RENAISSANCE IN ITALY AND SPAIN

15TH AND 16TH CENTURIES

 Renaissance

• All the changes over 15th and 16th centuries in:

− International relations: ottomans in Constantinople, rise
of Portugal and Spain Made possible
− Knowledge and ideas: Humanism the emergence
− Economy: emergence of bourgeoisie and trade of a new art,
− Religion: Reform and Counter-reform Renaissance
 1. Architecture
• Main characteristics:
− Balance between vertical and horizontal lines.
− Perspective, symmetry and proportion.
− Centralised floors
− Use of classical features: rounded arches,
pediments, barrel vaulting, domes, columns

Iglesia de Santa María Novella, Leon Battista Alberti, Florencia

 1.1. Quattrocento architecture Dome of the church
of Santa María de
las flores in Florence
• The core is Florence
and Brunelleschi the
main representative.
Another important
architect is Alberti.
To build this huge structure could not
be used the traditional system so
Brunelleschi developed a double
dome system that reinforced them
mutually. It is consider the birth of
modern architecture.
It was inspired in the dome of
Panteon of Rome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IOPlGPQPuM
Panteón de Agripa, Roma, siglo II d.C.
 Quattrocento architecture

Perspective: all the lines, and

the glance, meet in a certain
point, in this case an oculo.

Simetry

Inside of the dome

 Perspective Coffers in the celling
like in roman art

Rounded arches

Columns

Iglesia del Espíritu Santo,

Brunelleschi, Florencia
 Capilla Pazzi, Brunelleschi, Florencia

The facade is ahead

Centralised plant the building, like in
the Panteon
 Templete de san Pietro in Montorio,
1.2. Cinquecento architecture Roma, Bramante

• Since 1500 the Popes made a great

effort to transform Rome and convert
it in the capital of art.
• Bramante in the most important
architect, also Palladio, who built
many palaces for the bourgeoisie,
and Miguel Angel.
Basílica de San Pedro del Vaticano (Bramante y Miguel Ángel)
Villa Rotonda, Andrea Palladio
 1.3. Renaissance architecture in Spain
• Architecture in Spain went through three different styles over 16th century:
− Plateresco: the stone was worked like silver, abundant decoration.
Façade of Salamanca university.
− Classicist: less decoration and more importance of harmony. The
palace of Carlos V in La Alhambra.
− Herreriano: sobriety and almost lack
of decoration. Monastery of San
Lorenzo de El Escorial

Palacio de Carlos V, Pedro Machuca

Fachada universidad de Salamanca
Palacio de Carlos V, Pedro Machuca
Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Juan de Herrera
 2. Sculpture
• Main characteristics:
− Return to classical sculpture: in materials (use
of marble and bronze) and topics (the man
body, nudes and mythology).
− The sculpture became completely independent
from architecture. It acquired self identity.
− Idealisation of figures (they did not try to
represent a real person) and individualisation
(each personage has different features).
− Study of anatomy.
Baco, Miguel Ángel
2.1. Quattrocento sculpture
• The most important sculptors
were Ghiberti, who developed
the schiachiato technique, and
Donatello.

Puertas del Paraíso, baptisterio

de Florencia, Ghiberti
 Use of bronze Christian topics Perspective and classical
Schiachiato
architecture elements

Nude bodies
David, Donatello
Judith y Holofernes, Donatello
Magdalena penitente, Donatello
 2.2. Cinquecento sculpture
• Miguel Ángel Buonarroti is the highest
representative of this period. His sculptures
are huge and have the terribilitá.

David, Miguel Ángel

 2.3. Renaissance sculpture in Spain
• The use of marble and bronze is more limited than
in Italy, while the wood covered by plaster and
painted continue being the most used.
• In topics, classical ones did not
exist. Predominance of religious
topics and a great development
of the funerary sculpture.
• The most famous sculptor was
Alonso de Berruguete.

El sacrificio de Isaac, Alonso de Berruguete

 3. Painting
• Main characteristics:
− Paintings are made on walls, panel
painting and canvas.
− Topics: Christianism, mythology,
portrait. The landscape acquired a
lot of importance.
− Like in sculpture individualisation of
faces.
− Use of chiaroscuro and perspective
with vanishing point.
Cristo muerto, Andrea Mantegna
3.1. Quattrocento painting
• Florence is, like in architecture, the
core of production.
• The main artists are Masaccio, Andrea
Mantegna and Boticelli.
• In “La Trinidad” Masaccio represented
for the first time the empty space with
depth.

La trinidad, Masaccio
 Christian topic

Realistic landscape

Individualization of faces

The floor helps to

create the perspective

El tránsito de la virgen, Mantegna

El nacimiento de Venus, Boticelli
La primavera, Boticelli
3.2. Cinquecento painting
• The most important painters are:
Leonardo Da Vinci, Miguel Ángel,
Rafael and Tiziano

La Gioconda, Leonardo Da Vinci

La capilla Sixtina, Miguel Ángel
La escuela de Atenas, Rafael
La venus de Urbino, Tiziano
 3.3. Renaissance painting in Spain

• Complete predominance of religious

topics.
• The most important and original
painter was El Greco. Long figures
and an unstable use of colours.

Vista de Toledo, El Greco

 El entierro del conde
Orgaz, El Greco

El martirio de san Mauricio, El Greco