Ren

a i s s a nce
. . Graeco
Graeco--Roman strikes back

To begin with . . .

The word Renaissance is derived from Rinascita

Rinascita,
, which
means rebirth and not an original style
Renaissance began in Italy as part of a revival of Graeco
Graeco-Roman style and culture in early 15th century A.D (1420 A.D)
Broadly speaking, Renaissance implies a conscious revival of
the Graeco
Graeco--Roman style. Classical (Graeco
(Graeco--Roman) details as
well as concepts were used
CLASSICAL This word is used in the context of ancient
historical period(s)
ANTIQUITY This word is used to denote Greek and to some
extent, Roman
Churches, Palazzos, Villas, City Church squares were the
famous building types built during this period
There was an overall mobility (in(in-migration and outoutmigration) of Architects for employment

. . . and to continue

Large monuments of Classical Antiquity of Greece and Rome

were under serious study
The five Classical Orders of architecture viz., Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian, Tuscan and Composite orders, were stabilized and
were used rationally & decoratively
Temporal power of Church was attacked and the unity among
Popes, was reduced
Leon Battista Alberti
Alberti,, Andrea Palladio, Filippo Brunelleschi,
Rossellino,, Maderno
Rossellino
Maderno,, Bramante, Michelangelo, Sangallo etc.
were among the pioneers of Renaissance Art and Architecture
Mathematical or Linear Perspective, Aerial Perspective was
developed and thereby new solutions were sought for formal
and visual problems
Building elements:
elements: Round, bulbous Columns; Flat Pilasters;
Plain or rustic Projections, distinguished use of Orders;
Corinthian Columns and SemiSemi-circular Arches

. . . and to con c l u d e

Building facades with new simple style in Ornamentation and

profile, acted as appendages to the main building during early
Renaissance
Many New Forms were developed in the late(r) period of
Renaissance
In the North of Alps, buildings were mere imitations of Italian
buildings
The resultant variety of Renaissance is due to subjective
individual and personal conceptions
Buildings were of human scale rather than simply being
imperial or divine monumentality
Human form was considered to be fundamentally important as
a relative measure of all forms
VITRUVIUS
VITRUVIUS proportions

Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City

Vatican City, the world center of the Roman Catholic church, is an

independent state that lies entirely within Rome, Italy. Many of the citys
buildings were designed and decorated by some of historys greatest artists.
Italian architect Gianlorenzo Bernini created the vast plaza in front of Saint
Peter's Basilica in the 1600
1600s.
s.

Saint Peters Basilica, Rome (1506 1614 A.D)

In 1506, architect Donato Bramante
Bramante,, under commission from Pope Julius II
was selected through a competition to design this monument in Vatican City
Consequent to the death of Bramante, Sangallo, Raphael and Peruzzi before
completion of the church, Florentine artist Michelangelo assumed the
supervisory role in 1546, for love of God. His design simplified and unified
the architectural elements of Bramantes plan for the basilica with Maderno
Madernos
s
extended nave plus narthex. Resultantly, its a structure of monumental
proportions, influencing dome design and construction for the next 300 years
Remained as an example of monumentality and cohesive unity of elements

Bramante

Raphael

Maderno

Maderno

Sangallo

Saint Peters Basilica, Rome

. . . . . Saint Peters Basilica, Rome

Enormous Greek Cross (named so, as St. Andrew, B/o. St. Peter was
crucified in Greece on such a symmetrical cross); 4 bay nave, crossing apse

Ribbed dome supported on 4 large piers capped with a lantern / dome drum
with windows; 4 lower domes surrounding the central dome
A la Pantheon, Rome and Brunelleschis dome of Florence cathedral

3 main semisemi-circular apses circumscribed by a parallel ambulatory.

Madernos plan combined with Michelangelos plan resulting in extended

nave plus narthex . . . finally a Latin Cross ?!!!!?
Thus, the erstwhile Greek cross with a central dome can be appreciated from a
distance only.

Corinthian pilasters and continuous cornices along the turns of the building
unite the building physically and visually.

Tallest dome (from basilica floor to tip of the cross above the dome) @ 448.1 ft
136.1 ft dia, little smaller than that of Pantheon (142 ft) and of Florence
cathedral (144 ft, designed by Brunelleschi); but greater than the dome of the
byzantine cathedral, the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople

 The

Panorama

Statues of St. Helena, St. Longinus, St. Andrew and St. Veronica
on the 4 niches of the 4 large piers below the Dome

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo devised an elaborate scheme for decoration of the Sistine Chapel

ceiling, which he painted between 1508 and 1512. It features nine scenes from
the Biblical Book of Genesis, including the Creation of Adam, the Creation of
Eve, the Temptation and Fall of Adam and Eve, and the Flood. These centrally
located narratives are surrounded by images of prophets and sibyls on marble
thrones and by other biblical subjects.

