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Exploring Renaissance Architecture Concepts

The document outlines key concepts and questions related to Renaissance architecture and humanism, contrasting it with medieval perspectives. It discusses the role of patrons, the intellectual and visual foundations of Brunelleschi's works, and the significance of modules in architecture. Additionally, it highlights the influence of Palladio and Inigo Jones in expressing humanist ideals through design and proportion.

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5 views2 pages

Exploring Renaissance Architecture Concepts

The document outlines key concepts and questions related to Renaissance architecture and humanism, contrasting it with medieval perspectives. It discusses the role of patrons, the intellectual and visual foundations of Brunelleschi's works, and the significance of modules in architecture. Additionally, it highlights the influence of Palladio and Inigo Jones in expressing humanist ideals through design and proportion.

Uploaded by

samihaanart
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Lectures/Powerpoints #6 –The Renaissance

Terms:
humanism proportion
belvedere module
pietra serena

Questions:
Where did humanism place man in the universe? Was man’s position fixed or
changeable? How was this different from the religious understanding of man and God
in the Middle Ages?

How did the Renaissance see God expressed on earth? How is this different from how
the Gothic period expressed God on earth?

In addition to the church, who were the patrons of architecture in 15 th-century Florence,
Italy? Why would these particular patrons of architecture appreciate an architecture of
mathematical proportions? (i.e., how did Renaissance architecture suit its patrons?)

Medieval non-religious architecture seems rooted in a defensive look with thick walls,
small windows, and crenelated tops. Brunelleschi presents a very different kind of
architectural style in his Ospedale degli Innocenti. What is his building rooted in
intellectually? What is it grounded in visually?

What is a module? What does Brunelleschi use as a module in the Ospedale degli
Innocenti? Name three places where that module is deployed throughout the building.
For the person experiencing the building, what does the module provide?

What did Brunelleschi use as the module in Santo Spirito?

How does Brunelleschi make the viewer aware of the edges of the modules in Santo
Spirito?

Rather than the medieval transcendent mystical experience, explain the experience for
the worshipper within Santo Spirito, i.e., where does beauty reside in this church?

What is the module in Palladio’s Villa Rotunda?

Explain how the symmetry and proportion in Palladio’s Villa Rotunda express the spirit
of Renaissance humanism.

What was the principal agent in moving the ideas of Renaissance humanism beyond
Italy in the 16th century? How did Palladio play a role in that?
Inigo Jones’ Banqueting House is a brilliant example of a Renaissance building that
proudly shows off its humanist ideals. Use specific examples from this building to
explain its:
 rationally comprehensible forms
 crisply delineated edges
 clear proportions

How does the principle of decorum explain the design of the vestibule and the reading
room in the Laurentian Library? Make sure you can point to specific design details in
each space that support your opinion.

What parts of the Laurentian Library remind you Brunelleschi’s Santo Spirito? (Do they
both use a module? Is there a similar design idea behind each space? What about
similar materials?)

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