Renaissance Art and Architecture: Brunelleschi to Palladio

Renaissance Architecture: Classical Elements Restored

Architecture: The architects of the Renaissance recovered classical elements such as arches, pediments, columns and classical vaults. These canons replaced Gothic elements. The forms of smaller buildings were made more elevated and less Gothic because they sought a human scale. The proportional relationships of building masses and their decoration—simple and austere—were intended to give a sense of order and harmony.

Quattrocento: Filippo Brunelleschi

Brunelleschi also stands out among architects of the Quattrocento; he is considered the first fully Renaissance artist. He was a painter and sculptor as well as an architect. Among his works are the dome of Florence Cathedral, the façade of the Pitti Palace, and churches such as San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito, which became models of Renaissance art and were imitated in many buildings of Italy and throughout Europe.

Cinquecento: Rome, St. Peter's and Venice

In the sixteenth century the great center of Renaissance architecture was Rome, where magnificent buildings were constructed. Among the major works is the Basilica of St. Peter, to which three of the best architects of the time contributed, including Carlo Maderno and Michelangelo. Another focus of this period was the city of Venice, where fantastic churches and palaces were built and a new type of civic villa became generalized.

Andrea Palladio

Andrea Palladio was one of the main architects of this stage and designed important villas, towns, and churches in Venice and the Church of the Redeemer (Il Redentore).

Renaissance Painting: Perspective, Color, Composition

The painting of the Renaissance was characterized by the conquest of perspective; color and composition served as essential tools. Background scenes were used to create different planes and to achieve a feeling of depth. Painters were inspired by classical antiquity and carefully preserved the proportions of the figures and themes of beauty. Paintings were enlarged in scale; although many continued to pursue religious scenes, mythological subjects, nudes, and portraits were also depicted.

Quattrocento Painters: Masaccio and Botticelli

Masaccio, the Florentine painter, is considered the first fully Renaissance painter, especially for his mastery of perspective. His treatment influenced many. Among the most important Italians was Sandro Botticelli, who masterfully rendered the sensation of movement in the figures.

Cinquecento Masters: Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was a humanist who worked in many fields of knowledge. He produced relatively few works, but each is a masterpiece. Leonardo excelled in the representation of nature and proportions and was a master of the pictorial technique sfumato, which blurs boundaries to give the illusion of depth.