Filippo Brunelleschi was an essential contributor to the 15th-century architecture scene. He was an architectural genius credited for some of the greatest architectural pieces in 15th century Florentine. Filippo was the first architect to apply mathematics in the construction of his buildings. His application of mathematics in his constructions, such as the Church of San Spirito was an indication that he was an expert engineer. Filippo’s architectural pieces were distinct from the other architectural pieces of the time. The reason behind this is that he applied mathematical perspectives to transform the then common gothic and Romanesque spaces to new classical structures (Lowry, 1962). This made his buildings seem oddly proportionate and more symmetrical. His structures were the first to portray signs of stylistic change in Quattrocento architecture.
He was first commissioned to build the Ospadale delgi inocenti (Saalman, 1963). The building was the first of its kind in Florence. It was astute compared to the other buildings of the time. One of the areas of distinction was that unlike the other buildings of the time, it did not have the decorative inlays that the other gothic and Romanesque structures had. It was the first building to be considered to be of the renaissance period.
What architectures consider being the greatest masterpieces of Filippo was the dome in the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Saalman, 1963). The dome was the largest in the time, and its magnitude had the engineers at a loss of the materials that could be strong enough to hold the building. Using his engineering prowess, he made modifications to the designs of the building that made it possible to construct.
Examples of other Renaissance Artists
Michelazzo Michelozzi
There were other architects of the time whose works could be compared to that of Filippo. Another renaissance architect whose works could be compared to that of Filippo was Michelazzo Michelozzi. His greatest claim to fame was the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Like Filippo, he was based in Florence and around the same time of the 15th century.
Leon Batista Alberti
Another renaissance architect of considerable note at the time was Leon Batista Alberti (Grafton, 2000). He is best-known for his design of Palazzo Rucellai that is based influence. Build between the years 1456 and 1470, Alberti design it using a classical nature that he applied in the columns of the building.
Comparisons between Their Works
Michelazzo’s and Alberti’s structures were similar to Filippo’s but on the other hand they had aspects of distinctiveness. One of the similarities in their works was the fact that all the three architects drifted from the traditional gothic structures to the renaissance style of architecture. Another common factor in the structures created by these three architects was that the columns used in their buildings were not decorative as in former gothic structures; they were used to support the structures. They structures had similar stylistic similarities. One of them was that they used repetitive arches in their buildings that contributed to the compositional harmony of the structures.
Contrasts between Their Works
The first major difference between the structures made by Filippo and those by Alberti and Michelazzo was that Filippo used mathematics to find proportion and symmetry in his structures. He was the first architect to apply this form of engineering in his building and at the time this application was unique to his structures (King, 2000).Unlike the other two architects, Filippo's structures were simple on the surface but were astute in structure. For example, the structures that Michelazzo made did not have supporting columns that were a key factor in Filippo's structures.
Works Cited
Grafton, Anthony. Leon Battista Alberti: master builder of the Italian Renaissance. New York: Hill and Wang, 2000. Print.
King, Ross. Brunelleschi's dome: how a Renaissance genius reinvented architecture. New York: Walker & Co., 2000. Print.
Lowry, Bates. Renaissance architecture. New York: G. Braziller, 1962. Print.
Saalman, Howard. Filippo Brunelleschi: the buildings. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993. Print.
