the High Gothic Architecture. It is the tallest completed French Gothic church. Construction began in 1220 and was finished in 1269. Although churches continued to be built and remodeled, none come close to the scale are was built in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries. The Sainte-Chapelle Chapel was built in 1243 by King Louis IX to house various relics that were acquired from Constantinople. These relics included the Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross. This chapel was in no way equal to the scale of the cathedrals being built at this time. Although the chapel was much smaller than a cathedral it did have two levels. The upper chapel had great glass illustrations of the complete Old and New Testaments. Although the various monuments of the High Gothic were quite different in structure, there were many similarities in the buildings. The three structural components of High Gothic could be seen in many of the buildings. While these components may have been structural characteristics of the buildings, there were other characteristics as well. Many of the buildings included jamb figures and contained stained glass that expressed the very important concept of colored light. While these buildings may posses many similarities, they are each still a very distinctive and unique part of High Gothic Architecture. Renaissance Architecture During the latter part of the medieval period a great transformation began to take place. Many changes began to occur not only in the way people lived but in the way they would think as well. The Renaissance period was a time of cultural stimulation and discovery. Civic life became more urbanized in the citystates. The families income came more so from privately owned merchant businesses than from large family inheritances. The government was no longer under an authoritarian rule; it was now based on a new understanding of Roman law. Religion also encountered change. Men no longer viewed the world merely through the eyes of the church; they began to create their own individual view. This was perhaps the most significant changes that brought about the Renaissance period. Although many men remained religious, the focus was not longer on the afterlife. Life itself, and the beauty of it, was now incredibly valued and celebrated. This celebration through life was expressed through art, poetry, literature, music, and many other creative outlets. The city of Florence was known as the birthplace of the new artistic movement called the Renaissance. Ancient Greek and Roman art was collected and studied avidly by the people of the Renaissance. It was no longer a time when artists, writers, scholars and poets were cast aside from society. They had now become well respected and honored members of the society. The Renaissance was a time when art effected many aspects of life, including architecture. A man by the name Filippo Brunelleschi made great advancements in Renaissance architecture. He was a very intelligent man that possessed many skills both mathematically and artistically. Although various artistic had tried in the past, Brunelleschi was one of the first artists to perfect and accurate linear perspective. He represented a three-dimensional view onto a two-dimensional surface with great precision. He studied and created geometric rules that stated that converging

parallel lines could represent distance. Although Brunelleschi was known for these artistic advancements, he did not grace the architectural world until the Cathedral of S. Maria di Cambio. This building was intended to have a dome that greatly exceeded the other domes of its time. The plan called for a dome that spanned 150 feet on the diagonal, but a problem was encountered when no one really knew of a way that is could be done. Brunelleschi proposed to use a ribbed structure to solve this problem. It was not until a one-twelfth scale model was constructed that Brunelleschis plan was accepted. Brunelleschi was commissioned for the construction of the dome even though he had not completed any other buildings at this time. Brunelleschi build both the inner and outer using arch ties to reduce the weight without sacrificing stiffness. He also used metal fastening principles that he had seen in the ruins of Roman construction to reinforce the masonry. Metal clamps were used to connect horizontal arch rings of limestone. These rings were used to hold apart the inner and outer shells of the dome. Not only did Brunelleschi impress the world of architecture with his construction resolutions, but he also did so with his mechanical inventions and management procedures. One of his mechanical innovations was the block and tackle pulleys that lifted stones weighing up to nineteen tons. Another lift was also devised with a safety break that rose large blocks of stone to the working platform with little risk. His management procedures were very efficient. For example, in order to save time that was lost descending and ascending the high platform during break time, a canteen was used on the scaffold. This allowed the workers to eat lunch without having to move from the high platform. Although Brunelleschis work on the Cathedral of S. Maria del Fiore was great, it was not the only building that constructed. Brunelleschi build many other projects in Florence that may be of smaller scale, but are also great architectural innovations as well. The Osepedale degi Innocenti is considered the first building of the Renaissance. Here Brunelleschi used some Romanesque elements that were based on Roman architecture. The building has a continuous arcade atop Corinthian columns that cross the main faade and are placed around an internal courtyard. Brunelleschi also designed the first centrally planned structure of the Renaissance for S. Maria degli Angeli in 1434. In Brunelleschis Latin cross church of S. Lorenzo, a similar columnar arcade can be found with a slightly more balanced effect. In both of the churches, the Roman elements of semicircular arches and Corinthian columns convey a classical character to their interiors. Brunelleschi, along with other Renaissance architects used their mathematical skills to incorporate geometry into their architecture. The architects of this time favored the straightforward numerical ratios such as1:2 and 1:3. The architects of the Renaissance also favored simple figures such as the square and the circle. Even the drawings of the human figures were inscribed with the basic outline of the circle and the square. The most famous of these drawings was Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man. This figure had fingers and toes which were adjacent to both the circumference of a circle and the sides of a square. Geometric influences could be seen in many of Brunelleschis buildings. The Old Sacristy for the church of S. Lorenzo was built so the floor, walls, and pedentive looked as though they contained a cube. The Pizzi Chapels exterior had a series of square panels that were supported by six