The Tempietto

The Tempietto (1502) was designed by Donato Bramante, one of the greatest
architects of the Italian Renaissance. The building, with a domed rotunda and
surrounded by columns, was commissioned by Ferdinand and Isabella of
Spain to commemorate St. Peters crucifixion. It is located in Rome, in a
convent called San Pietro in Montorio
Montorio..

Villa Rotonda / Villa Capra at Vicenza, Italy (1567 1570)

Designed by Italian painter and architect Andrea Palladio in symmetry,

reminiscent of a Greek Cross. Inspired from Pantheon of Rome and from the
thought that God is the center of everything in the world and life. F O U R
ionic columned semisemi-open transepts. The crossing is capped by a central Dome

religion

kindness

chastity

moderation

Villa Barbaro (1560

(1560--1568), Maser, Northern Italy

Designed by Andrea Palladio,

Palladio, UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996
The Villa Barbaro in Maser, Italy, was designed about 1560 by Andrea
Palladio. The style is clearly influenced by classical Roman architecture, as can
be seen in the use of statuary and the pediment with a frieze above the facade.

Villa Barbaro (1560-1568)

Central reception, flanked by 2 symmetrical spaces of 2 rooms each

Workers quarters on first floor; Vault camouflaged by Pitched roof
Pediment/typanium
Pediment/
typanium is adorned with Barbaros family folk as sculpture relief
Fresco work by Paolo Veronese and sculptures by Alessandro Vittoria
4 ionic columns on the projected front volume
Pilasters, niches, sculptures etc.

University of Virginia

Thomas Jefferson, president of the United States from 1801 to 1809, founded
the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in 1819. An architect as well as a
statesman, Jefferson designed the famous neoclassical buildings of the schools
Lawn complex, inspired from Andrea Palladio. His style strongly
influenced the architecture of other public buildings in the United States.

Monticello

Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United
States, and it reflected his unique architectural ideas and tastes.
Construction on this Virginia estate, now a World Heritage Site, began in the
late 1700s and lasted until 1809. He designed the 3535-room house which was
completed in 1809.
Jefferson died at Monticello in 1826 and was buried on the grounds.

Palazzo del T (1524

(1524--1534), mantua
mantua,, Italy

A palace, Palazzo del T is an example of the Mannerist style of architecture popular in

Italy in the 16th century. Veering from the severe symmetry of the high Renaissance
architectural style of the time, architect Guilio Romano (pupil of Raphael, St. Peters
fame) introduced disproportionate elements to his buildings such as protruding
keystones in the arches.

Mannerism: a style deviant of the harmonious and symmetrical approach propagated

by Michelangelo, Bramante etc. the style emerged around 1520 and lasted till 1580, also
associated with art and poetry .
Pilasters, triglyphs
triglyphs,, semisemi-circular arches and fresco work in the interior

Palazzo Davanzati
The high, decorated ceilings and painted walls of the 14th14th-century Palazzo
Davanzati in Florence, Italy, were typical in the homes of wealthy people
during the Renaissance.

Palazzo degli Uffizi, Florence

The Palazzo degli Uffizi, built in the late 16th century, is a fortress like
building that houses the Uffizi Gallery. The gallerys collection includes works
by artists such as Raphael, Titian and Sandro Botticelli.

Baroque
Rococo

u q or a B

(1600 1750/1780 A.D)

To begin with . . .

Baroque and late Baroque, or Rococo

Rococo,, are loosely defined
terms, applied by common consent to European art of the
period from the early 17th century to the midmid-18th
century.
Baroque - Portuguese word barroco
barroco,, Spanish form
barrueco = used to describe an irregular or imperfectly
shaped pearl; usage still survives in the jeweller's term
Rococo derivation is equally uncertain, French word
rocaille,, used to describe shell and pebble decorations in
rocaille
the 16th century.
Rococo - a facet of late Baroque art rather than an
autonomous style
Baroque : Rococo :: Renaissance : Manneris
Manneris(m)
(m)st
st Art
Architecture and sculpture became pictorial, and painting
became illusionistic.

