ARTH 1.2 Brunelleschi—Modular Renaissance Architecture, Perspective, and Civic Institutions

These flashcards cover vocabulary related to Brunelleschi's contributions to Renaissance architecture, perspective techniques, and the establishment of civic institutions.

Brunelleschi

Filippo Brunelleschi was a seminal architect and engineer who redefined the landscape of the Italian Renaissance. He is most famous for developing the mathematical system of linear perspective and for designing the massive dome of the Florence Cathedral.

Modular architecture

This design approach uses standardized units or dimensions, known as modules, to create a cohesive and mathematically balanced structure. By repeating these specific units, architects could ensure that every part of a building remained in perfect proportion to the whole.

Perspective

Perspective is a mathematical technique in art that represents three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface to create the illusion of depth. Brunelleschi's discovery of the vanishing point allowed artists to organize compositions around a single focal point, mimicking human vision.

Civic institutions

These are organizations established by local governments or public funds to serve the community in areas such as education, healthcare, or housing. During the Renaissance, grand architectural projects for these institutions were used to reflect the city's wealth and commitment to social welfare.

Vasari

Giorgio Vasari was an Italian painter and architect who is often considered the first true art historian. His famous book, 'Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects', provides critical biographical information on the major figures of the Renaissance.

Diphthongs

Diphthongs are complex vowel sounds that begin with one sound and glide into another within the same syllable. While primarily a linguistic term, understanding these sounds was essential for the formal study of Latin and Italian rhetoric during the Renaissance period.

Pietra Serena

Pietra Serena is a specific type of gray sandstone that was widely used in Renaissance Florence for architectural details. It provided a stark and elegant visual contrast against white plaster walls, highlighting the geometric lines of the building.

Spedale da Vincente

This refers to the founding hospital in Florence, also known as the Ospedale degli Innocenti, which was established in 1419. It served as a publicly funded orphanage and is considered one of the earliest and most perfect examples of Renaissance architectural logic.

Braccio

The braccio was a historical Italian unit of measurement that roughly equated to the length of a human arm, or approximately 58.4 centimeters. Renaissance architects used this measurement as a standard to calculate the modular proportions of their buildings.

Sail dome

A sail dome is a type of vault that resembles a sail pinned at four corners and billowing upwards into a spherical shape. This lightweight design allowed architects to cover large square spaces across multiple bays with a sense of airy continuity.

Engaged column

An engaged column is a column that is attached to a wall and partially embedded within its surface. It serves both a structural role in supporting the roof and a decorative role in articulating the classical order of the facade.

Groin arch

A groin arch is created by the perpendicular intersection of two barrel vaults. This structural feature allows for more efficient weight distribution than a traditional arch and creates open, vaulted spaces within the interior of a building.

Trapezoid

A trapezoid is a four-sided geometric figure with at least one pair of parallel sides. In Renaissance architecture, trapezoidal shapes were often used in ground plans to create specific optical effects or to adapt buildings to irregular urban sites.

Gothic architecture

This architectural style was prevalent in Europe from the 12^{th} to the 16^{th} century and is characterized by pointed arches and flying buttresses. Renaissance architects often viewed Gothic design as overly complex and sought to return to the simpler, rational forms of antiquity.

Architrave

The architrave is the lowermost horizontal element of a classical entablature that rests directly on top of the columns. It acts as a primary support beam that helps distribute the weight of the frieze and cornice above it.

Alberti

Leon Battista Alberti was a prominent Italian humanist, architect, and author whose writings defined Renaissance beauty as mathematical harmony. His treatise 'De re aedificatoria' served as a foundational text for architects seeking to revive classical Roman styles.

Civic virtue

Civic virtue refers to the dedication of citizens to the welfare of their community and the success of the state. Renaissance architecture often reflected this ideal by creating public spaces and buildings meant to inspire moral behavior and communal pride.

Fresco

Fresco is a mural painting technique where pigments are applied directly to freshly laid, wet lime plaster. This process creates a chemical bond that makes the artwork an inseparable and highly durable part of the wall's surface.

Visual rhetoric

Visual rhetoric is the use of images and architectural forms to communicate specific messages or persuasive arguments. In the Renaissance, rulers and institutions used grand buildings to visually assert their power, authority, and cultural sophistication.

Sacrosanct

Something that is sacrosanct is regarded as too important or holy to be changed or interfered with by modern intervention. Many historical religious sites in Florence were treated as sacrosanct, requiring architects to be innovative while respecting ancient traditions.

