The Life of Brunelleschi - Essay Example

Introduction Brunelleschi was a renowned Italian artist, sculptor, engineer and architect of the Renaissance period. During the early stages of his architectural career, Brunelleschi made a discovery of the concepts and principles of linear perspective which he used intensively and extensively for the ornamentation of his architectural ventures. The discovery, use and demonstration of the principles of perspective in relation to the vanishing point were the highlight of his career. Perspective is defined as an artistic technique that creates an illusion of a three dimensional space on a flat surface. Brunelleschi understood the importance of this concept and desired to demonstrate how indispensable it was in art and architecture. He clearly understood that when parallel lines are drawn on the same plane, they appear to converge and there is a diminution of objects as the distance increases, so that they appear to get lost into space, which is its vanishing point. Fillipo designs were based on classical symmetry styles with simple rhythm, roman arches, and simple ratios in the columns. According to this styles, if a horizontal line is drawn starting from the top of every column, a square is going to be formed from the width and height of the column and also from the distance of one column to the other. The diameter of every arch is equivalent to the distance of each square height. He demonstrate his talent by building the dome without supporting the centre of the building from the inside, this was something that was never done before. He also went ahead and constructs another dome without buttresses or perpendicular bracing walls, instead he uses the tension rings to the support of the structure, and this was also another thing to be done for the first time. This essay will discuss how Brunelleschi demonstrated his principle of perspective with his painting of the Baptistery of Florence and the importance of the symmetry in such demonstration. Main body Fillipo Brunelleschi was the second of three children born in the family of Brunellesco Di Lippo in 1377, in Florence, Italy. His father Brunellesco Di Lippo worked as a public official for the Notary and his mother was Giuliana Spini. Brunellesco noticed his son’s artistic ability from a young age, and encouraged him to further his skills by writing, and using the abacus. By the time Brunelleschi was 15, he had taken up an apprenticeship as a goldsmith where he learnt design, during this period he met Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli. Toscanelli was a medical doctor and merchant who taught Brunelleschi about the principles of geometry and mathematics; this later lead Brunelleschi to develope a mathematical formula for one point perspective. The next major turning point in the life of Brunelleschi was at age 24, where he entered a competition to design the new Baptistery doors for the Florence Cathedral, unfortunately for Brunelleschi he didn't win, but this didn't put him off, his desire to excel only grew. After the competition, Brunelleschi focused most of his time to his love of architecture, and later him and good friend Donatello traveled to Rome to further their studies, where they worked closely for 5 years. Working so closely with Donatello helped Brunelleschi further his craft, and at age 41 Brunelleschi won a competition which secured him the opportunity to finish the Gothic Cathedral of Florence. In 1419, Brunelleschi was commissioned to complete the dome over the cathedral in Florence that was started in 1296 but still it was not yet complete in 1419. Instead of completing with the same shape which was started with, he decided solve the problem by inventing a new type of dome. Rather than the original hemisphere, he builds a conical and high dome with eight sides containing white ribs outside the dome to assist the eight sides. It was the first dome in history to be build largely with the ribs outside the building rather than inside. According to the medieval architecture, domes was build in such a way that the structure is visible from inside, but Brunelleschi dome was designed in such a way that it is visible from the outside. In this dome, several innovations were applied, the eight sides design shows mathematical proportions and symmetry, and in fact his dome was the best example of architectural principle of symmetry. As a result of the dome being an exterior architecture more than interior one, it was about the public space and also serves as a visual gravitational centre in the city. Filippo Brunelleschi is looked upon to be the first Renaissance architect who clearly understood that harmony, space, distance and proportions of humans and buildings were all indispensable factors that contributed towards beauty. The chief factor that distinguished Renaissance art from the more complex Gothic art was proportion in relation to space. Brunelleschi understood how integral this was, and he used this principle to form the foundation of his paintings, sculptures and architectural works. Between 1402 and 1409, Brunelleschi studied ancient Roman buildings in relation to their measurement and foundations using mathematical principles. This led to his invention of perspective, and led other artists to look upon him as a forerunner and inventor of the principles of perspective. Filippo Brunelleschi’s strong point was his ground in geometrical formulas which he used extensively in his architectural representations. Basically, the perspective was depicted as an aspect of pictorial representation of what met the eye, but nevertheless it was a geometrical formula behind a realistic illusion. The first image Brunelleschi created using this principle was the optical pyramid or cone, and demonstrates how a large image can be reduced to scale and vice versa. The history of European art was taken to a different level by Brunelleschi when he observed that parallel lines receding in space all aim towards a common point when plotted on the flat picture plane, this is called the ‘vanishing point’ or the ‘point of flight’. Brunelleschi was not the first to use this principle, but what made Brunelleschi’s system unique is its ability to determine not only vanishing points, but also the intervals of a diminishing series of lines. For example, the distance between the railroads ties as they appear to get closer to each other towards