Q2Lec10

In architecture, designers such as Giulio Romano, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola react against the clarity and harmony of the High Renaissance and create more personal and idiosyncratic works that are often described as Mannerist. The term mannerism refers to an approach or attitude rather than to a style.

What is mannerism? In what ways does it continue Renaissance ideas? How does it also subvert them?

The created clear order through geometry and proportion. Use of white light instead of colorful light. He monumentalized residences.

What were the basic characteristics and innovations of Palladio's architecture? Why was he so influential?

It is a reuse of Roman elements. Looks authentic. Harmonic proportion held great importance for Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect.

Why was the centralized church so important to Renaissance architects?

Attempt to understand cosmos through proportion and order.

Proportion and Order

Turn to ancient Roman literature and art. Rediscovery of The Ten Books of Architecture by Vitruvius.

Classicism

Renaissance architect. Through his works and writings, Palladio (1508-80) became one of the most influential Renaissance architects. He worked in the Veneto, the area around Venice, rather than in Rome or Florence. He wrote the Four Books of Architecture. They were fully illustrated. Will spawn movements in England.

Andrea Palladio

Bramante was perhaps the most influential High Renaissance architect.

Bramante

Gesù and the Jesuit order responded right after. There were minor, but important tweaking of the rules. paintings became more realistic. Founding of Jesuit Order by St. Ignatius of Loyola, became the most active order in foreign missions

How did the Catholic church respond to the Reformation? What role did the Catholic church envision for architecture and art?

Man and his capabilities become chief area of inquiry.

Humanism

Michelangelo Buonarroti was the most famed sculptor of the age, an artist who freely transformed the forms and rules of Classical art.

Michelangelo Buonarroti

Palladio worked mainly in the region centered on Venice, and his villa designs became widely influential. They are not super well known. They were working farms. The villas become model for later architecture. They were away from the city. Originally was not highly decorated, not Palladios style. Not clear enough.

Palladian Villas

By the mid 1400s, Old St. Peter's was in poor condition and lacked the majesty seen as necessary for modern Rome. Bramante redesigned the church. It had perfect overall form and geometric perfection. It was never built though. Michelangelo later redesigned the church. After Bramante dies in 1514, several architects modify plans before Michelangelo is given full control in 1546.

Rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica.

The Reformation. Reformers such as Martin Luther react against Church abuses, venality, and oppressiveness. Luther nails his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg in 1517. Reformation ideas spread rapidly throughout Europe among all social classes. The Counter Reformation. The religious, intellectual, and political threat of the Protestant Reformation prompts the Counter Reformation (also called Catholic Reformation): an attempt to reform the church and reestablish its traditions. 1534: Founding of Jesuit Order (officially Society of Jesus) by St. Ignatius of Loyola and others. The Jesuits become the most active order in foreign missions, including those in the Americas. 1545-1563: Council of Trent, the central event of the Counter Reformation, convenes to define doctrine and to address abuses within the church, for instance nepotism, simony and the sale of indulgences

Reformation and counterreformation.

Renaissance figures did not deny the Christian ideas of earlier ages; they sought to reconcile ancient learning, science, and religion. Depopulated after the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, Rome recovered in the 15th century with growing papal strength.

Renaissance

Experimentation, individual exploration become method of learning.

Scientific learning