baroque architecture and the renaissance

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DSDN 171 Thesis Statement St. Peters baldachin, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is just one example of how Baroque architecture was a shift away from Renaissance architecture, and was used to signify the triumph of the Catholic Church in reviving spiritual values through the use of more decorative and emotional design.” Name: Jonathan Basile Student ID: 300157809

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Page 1: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

DSDN 171

Thesis Statement

“St. Peters baldachin, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is just one example of how Baroque architecture was a shift away from

Renaissance architecture, and was used to signify the triumph of the Catholic Church in reviving spiritual values through the use of

more decorative and emotional design.”

Name: Jonathan Basile Student ID: 300157809

Page 2: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

St. Peter’s baldachin (Italian: baldacchino), is an example of how Baroque architecture was very revolutionary in seventeenth century Italy. It replaced the humanist view of Renaissance architecture to develop a new theatrical and sculptural way to express the triumph of the Catholic Church. Renaissance architecture placed an emphasis on symmetry, proportion and order, which were also features of ancient Roman architecture. Baroque, on the other hand, was “more accessible to the emotions”1 and used features such as dramatic light, ornament, illusionary effects, and sinuous forms. Whereas Renaissance architecture was focused on wealth and power of the Italian courts and was a blend of religious forces, the Baroque style was initially linked to the Counter-Reformation, the period of the revival of the Catholic Church at the start of the seventeenth century.2 One famous example of Baroque architecture is in the crossing of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Above the Papal Altar stands St. Peter’s baldachin and was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Figure 1). Born in 1598, Bernini was mainly a sculptor but was also a good painter and architect. The baldachin is a clear example of how sculpture and architecture showed development in the Baroque style design of church interiors and furnishings. “It marks the triumph of Baroque style over the plain lines of the Renaissance.”3

1Henry A Millon, Baroque and Rococo Architecture, (New York: George Braziller INC, 1960), 16.

2 Ibid 3 E M Jun-Inglessis, St. Peter’s, (Italy: SCALA, 1980), 33.

Figure 1. St. Peter’s Basilica, “The Papal Altar and Baldacchino,” http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/ Altars/PapalAltar/PapalAltar.htm

Figure 1. St. Peter’s baldachin, 1633. It stands in the crossing of St. Peter’s Basilica. Designed by Gian Lorenzo

Bernini, It shows features of Baroque style architecture that include ornament and sinuous forms.

Page 3: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

The style of Baroque architecture can be traced back to the Renaissance style of architecture. The Renaissance was a period of time between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries and began in Florence, Italy, and later spread throughout Europe. It was a time when a cultural movement was taking place which included a restoration of learning based on classical sources, “and the enlightenment and clarity of mind as opposed to the darkness and spirituality of the Middle Ages”4. Many people saw this transformation as a connection between the Middle Ages and the Modern era. As well as revolutions in many social and political aspects, the time of the Renaissance is best known for artistic developments and included inspiring artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Architecture in the Italian Renaissance followed the belief that “decorative forms would overwhelm architecture”5. For Italy it was also a matter of triumph of form over material. The style of architecture reflects the idea of humanism and involved the revival of classical features of design from ancient Greek and Roman times. These features included: symmetry, proportion and geometry (Figures 2-5). These principles were applied to create orderly arrangement of pilasters, semicircular arches, domes, and facades which are the front side of a building (Figures 2, 5).

4James Lees-Milne, Buildings of Europe: Baroque Europe, (London: BT Batsford Ltd, 1962), 4. 5 Henry A Millon, Italian Renaissance Architecture, (London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1994), 34.

Figures 2-5. Jacob Burckhardt, The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance, (London, Secker and Warburg, 1985), 77.

Characteristics of Renaissance Architecture; clockwise from top left: Figure 2. Façade of St. Peter’s based on Michelangelo’s design. Figure 3. Side view of pillar showing proportion. Figure 4. Top view of pillar showing symmetry and geometry. Figure 5. Villa Rotonda façade, designed by Andrea Palladio

Page 4: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

The transition from the formal Renaissance style to the more decorative Baroque architecture was not an abrupt change by any means. Historians have concluded that there was first an intervening style which they term Mannerist. This style lasted from about 1520 to 1570. A second intermediate style called the Counter-Reformation lasted from 1570 to 1620 and it was during this time that the Catholic Church went through a revival period and the re-emergence of spiritual values which it had enjoyed previously in medieval times and that had not been present during the Renaissance period.6 This style was the precursor to the soon to be seen Baroque style of architecture.

“Italy experienced a general regeneration of its powers that paralleled the Church’s newly regained confidence in spiritual matters”7

The first signs that the Renaissance style was being phased out can be seen in “Della Porta’s Gesu front” on the Church of Gesu (Figure 6). Designed by Giacomo Della Porta, an Italian architect and sculptor, in 1573, it shows a “total departure from Renaissance and was a forecast of Baroque’s wholeness of pattern”8. Features that emerged from this include the two heavy scrolls turned on their sides. They are separated by a centrepiece in the upper story of the building. This became the prototype for church facades all over Europe for several decades.

