Bramante's architecture and aesthetic attitudes in the High Renaissance

Bramante Architecture

A fact of history is that Renaissance marked a new emerging base towards the already established architecture of antiquity that was rooted in thorough recovery of the past and new inventiveness, but it was because of this that the great cities of Europe gathered much of their form that is admired by the world today. The word renaissance has entered the minds of people with dominant positive connotations of pure genius and renewal. (Campbell, 2004)

Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the early 15th to 17th centuries in different areas of Europe which demonstrated a revival of elements of the ancient Greek and Roman thought and culture. First established in Florence by Filippo Brunelleschi, the renaissance spread like wild fire to other parts of Italy as well and from there the style was carried to France, England, Russia, Germany and other parts of Europe. (Gromort)

During the Renaissance, artists were no longer considered as mere artisans like they had been in the past. They were now considered to be personalities who were independent and comparable to writers and poets. It was a period of devoted exploration and it was during that time developments in humanism took place. (Kleiner, 1969)

The Renaissance is divided into three phases- Quattrocentro (also known as the early renaissance), high renaissance and mannerism. During the quattrocentro period, architectural orders were explored and rules were formed. Space was organised proportionally with the help of geometry rather than being utilized and created by intuition as had been done earlier. The important architect of this time was Filippo Brunelleschi who designed the Basilica di San Lorenzo.The phase that followed the quattrocentro was the high renaissance period in which derived concepts were bought to life. This period is said to have been initiated by Leonardo Da Vinci. In this period artists reduced their subjects to bare essentials making sure that viewers of the art would focus on the essence of the theme. The third phase, mannerism, also known as late renaissance dealt with architects experimenting with architectural forms to highlight the relationship between solids and space. The best known architecture of this phase was Michelangelo. (Campbell, 2004)

In the 16th century, Italian Renaissance reached unparalleled heights and the turbulent climate of Italy was ideal for the spread of high renaissance. The greatest architect of the high renaissance period was Donato Bramnte who was born in Monte Asdruald (Fermignano) in 1444. From a very early age he studied painting with Mantegna and Piero della Francesca. His artistic history is divided into two phases, one which he spent in Milan and the other which he spent in Rome. The work he carried out in Milan was branded by distinct picturesque and decorative style while that done in Rome was more fit with the High Renaissance. These works were free from all external decoration and were impressive due to their clear cut proportions and old fashioned majestic ways. (Hersey &, 1993)

Bramante was hired by Pope Julius II in 1503 to create a new Saint Peter's which was to replace the old Constantinian basilica. It had a domed structure with a massive size, central plan and noble severity. This was not his only contribution to high renaissance architecture but it was the one he was most famous for. Bramante is known to have revived architecture which had been buried deep into the ground and because of his gift he was able to earn a place in history with artists like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. (Kleiner, 1969)

Bramante had incorporated in his architectural designs his interest and understanding of spatial volume and three dimensional massing. He had great knowledge of old structures which gave him the ability to create something distinct and memorable. He used geometric shapes such as cubes and cylinders and flat walls in his ideas which made him stand out from other artists of the time. It was his incorporation of all these elements into his ideas that later artists like Raphael and Michelangelo used them for their most important works as well. (Murray)

Bramante is also known for planning monuments such as the Tempietto of San Pietro, some features of Santa Maria Della Pace, the Cloisters of Sant'Ambrogio and the Belvedere courtyard in the Vatican. In each of these buildings Bramante had used his trademark cylinders, space and cubes. (Hersey &, 1993)

The first major work of Bramante in Rome was the cloister at Santa Maria Della Pace. This structure consisted of columns and pillars with two distinct square levels. Another cloister he had designed at Sant'Ambrogio also consisted of pillars but with swooping arches. This showed he was not rigid in his methods and liked to change the way he did things. (Kleiner, 1969)

Another important masterpiece that portrayed Bramante's immense talent was the Tempietto of San Pietro. It was built in such a way that it had slender pillar and columns. It was circular in shape which symbolized perfection. The Belvedere courtyard, another one of Bramante's works features the use of perspectives. It comprised of split stair cases, slopes and terraces and clearly depicted Bramante's excellent understanding of space, dimension and perception. Bramante had an amazing vision of how he wanted the courtyard to look. A dome was to be supported by four pillars with towers at each corner of the building. Unfortunately this piece could not be completed during Bramante's life and thus its full vision could not be fully realised. (Kleiner, 1969)

His work was simple yet grandeur and was not just merely attractive to the eye. His figures had depth and significance. The word renaissance in itself means rebirth. His masterpieces like Tempietto was small and designed to fit in a confined area. It bought together the glory from the times of the Greeks. Perfection, symmetry and balanced parts were all a part of this work and represented the High Renaissance. Also Bramante's most important work V Saint Peter's which has a cruciform structure was built using excellent perspectives. As people walk in to the building they seem to shrink whereas in reality they just fit in with the flow of the building. (Gromort)