ITALIAN RENAISSANCE / NEOCLASSIC

The Italian Renaissance was literally a time of rebirth and historical revival. The Italians took methods and styles from previous eras, like ancient Greece and Rome, and modernized them for new uses and purposes. The Early Renaissance developed linear perspective, which creates a sense of three dimensionality. The High Renaissance had icons like Raphael who developed naturalism, Leonardo with Sfumato and Chiaroscuro, and Michelangelo with classically inspired realism. The Late Renaissance came up with the Three C's: color, crisis, and competition. Overall, this era was filled with lots of change and improvements in design and architecture.

As stated above, the Italian Renaissance was heavily inspired by eras that came before. Specific examples of this include Gothic and Romanesque furnish interiors. Ancient Rome also inspired life and arts during this time, as well as the style and details of buildings.

Another change in culture from previous eras to the Renaissance was the religious shift. Instead of focusing on religion, there was more of an emphasis on secular aspects of culture. Things like the arts, literature, and architecture were increasingly growing in terms of the secular world. The printing press was also developed during this time.

Also, furniture was not as much of a focus compared to preceding times. There was more of an emphasis on interiors and the design of these spaces rather than what went in them. An example of this is the Italian Renaissance palace: the palazzo.

THE ARTS

Delving deeper into the arts of the Italian Renaissance, humanism was a huge part of their culture. "Humanism was a quest for knowledge including antique rights, science, medicine, and engineering." Donatello, a great artist of this time, was a sculptor who influenced plenty of other iconic artists that followed him.

Another iconic artist of this time, as we all know, is Leonardo Da Vinci. He was one of the most influential artists of this era and of art as a whole. He was a very knowledgeable and wise man, and used many different mediums in his art. He was a painter, draughtsmen, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.

Michelangelo was another significant artist of the Italian Renaissance and of all time as well. He was a sculptor, painter, and architect.

PALACES

Palaces were a staple part of architecture during the Italian Renaissance. In their facades, they used lots of repetition, alternation, and progression. There were normally three divisions in the facade, with more emphasis on the middle. These palaces also used compound windows and cornices in their design. In terms of their structure, they used courtyards as their central areas as we've seen before. There were no hallways, and the upper floors were used as residential areas, and the first floor was known as the piano nobile.

PIANO NOBILE

The piano nobile is the first or ground floor of the palace. This first floor includes a vestibule, a cortile, and a grand staircase that leads to the upper floors. It also has summer apartments, kitchens, bathrooms, and storage.

Some examples of these palaces are the following:

PALAZZO RUCELLAI

PALAZZO FARNESE

VILLA ROTONDA

The Villa Rotonda was one of the most iconic structures of the Italian Renaissance. It was inspired and designed by Andrea Palladio, another architect of this era. He wrote 4 different books about architecture, called The Four Books on Architecture. The Villa Rotonda was one of his most famous creations.

FURITURE AND INTERIORS

Some design techniques the Italians used were texture in their design. With the use of 3D moldings, there was texture created in the lighting and shadows in the interior spaces. They also used paneling and fresco and their design.

In terms of furniture, it was very transportable and not much of it. A lot of furniture was made of stone, like lapis and marble. The technique of gilding was also applied, which is the use of gold leafing or paint to decorate furniture. For the finest of furniture, walnut was used to make that distinction. A few examples of Italian Renaissance furniture are the following:

SEDIA CHAIR

SGABELLO CHAIR

X-CHAIR - DANTE CHAIR

SAVONAROLA CHAIR

Besides chairs, there are many more pieces of furniture apart of the Renaissance. These include the cassone (chest), the cassapanca, beds, and different types of tables (trestle type).

CURRENT APPLICATIONS

ONE STEP FURTHER

A great artist from the Italian Renaissance to look at is Michelangelo Buonarroti. He was famous for his skill in painting, sculpture, and architecture. One of his most famous works is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which he painted between 1508 and 1512. The ceiling shows scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the Creation of Adam, with figures that look almost lifelike. Michelangelo's focus on realistic human bodies and movement set a high standard in art. His work continues to influence artists and designers, making him a lasting figure in art history.

 

Extra Links:

Italian Renaissance: https://youtu.be/Om1jvUzVAtE?si=v5NFuuJbSV7fidA3