Figure 6. Della Porta’s Gesu front, 1573. The façade of the Church of Gesu (Italian: Chiesa del Gesu) is seen as the precursor for Baroque church

design and has been described as “the first truly baroque façade”9

6 James Lees-Milne, Buildings of Europe: Baroque Europe, (London: BT Batsford Ltd, 1962), 3.

7Henry A Millon, Baroque and Rococo Architecture, (New York: George Braziller INC, 1960), 15.

8James Lees-Milne, Buildings of Europe: Baroque Europe, (London: BT Batsford Ltd, 1962), 5. 9Nathan T Whitman, “Roman Tradition and the Aedicular Façade,” The Journal of the Society of Architectural

Historians, 29, (1970): 108. Figure 6. James Lees-Milne, Buildings of Europe: Baroque Europe, (London: BT Batsford Ltd, 1962), 27.

Page 5: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

At the start of the seventeenth century, many developments took place in embracing this newly found style of Baroque architecture. In 1605 Pope Paul V ordered the remains of the old St. Peter’s Basilica torn down which was designed by Michelangelo. In 1607, Carlo Maderno designed the new façade and work was completed in 1612. Born in 1556, the Italian-Swiss architect was an influential figure and is remembered as one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. The design of the columns and especially the attic were a precursor of the Baroque architecture that was soon to come (Figure 7). Maderno worked on the interior of the church to suggest a “fluid, dramatic and dynamic space”.10 The new nave, which is the long central part of the church (Figure 8), was given windows to allow for light and the nave was made higher and wider. The result was a lighter and airier nave where “space could flow more freely”.11 Maderno’s concepts in church design were revolutionary with regards to fluid interior space and his handling of mass. These ideas helped form a foundation upon which the later masters of the Baroque were able to build upon.

“The mobility of the giant columns and the openings and crestings of the attic is

an earnest of that greater rhythm and freedom which were soon to come.”12 So in summary, at the beginning of the seventeenth century Europe was in a state of disorder and people were clashing politically, socially and culturally. The Counter-Reformation period was all about change and confrontation across Europe and with this came the Baroque style of architecture. In response to the bareness of Renaissance architecture, Baroque buildings were a sign of the Catholic Church’s triumphant revival of spiritual values. The buildings were heavily decorated and rather than approach design by using the principles of form and function, architects of this time approached it with more emphasis on the emotional side of design and had a focus on “energy over balance”.13

10Henry A Millon, Baroque and Rococo Architecture, (New York: George Braziller INC, 1960), 15. 11

Henry A Millon, Baroque and Rococo Architecture, (New York: George Braziller INC, 1960), 16. 12James Lees-Milne, Buildings of Europe: Baroque Europe, (London: BT Batsford Ltd, 1962), 4. 13Fabrizio Mancinelli, History and Art: Vatican, (Italy: SCALA, 1974), 14. Figures 7-8. Fabrizio Mancinelli, History and Art: Vatican, (Italy: SCALA, 1974), 7, 13

From left: Figure 7. Façade of St. Peter’s Basilica, Figure 8. Nave of St. Peter’s Basilica Both designed by Carlo Maderno in the early 17th century. Features of Baroque architecture include

the use of decorated square windows on the façade and a more dramatic interior in the nave.

Page 6: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

Many features of Baroque architecture have already been mentioned but to review these, they include: wider and more circular naves, strong use of light and shadow effects, ornamentation, and facades with an expressive central focal point. Many of these features can be seen in Figures 8 and 9 including a very high ceiling. As stated earlier, one significant master of the Baroque was Gian Lorenzo Bernini who is regarded as one of the greatest sculptors and architects of all time. The importance of his contribution to architecture lay in his sculptural handling of masses. “He seemed to carve his buildings out of their surroundings”.14 One example of Bernini’s unique work can be seen in his masterpiece of church architecture, the Sant'Andrea al Quirinale in Rome (Figures 9, 10). The church is perhaps the high point of the vision towards the Italian Baroque as it fuses, “painting, sculpture, architecture, and stage design into a totally integrated system.”15 The interior contains large masses of marble and uses light in an effective way; the altar piece is lighted from a hidden source, and above this is St Andrew who is supported by a cloud where light falls upon him (Figure 10).

From left: Figure 9. Façade of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale, Figure 10. Interior of the church The façade is considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture. “The interior

contains luxurious gilt and coloured marble surroundings with a dramatically lighted step by step

story of the martyrdom of St Andrew.”16

Having covered all of these previous examples from varying artists that show the development from Renaissance to Baroque architecture, one significant piece of design that marks the triumph of the Catholic Church in reviving spiritual values, by showing more decoration and emotion in its appearance, is St. Peter’s baldachin designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and completed in 1633 (Figures 1, 11-14). It is a large sculpted bronze canopy located over the Papal Altar and beneath the dome of St Peter’s Basilica. “It was intended to mark the place of St Peter’s tomb in a monumental way.”17

14James Lees-Milne, Buildings of Europe: Baroque Europe, (London: BT Batsford Ltd, 1962), 4. 15Henry A Millon, Baroque and Rococo Architecture, (New York: George Braziller INC, 1960), 18. 16 Ibid, 19. Figures 9 and 10. Ibid, 62-63. 17Irving Lavin, Visible Spirit: The Art of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, (London: The Pindar Press, 2007), 62.