Pazzi Chapel

The Pazzi Chapel is a religious building located in the cloister of Santa Croce, often attributed to Brunelleschi. It is celebrated for its perfect geometric proportions and the use of the central plan, which influenced many subsequent Renaissance structures.

Loggia

A loggia is a covered exterior gallery or corridor that is open on at least one side and supported by a series of arches or columns. In Florence, the loggia of the Ospedale degli Innocenti created a graceful transitional space between the public square and the building's interior.

Corinthian Order

The Corinthian order is the most decorative of the classical architectural orders, featuring columns with capitals adorned with acanthus leaves. Brunelleschi and his contemporaries revived this Roman style to add elegance and historical prestige to their new designs.

Humanism

Humanism was an intellectual movement that focused on human potential and the study of classic Greek and Roman texts. This movement encouraged architects to design buildings that were scaled to human proportions and based on rational, observable laws of nature.

Linear perspective

Linear perspective is a system of mapping three-dimensional space onto a flat surface using a horizon line and vanishing points. This mathematical approach allowed Renaissance artists to create a realistic sense of depth that had not been seen since antiquity.

Vanishing point

The vanishing point is the single point on the horizon where all parallel lines in a perspective drawing appear to converge. This technique is the cornerstone of linear perspective and was first demonstrated by Brunelleschi in his architectural experiments.

Entablature

The entablature is the horizontal superstructure that rests on top of columns, consisting of the architrave, frieze, and cornice. It follows strict classical rules regarding proportion and decoration, serving as a key element in the hierarchy of architectural orders.

The Great Dome

The dome of Santa Maria del Fiore was engineered by Brunelleschi and remains the largest masonry dome in the world. It was constructed without traditional wooden scaffolding by using a revolutionary herringbone brick pattern to support its own weight during construction.

Centering

Centering refers to the temporary wooden framework required to support an arch or dome while the mortar sets and the structure becomes self-supporting. Brunelleschi famously avoided the use of centering for the Florence Cathedral dome, which was considered an impossible feat at the time.

Medici Family

The Medici were a powerful banking and political family in Florence who served as the primary patrons for Brunelleschi and many other artists. Their wealth and influence were essential for the construction of major Renaissance landmarks like the Church of San Lorenzo.

Pediment

A pediment is a triangular gable typically found above the horizontal entablature of a building's facade. Renaissance architects used this classical Roman feature to give their buildings a sense of dignity and historical authority.

Pilaster

A pilaster is a flat, rectangular vertical element that projects slightly from a wall, resembling a pillar but intended largely for decoration. While they do not support much weight, they are used to articulate the surface of a wall and maintain classical proportions.

Cornice

The cornice is the uppermost projecting part of an entablature or the molding along the top of a wall. It serves the practical purpose of directing rainwater away from the building while providing a decorative 'crown' to the structure.

Proportion

Proportion in architecture refers to the mathematical relationship between different dimensions, such as height and width. Renaissance architects believed that these ratios should follow musical harmonies to create buildings that were aesthetically pleasing and spiritually balanced.

Vitruvius

Vitruvius was an ancient Roman architect and engineer whose surviving text, 'De Architectura', became the ultimate guide for Renaissance builders. His concepts of 'firmitas' (strength), 'utilitas' (utility), and 'venustas' (beauty) guided the revival of classical architecture.

Symmetry

Symmetry is the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or arranged around an axis. For Renaissance architects, symmetry was a reflection of the divine order of the universe and was achieved through rigorous mathematical planning.

San Lorenzo

The Basilica of San Lorenzo is one of the oldest churches in Florence and was redesigned by Brunelleschi in the 15^{th} century. Its interior is a masterpiece of light and proportion, utilizing dark pietra serena to emphasize its modular, grid-like design.

Santo Spirito

Santo Spirito is a church in Florence that represents the late, more developed style of Brunelleschi's architectural career. The building features a highly integrated plan where the aisles and side chapels form a continuous rhythmic sequence around the interior.

Classicism

Classicism is an aesthetic style that draws heavily from the principles and forms of ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. During the Renaissance, this movement emphasized clarity, order, and the use of classical elements like columns and domes.

Horizontal Entablature

In Renaissance design, the horizontal entablature creates a clear visual break between the vertical columns and the roofline. It helps to emphasize the human-centered, earthbound scale of the building rather than the vertical, heavenward reach of Gothic architecture.