In this class we looked at the early Italian Renaissance in the 15th Century. We discussed the role of “studia humanitatis,” which is the study of human works, had on the influence of Greco-Roman knowledge in the Renaissance. Then, we examined the role of Florence in the Renaissance period, and how it was connected to ancient Rome, in the sense that it was ruled as a republic. Additionally, Florence was run by powerful bankers and merchants, as opposed to monarchs and aristocrats. Furthermore, guilds flourished in Florence, allowing for further development in different specializations.
We then examined Brunelleschi’s Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. Brunelleschi designed the dome after he lost a contest to create a panel on the door of the Baptistry of Saint John to Ghiberti. Both artists took the same prompt, but returned with very different depictions. Brunelleschi’s design of the Dome employs a sense of rationality behind the meaning of its ratios and relationships with people.