Leon Battista Alberti - 2309 Words

Leon Battista Alberti, born in the 15th Century originally from Genoa was educated at Padua and Bologna in classics, mathematics and Church canon law. He was a typical Humanist and his education also made him well-versed in philosophy, science and the arts. In 1421, he attended the University of Bologna where he studied law, which he did not enjoy. Later on, he obtained a degree in canon Law which then led to his mathematical studies. His book, Della Pittura published around the year 1430 were written to influence both artists and patrons through a combination of technical detail and philosophical discussion on Florentine art. This book is divided into 3 parts, the first relates to perspective and mathematics. The second and third parts†¦show more content†¦These different perspectives are used and illustrated through different paintings like Piero’s The Flagellation, Leonardo’s Last Supper and Uccello’s The Deluge. Piero’s art is centred around mathematics and he was convinced that the highest beauty was found in those forms that have the clarity and purity of geometrical figures. The Flagellation shows Piero’s accurate sense of linear perspective; the tiles show the orthogonals and transversals as well as the blue sky and clouds that were drawn in perspectives. The use of foreshortening is minimal, and can be seen in the feet and arms of the middle figure at the front of the picture. One of the key elements is light which helps to create a perspectival depth. For example, the supernatural light above Christ and an external light source which casts the shadows. It was said that Piero made models and clothed them to study the fall of light on drapery folds before he began his paintings as can be seen on the 8 figures in the painting. Through his action, we realize the value he has placed on the use of light to create form in his figure construction. The fall of the drapery helped e nhance a 3-D form to the figures. This light and line of columns show the separation between these two views of life. Like Alberti has suggested in every painting, there is a variety of poses in The Flagellation. This is demonstratedShow MoreRelatedLeon Battista Alberti2300 Words   |  10 PagesLeon Battista Alberti, born in the 15th Century originally from Genoa was educated at Padua and Bologna in classics, mathematics and Church canon law. He was a typical Humanist and his education also made him well-versed in philosophy, science and the arts. In 1421, he attended the University of Bologna where he studied law, which he did not enjoy. Later on, he obtained a degree in canon Law which then led to his mathematical studies. His book, Della Pittura published around the year 1430 were writtenRead MoreThe Life and Works of Leon Battista Alberti Essay2519 Words   |  11 Pagesdesign throughout the world for centuries. Among the most influential architects of this period was Leon B attista Alberti, a prodigious writer, thinker and designer from Florence. Alberti was raised during his most formative years, the first part of the 15th century, in the shadow of Brunelleschi. Brunelleschis successful design for the Duomo in Florence would have been a major inspiration for Alberti to pursue what would be an incredibly successful career in architecture. His influence would be farRead MoreOn Painting Summary and Analysis, Leon Battista Alberti Essay788 Words   |  4 Pagespainting Summary and Analysis The selection from Leon Battista Alberti’s On painting is mainly divided into 5 paragraphs numbered 25 through 29. Just as the title suggests, the text deals with the art of painting and its virtues. It talks about the benefits painting offers to the artist and why they are valuable, as well as showing the importance a work of art gives to the object being painted. While referring to many examples in history, Alberti also compares painting to the other â€Å"crafts† and explainsRead MoreWomen Of The Renaissance By Margaret King1189 Words   |  5 PagesFor example, the wife of a Venice nobleman, Francesco Marcello gave birth to 26 children. Without a male heir the family would die out. The problem of â€Å"unproductive marriages† was also included in literary works, such as On the Family by Leon Battista Alberti. Furthermore, even in the 1600s, the ability to have children was viewed as a women’s only fundamental contribution to a husband or family. This was a concern that men would consider before marrying someone. When discussing about this, MartinRead MoreThe Architects Of Their Own Downfall1774 Words   |  8 Pagestraining. â€Å"A renaissance polymath† The definition of the polymath was not given till near 1700. They were seen as having such wide understanding and knowledge in such a variety of subject areas. Examples of such are Fillipo Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo; all of which were based around the Renaissance period. All of these examples trained preliminarily as artisans and then diversified into a number of significant architectural projects. Fillipo BrunelleschiRead More`` Fra Angelico s San Marco Altarpiece And The Metaphors Of Perspective Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent level as painting according to perspective become a science of space. â€Å"The scientific details of linear perspective and the correct method of showing distance in painting were†¦discussed by the Genovese architect and art-theorist Leon Battista Alberti (1404-72) - in his treatise Della Pittura (1435-1436) - and Florentine sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455) - in his incomplete manuscript entitled Commentaries, a work which drew heavily on the 11th century Book of Optics by the Iraqi mathematicianRead MoreEssay on A Critical Response to Vitruvius Alberti1034 Words   |  5 PagesARC131 H1F 3rd October 2012 Mikaile Ibrahim FIRMITAS, UTILITAS, VENUSTAS A CRITICAL RESPONSE TO VITRUVIUS amp; ALBERTI Throughout history, the makings of an architect have changed by stark proportions and so did the requirements of the finished creation. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (80 B.C.E), famously known as Vitruvius, wrote in The Ten Books on Architecture of how the architect must possess wide knowledge and expertise in many fields of study, and that his buildings must encompass firmitasRead MoreTaking a Look at the Renaissance1027 Words   |  4 PagesRenaissance used antique elements such as columns, triangular pediments, arched vaults, domes. One of the most outstanding architects was Donato Bramante who thoroughly studied two of the greatest architectural theorists, Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and Leon Battista Alberti. Vitruvius repeatedly talks about beauty and its way of implementation. It was need in the manual of architecture, and even necessary. Vitruvius demanded that in architecture, particularly in sacred buildings, a eurythmic proportions are employedRead MoreA Reflection On Renaissance Architecture2079 Words   |  9 Pagesmaster builders and carpenters. That’s not yet the case of Brunelleschi, but is that of Leon Battista Alberti, who is the key figure to comprehend the emancipation from skilled man to artist, from the craftsmen specialised in mechanical works to the intellectualisation of the profession. Symptom of the achieved intellectual activity was the succession of the treatises written by the architects themselves (Alberti, Filarete, Di Giorgio etc.). The figure of the artist is realised, hereafter he will demandRead MoreA Comparison of The Book of the Family and The Selected Letters1265 Words   |  6 Pagesof what life was like in the renaissance. In The Book of the Family Leon Battista Alberti illustrates to his readers through dialogue, his vision of the perfect family. Alberti wrote his book in dialogue form, featuring the elder Giannozzo conversing with the young Leonardo. They discuss important family topics such as thrift, friendship, work, health, housing, economics, children and how and whom to choose as a wife. Alberti stresses thrift with family resources and money, hard work in the right