Quattrocento Art: Renaissance in Florence

Quattrocento: The Dawn of the Renaissance in Florence

The Medici's Influence

The Quattrocento, a period of artistic and cultural revolution, had its epicenter in Florence. The powerful Medici family played a crucial role, patronizing various artists and fostering a climate of creativity. Quattrocento art subsequently spread to other Italian republics. This era was characterized by intense research and experimentation, laying the groundwork for the classicism of the Cinquecento.

Quattrocento Architecture

General Characteristics

Quattrocento architecture drew inspiration from Vitruvius's treatise, rediscovered in the monastery of Saint Gall. Key features include:

• Predominance of columns and pilasters as supports, replacing the Gothic pillar.
• Classical capitals, such as Corinthian and composite, topping columns.
• Adoption of the semi-circular arch instead of the pointed arch.
• Barrel and edge vaults, often decorated with coffers, replacing ribbed vaults.
• Extensive use of the dome.
• Ornamental elements like medallions, garlands, *vaner*, grotesques, arranged symmetrically along a vertical axis, known as "*a candelieri*" decoration.
• Emphasis on horizontal lines over vertical ones in building design.
• Pursuit of beauty through proportion and a sense of unity.

Key Architects

• Filippo Brunelleschi

  Known for the graceful dome of Florence Cathedral, Brunelleschi also designed the churches of San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito. In civil architecture, he built the Pitti Palace.

• Leon Battista Alberti

  Alberti believed that everything should be subject to calculation and proportion. He authored the architectural treatise "*De re aedificatoria*," inspired by Vitruvius. Notable works include San Francesco in Rimini, San Andrea in Mantua, and the facade of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. He also designed the Palazzo Rucellai.

Quattrocento Sculpture

General Characteristics

Quattrocento sculpture was marked by:

• Abundance of classical models and a strong sense of naturalism.
• Emphasis on beauty over purely religious forms.
• Revival of the human nude, the bust-portrait, and the equestrian statue.
• Use of marble and bronze for both free-standing sculptures and reliefs.
• Emergence of new sculptural types, such as monumental bronze doors, altars, tombs, pulpits, and public fountains.

Key Sculptors

• Lorenzo Ghiberti

  A master of bronze relief, Ghiberti created the second door of the Florence Baptistery, adorned with various lobed panels. His masterpiece, the Gates of Paradise (the third door of the Baptistery), features ten rectangular scenes from the Old Testament. Ghiberti excelled in *stiacciato* relief, skillfully manipulating perspective to create a sense of depth.

• Donatello

  A versatile sculptor working in stone, marble, and bronze, Donatello depicted the human figure across all ages, from childhood to old age. His series of saints and prophets for the Florentine Cathedral includes the strikingly realistic Habakkuk. His St. George is renowned for its realism. He also created sculptures with greater idealization and movement, such as the *Cantorias* for the cathedrals of Prato and Florence. In Padua, he crafted the bronze equestrian statue of Condottiero Gattamelata. His bronze David, with the head of Goliath, is another iconic work. Donatello's bronze reliefs for the pulpits of San Lorenzo Church are also noteworthy.

• Jacopo della Quercia

  Known for his monumental and robust forms, Jacopo della Quercia was a direct precursor to Michelangelo. His most important work is the Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto.

• Luca della Robbia

  A master of marble sculpture, Luca della Robbia was also famous for his glazed pottery, often used in religious compositions, such as medallions featuring the Virgin and Child.

• Andrea del Verrocchio

  Verrocchio sculpted the equestrian statue of Condottiero Colleoni.

• Antonio del Pollaiuolo

  Pollaiuolo was known for his work on tombs.