Corinthian columns, instead a pediment that was expected to be supported in other buildings. The interior of the Pizzi Chapel was rectangular with a square altar opposite the entrance. Brunelleschis designs inspired many other architects that used his ideas as a basis for their own. Michelosso di Bartolomeo was a student of Brunelleschis that was commissioned to create the Palazzo Medici in Florence in 1444. This was a residential palace that reflected the traditional architecture of the domestic buildings in Florence. Bartolomeo used Romanesque arching, similar to the design of Brunelleschis Osedale degli Innocenti, to surround the courtyard. Another architect by the name of Guiliano do Sangallo followed the traditions of Brunelleschi. Here the use of classical elements can be seen in the entrance porch with its columns, entablature, and pediment. Brunelleschi greatly impacted the world of architecture from his own work and innovations to the inspiration of his followers. Another great man who affected architecture was Leone Battista Alberti. Alberti was well-educated in mathematics, music, philosophy, Roman law, and language including Greek and Latin. He was a very influential thinker who approached architecture as a way of expressing his philosophy of design. Alberti differed from Brunelleschi in that he was much less practical and much more theoretical. He produced writings that were based on research and observation. Based on some of his observations, Alberti concluded that colors appear to fade with distance and that pure black and white do not exist in nature. He also wrote of how the human body should be depicted with an emphasis on muscle definition. One of Albertis writings was the manuscript of Della Pittura that was dedicated to five young Florence artists. Alberti felt that the work of these five artists accurately represented the art of ancient Rome. Albertis favoritism of these artist was not unjust; these artists are now regarded as the founders of the Renaissance. The founders included the sculptors Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, and Luca della Robbia, along with the painter Masaccio and of course the architect Filippo Brunellschi. Alberti was not only a theorist and a writer but an architect as well. He designed the facade for S. Maria Novella which was the first completed church faade in the Renaissance. This building was based on the eleventh-century Florentine tradition of geometric panels of white and green marble. Like Brunellschi, Alberti also made innovations in his architecture. He used a triumphal arch in a very large scale for the facade. He also unified the interior and exterior of a building by using a repeating A-B-A rhythm. With all of Albertis contributions to architecture, it is no wonder that his name will be remembered throughout time. As the ideas of the Renaissance escaped the boundaries of Florence, many different qualities emerged. Buildings like the Plazzo Vendramini-Calergi began to posses large windows that replaced the courtyard that were traditionally used. Perspective was giving to some of the buildings by using low-relief panels. This was one of the many architectural ideas of Martino Lombardo who is said to be a major focal point of the Renaissance. Lombardo may have been an architect of much focus during the Renaissance period, but he was not the only one to cause changes in architecture during the Renaissance period. Antonio Averlino was also an architect who also had a great impact. He wrote Trattoato darchitectura which discussed the aspects of centrally planned Renaissance geometry. Another important architect of this time was Donato Bramante. He created

the retarditaire design which was an immaculate, over decorated exterior detail. Bramante also created the ultimate use of linear perspective during the fifteenth-century by using low relief with a converging appearance. One of Bremantes greatest achievements was being the first architect to use an arch that was flanked by squareheaded openings. This unit was sometimes known as the Palladian motif. The face of the Renaissance was greatly changed by its spread, yet it was not until it reached Rome that High Renaissance was born. Bramante had many great advancements during the times of Early Renaissance, but it was his works in Rome that caused him to be a leader in High Renaissance. One of Bramantes great achievements was the cloister for the S. Maria della Pace. Here he used stacked arches and columns that had previously been seen in the Colosseum. Another innovation of Bramantes was the threedimensional quality he used in building his own house. Most of the structures in the Early Renaissance seemed to have a very flat order. The late Renaissance, sometimes called Mannerism, was a period that was dominated by great artistic expression. Themes of disharmony, tension, and imbalance ruled this time period. Architecture was no longer strongly based on tradition, now statements were being made through the use of exaggerated art. There were two great artists that shaped this period Michelangelo Buonarroti and Andrea Palladio. Michelangelo used the concept of instability in the creation of the Laurentian Library. He constructed columns that appeared to be supported on consoles. This gave the illusion that the weight of the building was carried on very weak elements. Pope Paul III admired Michelangelos work so much that he employed him to create the Palazzo Farnese, the popes own family residence. Palladio was also a very talented architect. The church of S. Giorgio Maggiore was one of Palladios most significant projects. It was at this monument that Palladio found a way to properly elevate the faade of a basilica. This had been a major problem during the period of the Renaissance. Garden designs and the use of landscaping has been seen throughout history, and the Renaissance period is no exception. During the Renaissance landscape architecture was seen as a well respected, major art form. Various living materials and vast kinds of foliage was use along with water and sculptor to create a very pleasing type of architecture. Pirro Ligorio was the first person to design a major Mannerist garden. It was located on a hillside near Rome at the Villa dEste in Tivoli. As the garden descended down the hillside, it grew symmetrically down a central axis. With all of the beauty that was created in architecture during the Renaissance period, it is no wonder that natural beauty was incorporated as well. Approximate Word count = 3230 Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)

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