the horizon. The vanishing point is considered to be the point of infinity which represents things that are not representable. He demonstrated that there are three rules of perspective for one to evaluate the perspective accuracy. The first rule is the rule of central vanishing point. If one imagines a canvas set before the scene to be painted, all the edges receding from the canvas at a right angle to it will project to the lines in the picture since thy will converge towards a one central vanishing point. This rule applies to a scene at which all other edges are parallel to the canvas surface. The 2nd rule applies to other edges or lines at different angles in the plane ground or lines that are parallel to the ground plane. In this, all edges that are parallel to the ground plane are going to have a vanishing point at a level similar to the central furnishing point. These vanishing points will all have the same level as the centre vanishing point. Examples of such lines are those lines that connect the corners of a square grid projected in perspective. The vanishing point was also looked upon as that of a divinely ordered Platonic universe, and a meta-sign which formed the basis of all other signs. In order to demonstrate the effect of drawing clearly, Brunelleschi made his first painting in geometrical optical perspective. He carried out two paintings; the first painting he carried out in Florentine Baptisery and can be viewed frontally from the western portal of the cathedral that was still undergoing construction, while the other painting he carried out in Palazzo Vecchio and can be seen obliquely from its northwest corner. He painted the baptistery of san Giovanni about 6 feet’s from the center door of Santa Maria del fiore. He included everything in his painting that can be seen from where he was standing. Instead of painting the upper part, he fixed a plate of silver that has been polished. He the curved a peephole in that panel that has been painted at the perspective vanishing point. After he was through with the painting, he stand at the same point where he did the painting and he tried to show how accurate perspective drawing is by holding the painted panel to face away while he held the panel up to his eye to go through the hole. Using her other hand, he hold the mirror at the length of the hand in front and at the same time he was looking at the painted panel so that he could directly look at the mirror at the reflection of the painting. The view through the hole into the mirror shows the painting drawn in a perfect perspective at the point where the main painting would be viewed. The painted silver plate reflects the real sky in full with the clouds. The view was so real that a person looking at it could not differentiate between the painted scene and the real image of the building proportion and shape. Brunelleschi didn’t simply paint the perspective, but he also demonstrates mathematically that the view was visually right. It was his desire and drive that he wanted to know exactly how things work or could work. He also wanted his new perspective or realism to be put into a test by putting its reflection in the mirror according to the Euclidian laws of geometric optics but not by comparing the polished image to the real Baptistery. His small-aperture device demonstrates the following in one point perspective: one, the way in which straight line geometric optics works in both the eyes and the camera; two, the way in which a vanishing point connects us to distance; three, the way in which a three dimensional scene either the inside or outside of a house can be changed into a two dimensional; and four the way in which one can arrive at the normal perspective view of a structure. Brunelleschi experiment for the first time in the history of architecture showed the artists how they might paint the images to look as if they are three dimensional as reflected by the mirror though they are two dimensional. Conclusion Brunelleschi was a master in his field and an artist and architect beyond compare. He will always remain an influential person in the lives and works of contemporary artists and architects, and of those who will be artist in future. His major invention of the principles of perspective in relation to the vanishing point has contributed towards revolutionizing the field of art and architecture and puts him into the books of history. Besides his other works where he utilized well the principles of perspective, the dome of St. Florence’s Cathedral is considered to be the greatest and successful artistic, architectural and engineering feat of the 1400’s and stands as a fitting example of how Brunelleschi’s principles of perspective was so vital to the construction. Apart from building the dome, he used his principle of symmetry to construct other buildings including Pazzi chapel in the cloister of the church of Santa Croce in 1442. The Pazzi chapel was meant to entombed the members of the Pazzi family and function as a chapter house for the Franciscans of Santa Croce. He constructed the chapel in hemispherical symmetry and it is seen from the outside as a low tilted flattened conical roof on a low plain drum with small oculus windows. Inside of the chapel is almost cubic but it is extended by barrel-vaulted bays on two sides (Manetti 1970 65). In 1419, he also designed Ospedale degli innocenti (founding children’s hospital). It was solely due to Brunelleschi’s hard work that has given the principles of perspective its rightful place in the world of artists, architects and sculptors will continue to use his principles in future. Brunelleschi passed away on the 15th April, 1446 in Florence, Italy and left behind him a priceless legacy that would be remembered in the years to come. Manetti, A. d. T. 1970. The Life of Brunelleschi. Pensylvania: The Pensylvania State University Press. Heim, M. 1998. Virtual Realism. New York: Oxford University Press Damisch, H. 1994. The Origin of Perpective. Massachusetts: The MIT Pess. Filarete's.1965. Treatise on Architecture. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Science and art of perspective. The rise of renaissance perspective. http://www.webexhibits.org/sciartperspective/raphaelperspective1.html Jim Atkins. AIArchitect. Il Duomo: Brunelleschi, a Man of Many Talents. 2008. http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek08/0328/0328p_duomo.cfm Read More

