Brunelleschis Dome Essay - 733 Words

Book Review Summary: The book that I read was Brunelleschis Dome by Ross King. This book summarized the story of how Filippo Brunelleschi was a genius in architecture during the Renaissance and the mastermind behind creation and completion of the dome in the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral. Brunelleschi started out his skilled life as a goldsmith in San Giovanni. A career as a goldsmith was very popular at the time by other great artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Donatello. Being a goldsmith inspired Brunelleschi to create and sculpt things. When Brunelleschi was done mastering the skills of metal work, he began working on gears, and then on to clocks. Later he found out that all the traits he learned became very useful for his†¦show more content†¦He also had a fierce feud with another sculptor by the name of Lorenzo Ghiberti. During all of this Brunelleschi not only built the dome in the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral (what today is still the biggest dome in the world), but mechanical marvels of worker platforms and lifts that managed to carry workers and hundreds pounds of materials hundreds feet in the air over the course of 28 years with only a single death. This showed how Brunelleschi was a mastermind in architecture and how he revived it. Critique: I found this book very interesting and well written because the author did a good job of incorporating pervious events and background information with main events and interesting facts about Brunelleschi. This book restated how serious the arts were in the Renaissance, how people lived then, how much changed took place, and the Florence was a main place in the Renaissance. Another thing I noticed was that the author supported the subject of the book very well, he didnt only state facts strictly about Brunelleschi, but also about the different sides and how life was during that time. Because of that I found the book to be very interesting and enjoyable because it made me want to keep on reading to find out what Brunelleschi had to go through and what his inspirations were to do this. I also think that the author incorporated a lot ofShow MoreRelatedBrunelleschis Dome1338 Words   |  6 Pagesday entrepreneur in the Middle Ages. He is the architect and innovator responsible for building the Santa Maria del Fiore, arguably the greatest dome ever built. In the years leading up to and during the construction of the dome, his life was surrounded by managerial aspects. There were several critical success factors for the construction of the dome including access to financial resources, raw materials, and product equipment. The building of the Santa Maria del Fiore was not something thatRead MoreThe Pantheon in Rome and the Candi Prambanan in Indonesia2217 Words   |  9 Pagesstructure of this Roman Temple the ground around the Pantheon gradually raised and gives the appearance of The Pantheon settling into the ground.6 The Pantheon resides three major architectural components: the porch, the triangular pediment and the dome. The octastyle porch consists of eight smooth Corinthian columns made of gray marble, which hold up the triangular pediment.9 References have shown archaeologists’ that at one point in history the triangular pediment was embellished with sculpturesRead MoreThe Renaissance Was A Creative Period974 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstand their subjects. Some artists even became obsessed with this perfection. One artist who played a significant role in the renaissance and Florence is Filippo Brunelleschi. He was one of the first great architects of the Renaissance. 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In everything you do in life you must be persistent to accomplish it the right way and to their fullest capability.In 1418 the town leaders in Florence announced a huge problem they have been putting off for years. That problem was that there was an enormous hole in the top of their church. As time went on the winter rains and summer sun had washed over Santa Maria del Fiore’s highRead MoreEarly Renaissance Vs. Renaissance Architecture1502 Words   |  7 Pagesthree-dimensional object on a two dimensional surface. Brunelleschi’s development of spatial representation had an immense effect on art, architecture, and civic design during and after this period. In the year 1407, many architects sought out for advice on the Florence Cathedral dome. Arnolfo and Talenti constructed the cathedral with Gothic characteristics such as pointed arches and ribbed vaults atop piers. They i ntended to construct a dome nearly reaching 150 feet, but no one had the techniquesRead MoreThe Importance Of Neoclassical Architecture In Europe1077 Words   |  5 Pagesdevelopment of Europe. In the early 15th century, the style of the Renaissance architecture originated, and after spreading throughout Europe replaced the Medieval Gothic style. Many ancient Roman forums such as the column, round arch, tunnel vault and the dome, were used to mark a rebirth of classical culture during the Renaissance period. Architects studied different theories and practices of the Roman ancestors. They developed their style by examining ancient ruins in Italy, France and Spain. ArchitectsRead MoreThe Early Renaissance Er A Period Of Inventions, Revolutions And Daring Outside The Box Thinking986 Words   |  4 Pagesto his work. He applied various techniques and elements from eras before him to create the dome for the Cathedral of Florence (1420-36). First, building up the dome in a succession of horizontal courses, similar to the pantheon. Borrowing techniques/devices from the baptisteries of Risa and Florence and giving it a double shell to reduce weight. Adapting Gothic ways by stretching the outer skin of the dome over a frame of twenty-four ribs. And finally, having a pointed arch to differentiate it fromRead MoreArchitecture Of Europe During The Eighteenth Century2650 Words   |  11 Pagesarchitecture, we now explore a few of his major works. Firstly, the ambitious Florence Cathedral project took place at the end of thirteenth century and intended to have a dome which exceeds the Romanesque cathedral of Pisa in size. However, this proved to be a massive challenge for many architects to obtain a solution of how to construct a dome with nearly 150 feet on the diagonal. Construction of this size was never attempted during the medieval period, but Brunelleschi relied upon his knowledge from ancient