Page 7: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

The work on the baldachin, which began in July 1623, was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII. The main aim of the project was to create something that kept “the faithful within the fold by appealing to their love of drama which was a successful means of winning the hearts and dominating the souls of simple Latin people”.18 There are many features of the baldachin that keep to this promise including the four bronze columns. The details and meaning they possess is immense (Figure 11). Standing twenty metres high, their twisted “S” shape is based on the Solomonic column and was revived from ancient times to show continuity and energy. The decoration on each column was nature inspired and all are decorated with olive leaves, which are a symbol of poetry and heroism.19 Among the olive leaves are bees which help to symbolise rebirth and the search of God. 20 The height of the columns helps to create an optical illusion with regards to shortening the height between the floor and ceiling. The four columns support the ciborium; that is the canopy which rests on top. The ciborium of the baldachin also has characteristics of Baroque architecture. On the underside of the ciborium, in the centre surrounded by golden rays, is a dove which symbolises the Holy Spirit (Figure 14). Around the cornice, which is the horizontal rim of the ciborium (Figures 12 and 13), is a tasselled border made of bronze that is meant to symbolise a cloth moving in the wind.21 The Baroque feature of this is that the border curves inwards. Above this is the crown. This part of the baldachin contains many features that express the values and beliefs of the Catholic Church, which was the main objective of the design in the first place. Each of the four corners contains an angel (Figures 12 and 13). These were all the work of Francois du Duquesnoy, who was born in Italy in 1597 and was well known for his work in Baroque sculptor. In between these are smaller angels holding emblems of the Pope: the keys, the papal tiara (papal crown), the gospel, and the sword.22 Also on the crown, at each corner, are four large scrolls that are decorated with palm fronds. The scrolls curve inwards and upwards towards the centre point of the baldachin that contains a golden globe; and on top of this is the cross (Figures 12 and 13).

18

James Lees-Milne, Buildings of Europe: Baroque Europe, (London: BT Batsford Ltd, 1962), 4. 19Irving Lavin, Visible Spirit: The Art of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, (London: The Pindar Press, 2007), 94. 20

E M Jun-Inglessis, St. Peter’s, (Italy: SCALA, 1980), 33. 21

Ibid. 22

Mark S Weil, “The Literature of Art: The Crossing Of St. Peter’s,” The Burlington Magazine, 113, (1971): 100. Figure 11. St. Peter’s Basilica, “The Papal Altar and Baldacchino,” www.saintpetersbasilica.org /Altars/PapalAltar/ Baldacchino-bees.jpg

Figure 11. Columns of the baldachin The twisted columns with bronze olive leaves

and bees are symbols of nature and were used to emphasise the rebirth of the Catholic Church

Page 8: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

23 24 So in summary, St Peter’s baldachin is a landmark in the history of Baroque architecture. It signified that the Catholic Church was well and truly alive and had been triumphant in regaining its spiritual values during the Counter-Reformation in the early seventeenth century, that had been absent during the Renaissance period. The Baroque style was a shift away from the conservative and formal style of Renaissance architecture. Gian Lorenzo Bernini will always be considered a master of the Baroque, as his emotional, expressive, and sculptural design expressed the values of the Catholic Church and helped people regain and keep their faith in the Catholic Church.

Figures 12 and 14. Fabrizio Mancinelli, History and Art: Vatican, (Italy: SCALA, 1974), 14, 16. Figure 13. Irving Lavin, Visible Spirit: The Art of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, (London: The Pindar Press, 2007), 129.

From left: Figures 12 and 13. Ciborium and crown Above the tasselled cornice stand four large angels

that surround four large scrolls that curve in and up to support a globe and cross.

Figure 14. Ciborium of St. Peter’s baldachin The ciborium (canopy) is heavily decorated in a

Baroque style, and contains many religious symbols such as the dove on the underside of the ciborium.

Page 9: Baroque Architecture and the Renaissance

Bibliography Burckhardt, Jacob. “The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance”. London: Secker and Warburg,

1985. Jung-Inglessis, E.M. “St.Peter’s”. Italy: SCALA, 1980. Lavin, Irving, “Visible Spirit: The Art of Gian Lorenzo Bernini”. London: The Pindar Press, 2007. Mancinelli, Fabrizio. “History and Art: Vatican”. Italy: SCALA, 1974. Millon, Henry A. “Baroque and Rococo Architecture”. New York: George Braziller INC, 1960. Millon, Henry A. “Italian Renaissance Architecture”. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1994. St. Peter’s Basilica. “The Papal Altar and Baldacchino.”

http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Altars/PapalAltar/PapalAltar.htm (accessed on October 15, 2009).

Whitman, Nathan T. “Roman Tradition and the Aedicular Façade.” The Journal of the Society of

Architectural Historians. No. 29, (1970): 108. Weil, Mark S. “The Literature of Art: The Crossing of St. Peter’s.” The Burlington Magazine. Vol.

113, No. 815, (1971): pp 98-100.