By the time Brunelleschi was 15, he had taken up an apprenticeship as a goldsmith where he learnt design, during this period he met Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli. Toscanelli was a medical doctor and merchant who taught Brunelleschi about the principles of geometry and mathematics; this later lead Brunelleschi to develope a mathematical formula for one point perspective. The next major turning point in the life of Brunelleschi was at age 24, where he entered a competition to design the new Baptistery doors for the Florence Cathedral, unfortunately for Brunelleschi he didn't win, but this didn't put him off, his desire to excel only grew.

After the competition, Brunelleschi focused most of his time to his love of architecture, and later him and good friend Donatello traveled to Rome to further their studies, where they worked closely for 5 years. Working so closely with Donatello helped Brunelleschi further his craft, and at age 41 Brunelleschi won a competition which secured him the opportunity to finish the Gothic Cathedral of Florence. In 1419, Brunelleschi was commissioned to complete the dome over the cathedral in Florence that was started in 1296 but still it was not yet complete in 1419.

Instead of completing with the same shape which was started with, he decided solve the problem by inventing a new type of dome. Rather than the original hemisphere, he builds a conical and high dome with eight sides containing white ribs outside the dome to assist the eight sides. It was the first dome in history to be build largely with the ribs outside the building rather than inside. According to the medieval architecture, domes was build in such a way that the structure is visible from inside, but Brunelleschi dome was designed in such a way that it is visible from the outside.

In this dome, several innovations were applied, the eight sides design shows mathematical proportions and symmetry, and in fact his dome was the best example of architectural principle of symmetry. As a result of the dome being an exterior architecture more than interior one, it was about the public space and also serves as a visual gravitational centre in the city. Filippo Brunelleschi is looked upon to be the first Renaissance architect who clearly understood that harmony, space, distance and proportions of humans and buildings were all indispensable factors that contributed towards beauty.

The chief factor that distinguished Renaissance art from the more complex Gothic art was proportion in relation to space. Brunelleschi understood how integral this was, and he used this principle to form the foundation of his paintings, sculptures and architectural works. Between 1402 and 1409, Brunelleschi studied ancient Roman buildings in relation to their measurement and foundations using mathematical principles. This led to his invention of perspective, and led other artists to look upon him as a forerunner and inventor of the principles of perspective.

Filippo Brunelleschi’s strong point was his ground in geometrical formulas which he used extensively in his architectural representations. Basically, the perspective was depicted as an aspect of pictorial representation of what met the eye, but nevertheless it was a geometrical formula behind a realistic illusion. The first image Brunelleschi created using this principle was the optical pyramid or cone, and demonstrates how a large image can be reduced to scale and vice versa. The history of European art was taken to a different level by Brunelleschi when he observed that parallel lines receding in space all aim towards a common point when plotted on the flat picture plane, this is called the ‘vanishing point’ or the ‘point of flight’.

Brunelleschi was not the first to use this principle, but what made Brunelleschi’s system unique is its ability to determine not only vanishing points, but also the intervals of a diminishing series of lines. For example, the distance between the railroads ties as they appear to get closer to each other towards the horizon.

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