Brunelleschi
Dome of Florence
Brunelleschi refers to Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446), the Florentine architect and engineer who designed the dome of Florence Cathedral—a feat long considered impossible.
His solution to spanning the massive octagonal space without traditional scaffolding marked a turning point in Renaissance architecture.
Brunelleschi also developed linear perspective, transforming how artists depicted three-dimensional space on flat surfaces.
Philosophy prioritizing earthly reason
- FlorentineOf a Renaissance city
- quattrocentoItalian fifteenth century
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- classical revivalReturn to ancient aesthetics
antiquity · Rome · proportion · harmony · rationalism · patron · Medici · civic pride
Rounded vault forming roof
- cupolaSmall rooftop dome
- FlorenceTuscan capital city
- cathedralBishop's principal church
- lanternEnclosed portable light
basilica · nave · colonnade · façade · portico · arcade · loggia · apse
Depth through converging lines
- vanishing pointWhere parallels appear to meet
- orthogonalAt right angles
- picture planeArtwork's illusory flat boundary
- depthDistance below surface
foreshortening · optics · mirror · peephole · illusionism · mathematical · geometric · spatial
Struggle for supremacy
- IsaacHebrew patriarch name
- AbrahamFirst Hebrew patriarch
- jealousyResentful desire for another's advantages
- defeatVictory over another
bitterness · collaboration · conflict · controversy · recognition · vindication · Florence · judgment
Temporary exterior work platform
- centeringPositioning at midpoint
- ribsThoracic bone set
- chainsLinked metal restraints
- cranesLifting machines or birds
pulleys · thrust · compression · masonry · bricklaying · cantilever · self-supporting · vaulting
humanism
Philosophy prioritizing earthly reason
- FlorentineOf a Renaissance city
- quattrocentoItalian fifteenth century
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
classical revival · antiquity · Rome · proportion · harmony · rationalism · patron · Medici · civic pride · artistic genius
dome
Rounded vault forming roof
lantern · basilica · nave · colonnade · façade · portico · arcade · loggia · apse · transept
linear perspective
Depth through converging lines
- vanishing pointWhere parallels appear to meet
- orthogonalAt right angles
- picture planeArtwork's illusory flat boundary
depth · foreshortening · optics · mirror · peephole · illusionism · mathematical · geometric · spatial · pictorial
competition
Struggle for supremacy
- IsaacHebrew patriarch name
- AbrahamFirst Hebrew patriarch
- jealousyResentful desire for another's advantages
defeat · bitterness · collaboration · conflict · controversy · recognition · vindication · Florence · judgment · guild
scaffolding
Temporary exterior work platform
cranes · pulleys · thrust · compression · masonry · bricklaying · cantilever · self-supporting · vaulting · drum
BrunelleschiGiotto
Trecento Florentine painter
Botticelli · Sandro Botticelli · Leonardo da Vinci · Raphael