Discussion - Spanish Renaissance

Looking into Megan's blog post, I enjoyed reading more about the popularity of iron grilles in interior and exterior applications.

Here's her post: http://www.history1mmd.blogspot.com/2014/03/spanish-renaissance.html

I also enjoyed watching a video on Pedraza, Spain in Megan S's blog post. It went into detail on what life was like in the community at that time.

Here's her blog post: http://www.history1mes.blogspot.com/

Spanish Renaissance

     Emerging from the Italian renaissance of the 14th century, the spread to Spain came about in the 15th and 16th centuries. The 1490's is roughly the year of the beginning of the Spanish Renaissance.

     The beginning of the Renaissance is linked to the historical political life of the Catholic Monarchs within Spain. They were among the first to leave the Medieval ways. King Charles I was fond of the new art and became a direct patron toward many new Renaissance artists of the time.

     Renaissance paintings were commonly oil and images of interiors were portrayed according to the laws of perspective.

Architectural Styles

     As a result of humanism and the revival of Classical architecture, the evolving styles of Florence, Rome, and Italy made their way to Spain. The style was spread by local architects, and the influence of South Italy was mixed with Gothic traditions and local design. A new style called Plateresque was born. The intricately decorated facades on these new Renaissance structures reminded people of the work of silversmiths or "Plateros" of the time. Although the Plateresco style is often seen and spoken about, an almost completely opposite and muted style called Purism had also emerged. This style of architecture included extremely plain and naked designs focused on overall geometric and mathematical perfection in structure.

Great works of great architects...

• El Escorial - Historical residence of the King of Spain in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial located roughly 30 miles northwest of Madrid. This site acts as a royal palace, monastery, school, and a museum. King Philip II of Spain appointed Juan Bautista de Toledo as architect in 1559, and together they designed El Escorial as a monument of Spain's Christianity. Groundbreaking began in 1563, unfortunately Juan Bautista did not live to see the completion with his death in 1567. The project was then passed down to his apprentice, Juan de Herrera. The structure was completed in 1584, less than 21 years in total construction time. 

• The floor plan of the entire structure is in the form of a gridirion due to the popular belief that St. Lawrence was martyred by being burned to death on a grill in third century A.D.. However, this grid-like interior was commonplace for large palaces and structures of the time. Another persuasive theory on the design of the layout was that it was formed  and extensively modified off of the Temple of Solomon in ancient Jerusalem. Intersecting passageways, corridors, and courtyards show the intricacy of the overall layout design. 

• El Escorial was mainly constructed from locally quarried gray granite. Beautiful works of art are dispersed throughout the entire complex. Many artists were commissioned to complete projects within the building. 

      

Inspired Designs Today

 

Discussion - Italian Renaissance

Emily had a great post in which she mentioned how the furniture of the time was very expensive and finely crafted, yet people from all societal classes purchased these items.

Check out her post here-->http://www.history1ean.blogspot.com/2014/03/italian-renaissance.html

Flor's blog post was really neat in how she went into detail on the decorative elements of walls. She talked about the patterns and vertical and horizontal elements. 

Read her post here -->http://www.history1fh.blogspot.com/2014/03/italian-renaissanceneoclassic.html

The times of the Italian Renaissance

      The European Renaissance was headed earliest by the Italian Renaissance. A period and time of great change and vast achievement, began in the 14th century with Italy and lasted until the 16th century. This time was the transition between medieval and early modern times of Europe. This rebirth, called 'Renaissance' is a french term that wasn't coined until the 19th century through the work of historians. 

     Beginning in Tuscany in central Italy, the rebirth began spreading and centering within large cities such as Florence, Sienna, and eventually Venice. Strong economic growth and newly linked trade lines created rekindled a network economy within Europe, which hadn't been around since the 4th century.  

      The Renaissance peaked in the mid 16th century as invasion from foreign countries plunged into the turmoils of the Italian wars of the time. The Renaissance ideas and dreams persevered on into other European nations. 

Development

    Florence's leading family went from the Albizzi's until the late 14th century, to the Medici's who controlled Europe's largest bank, and then ruled the next few centuries. Cosimo de Medici was held high among citizens for his hard work in bringing about prosperity and stability to Florence. Cosimo's grandson Lorenzo ruled Florence from the age of 21 and is now known as "Lorenzo the Magnificent." Lorenzo was part of the first generation to be completely schooled with notions of Humanism. He is known as being one of the greatest patrons for the arts of the era. 

    The populations of this time were vastly different. Social inequality was very high as the wealthy were beyond middle class and controlled much of the economic flow. Two thirds of the population was made up of peasants who lived on as if the Middle Ages had simply continued. For these very reasons, it is said that the Renaissance is completely responsible of the wealthy members of society in which art patronage rested on them. 