. . . and to continue

Among the general characteristics of baroque art is a sense of

movement, energy, and tension. Strong contrasts of light and
shadow enhance the dramatic effects of many paintings and
sculptures.
Vivid colours, hidden light sources, luxurious materials, and
elaborate, contrasting surface textures etc. used to heighten
delight.
Ceilings of Baroque churches dissolved in painted scenes,
presented vivid views of the infinite to the worshiper and
directed him through his senses toward heavenly concerns.

Baroque buildings imply motion through

With their undulating walls
Decorative surface elements

 Baroque space - directionality, movement and positive molding

. . . and to conclude

.vs. static, stable, and defined space of the High Renaissance.

The ensemble included all the buildings on the square as well as
the approaching streets and the surrounding landscape.
Rococco - Vivid colours were replaced by pastel shades; diffuse
light flooded the building volume; and violent surface relief was
replaced by smooth flowing masses with emphasis only at
isolated points.
In churches
churches,, ceilings of side aisles were raised to the height of
the nave ceiling to unify the space from wall to wall .
Gian Lorenzo Bernini,
Bernini, Francesco Borromini and Pietro Da
Cortona were the three great Masters of baroque in Rome.
Rococo - relatively asymmetrical, elegantelegant-ornate furniture,
mirrors, shellshell-like motifs etc.
Criticised as frivolous and superficial but is a major period

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (1638 1641), Rome

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (often called Carlino, due to its diminutive scale)
is one of the star pieces of the Roman Baroque. Quattro Corner, Fontane Fountain

A Church Designed by Italian architect and sculptor Francesco Borromini in the

baroque architectural style. Designed as a pinched oval, the churchs overall shape
exhibits a strong tension that helps create the drama and motion characteristic of
baroque architecture.

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

Part of a complex of monastic buildings on

the for the Spanish Trinitarians, an order
dedicated to the freeing of Christian
slaves.
Undulating concave convex faade, a
non-classical approach.
2 bay tall Corinthian columns and 3 bay
small Corinthian columns

ALTAR, ALTAR and ALTAR

The most remarkable feature is the dizzying oval dome: its geometrical coffers
decrease in size towards the lantern to give the illusion of additional height and of
a illusive feel of floating dome, movement.

Borromini is all about illusion and the subtle illumination, through hidden
windows, makes the dome appear to float in mid-air.

Seemingly a cross plan but all the altars are visible as the two central
columns in each arrangement of four are placed on the oblique with respect
to the axial ordering of the space.

Pendentives, Oval = transition space with windows to bring in light

Hall of Mirrors (1678 1684), Palace of Versailles, France

King Louis XIV of France charged French architects Louis Le Vau

Vau,, Andr Le
Ntre,, and Charles Lebrun with the expansion of the Palace of Versailles.
Ntre
Construction went on for a century starting in the 1660s.

Designed by French architect Jules Hardouin

Hardouin--Mansart
The principal feature of this famous hall is the seventeen mirrormirror-clad arches that
reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens.
Glass Venetian monopoly, foiled by making Glass in Versailles for this work

Hall of Mirrors (1678 1684), Palace of Versailles, France

73.0 m 10.5 m 12.3 m (239.5 ft 34.4 ft 40.4 ft)

Used daily by Louis XIV on his way from his apartment to the chapel
Used to receive ambassadors, celebrate family and dynastic functions
Ceiling decorated (Le Brun
Brun)) by realistic incidents of victories and policies of
Louis XIV
The principal feature of this famous hall is the seventeen mirrormirror-clad arches that
reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens.
Each arch contains twentytwenty-one mirrors with a total complement of 357 used in the
decoration
Bronze capitals, silver tables etc. melted expenditure for the War of Augsburg

The Benedictine Abbey, Austria

Less undulating but abstract in its imagery

The abbey is based on a conventional

basilica design. The exterior, though
baroque, is relatively simple and restrained,
in contrast to the interior which is extremely
ornate.

Saint Paul's Cathedral (1675(1675-1708/1711), London

Designed by English architect Christopher Wren .

One of the most famous english baroque churches.
The cathedral is best known for its impressive dome, which is actually two
domes
domes
an inner one and a taller outer one.
The inner dome is open in the middle so that light can stream into the
cathedral.

Saint Paul's Cathedral, London

Dome at 365 height, among the tallest in London

Second largest church in UK, after Liverpool cathedral

Saint Paul's Cathedral (1675-1708/1711)

[Sir Christopher Wren
Said, "I am going to dine with some men.
If anyone calls,Say I'm designing Saint Paul's.]