Architecture

     Some of the earliest structures showing Renaissance architectural characteristics include:

• San Lorenzo - One of the largest churches in Florence, located within the center of the market district. Constructed by the leading Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi in the 15th century to replace the 11th century Romanesque church. Is the burial place of many principal members of the Medici family. 
• A proportional relationship between aisle and nave was attempted
• Use of spherical elements within vaulted areas
• Use of dark colored pietra serena or "serene stone"
• Attempts to use all of the classical orders and design elements

• Pazzi Chapel - Also located in Florence, Italy. Is considered one of the masterpieces of Renaissance architecture. Was completed in the 1460's, nearly two decades after the death of the architect Brunelleschi. Erected by the Pazzi family during the middle of a war with a neighboring city, the money and wealth dedicated to this chapel showed the importance of this structure to the family. 
• Struggle to bring coherence to columns, pilasters, arches, and vaults
• Tall, blank, round headed panels
• Use of dark colored pietra serena or "serene stone"

Inspiration in Today

Life and Design of The Americas 2000 B.C. - 1521 A.D.

       Civilizations of the Americas that we are looking into include the Olmecs, Mayans-Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas. Ranging from areas in Mexico, South America, and Peru.

A little bit about the culture...

       These civilizations lived in climates with tropical, humid weather with mountanous areas. The people were diverse, from nobles to commoners, leaders, farmers, divine peoples, and sports athletes. Religion played the most major role during this time period. Ceremonial/sacrificial centers and temples paved the cities layouts and oriented towns. Pyramids were built for the many gods.

Looking into the different civilizations...

• Olmecs - Flourished from 2000 B.C. - 300 B.C. when they suddenly ended. The Olmecs were the first major civilization within Mexico. They developed their own hieroglyphic writing, discovered rubber, and created the very first calendar for the Western hemisphere. They preferred realistic art, and their most precious work was jade stone. The jaguar was their chief deity symbol. It is said that the Olmecs practiced human and infant sacrifice. Common people lived in mud houses while those higher up lived in decorated homes. 
• La Venta - One of the first examples of a city with a main focus around its temple. The ceremonial center has a most interesting feature with its giant stone heads sculpted from giant basalt boulders, which can be seen throughout the area. 

 

Serpentine stone mosaic pavement. Often near burial sites.

Olmec heads, sculptures, altar, tomb, and depiction of sacrifice.

Sculptures depicting a dead, half jaguar baby that is limp for sacrifice.

• Teotihuacan - Lived from 250 B.C. - 900 A.D. when the city was deserted. The city is named "Place of the Gods" and has an overall ceremonial center that is two miles in length with a central spine road feature and a pyramid of the sun and pyramid of the moon. They also had a temple of the feathered serpent. The city was laid out on a grid, there were no city walls needed to defend these powerful people. People of Teotihuacan delved in decorative pottery and used motifs such as birds and flowers in nature as well as abstract designs. 

• Mayas - From 300 B.C. - 1521 A.D. these people lived for roughly 1,800 years. Everything was destroyed after the Spanish conquest. 
• Chichen Itza - Ceremonial area meaning "mouth of the well of Itza." There is a 75 ft high pyramid called Castillo. Jaguar thrones and ritualistic furniture were popular pieces. 

Gothic - Discussion

One of the blogs I looked at was Flor's. She talked about and described what furniture was like in Gothic times. It was a fun read.

Check out her post here: http://www.history1fh.blogspot.com/2014/02/gothic.html

I also read Ali's post this week. It was nice how she went more in depth on what flying buttresses are and how they work structurally. 

Check out here post here: http://www.history1and.blogspot.com/2014/02/gothic.html

Gothic times

        Gothic architecture flourished during the late medieval period, evolving fro Romanesque architecture. Originating in the 12th century, this style of architecture lasted until the 16th century. Many great examples are seen in cathedrals, abbeys, churches, castles, town halls, and universities throughout Europe. Being an ecclesiastical style of design, Gothic designs are most prominent in places of worship.

New designs features introduced...

• Pointed arches
• Buttresses and Flying Buttresses
• Ribbed Vaulting
• Large groups of windows and Tracery- Plenty of light to mimic a heavenly feel.
• Rose windows  - Beautiful stained glass to allow colorful light.
• Ornate facades - lots of ornamentation, stone carvings.

Great Architectural Examples

• Ely Cathedral - Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral was originally built in the 10th century, and underwent many Gothic changes within the next few centuries. Built of stone, with carved decorative elements of purbeck marble and limestone. 

• Sainte Chapelle - Paris, France. Royal medieval gothic chapel. Began construction after 1239, commissioned by King Louis IX to hold precious relics, including Christ's Crown of Thorns. Sainte Chapelle displays forms of Rayonnant Gothic architecture, focusing on the utilization of scale and spatial rationalism dealing with two dimensional surfaces, such as using motifs in different scales. 

• Cologne Cathedral - Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. Construction began in 1248, wasn't finished until the 19th century. 

• Wroclaw Town Hall - Town hall located in the center of Wroclaw, Poland. Construction began at the end of the 13th century and was finished in the 16th century. This building is a perfect example of bourgeois architecture of the time. 

Gothic architectural influence today...