From the monthly archives: June 2010
Filippo Brunelleschi, or “Pippo” as he was known to his friends, embodied the very essence of true Renaissance idealism. His unequaled genius in designing and engineering the improbable Florence Duomo would find him admired and envied by some of the greatest minds and talents of the Renaissance period.
Michelangelo, Il Divino himself, was said to have idolized Brunelleschi in such a way, when asked where he wanted to be interred, his last wish was to be buried near the Florence Cathedral, so when his soul rose upward to Heaven his last earthly vision would be that of Brunelleschi’s Dome.
Imagine being held to the highest measure of genius and beauty earthly possible only to have your own genius honored and aspired to!
The Dome
By 1418, Brunelleschi’s nemesis had sat undefined for 122 years and become the greatest architectural challenge of its time. Due to the The Florence Cathedral’s 180’ high walls and 140’ wide expanse, the project’s own architects didn’t have the least notion of how to complete the dome. Its incredible size and a multitude of other structural issues made it a mystery only an act of pure genius could solve.
The Genius
The very act of genius required would come in the form of Brunelleschi, an unassuming small-statured man who stood no more than 5’4” and whose first trade was not that of an engineer nor architect but that of a goldsmith. Could this man really solve the puzzle which had bewildered great men for more than a century?
The Challenge
Brunelleschi’s inspiration for taking on the monumental task of completing the dome was found in a contest to discover an architect/engineer brilliant enough to finish it. Brunelleschi competed and won the commission. He was said to have thrived on the most difficult of challenges, taking on the dome with vigor and determination.
The Victory
The dome proved to be a constant challenge for much of his life, but his superior mathematical and technical prowess would prevail. He came away victorious, seeing the completion of Florence’s Duomo and finally accomplishing what other men had failed miserably to do.
Michael J. Gelb, author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, says Brunelleschi not only masterminded the engineering and construction feat presented by the elusive dome, “he created a space that celebrates the individual’s participation in heavenly glory,” and stands for “the supreme embodiment of the literal and figurative expansion of the Renaissance perspective.”
In 1568, Giorgio Vasari wrote in Lives of the Artists, “Brunelleschi’s genius was so commanding that we can surely say that he was sent by heaven to renew the art of architecture.” Vasari himself designed and started painting the sacred fresco in the interior of the Florence dome in 1592, Federico Zuccaro completed it.
To this day Brunelleschi’s brave and brilliant success still towers above the streets of Florence and continues to inspire awe in all who witness it. Divino Ingenio!
Drawing of Brunelleschi’s double shell design of the Florence Duomo by Cigoli (Credit)
Brunelleschi’s Florence Duomo at Santa Maria del Fiore (Credit)
Fresco of the Florence Duomo started by Vasari completed by Federico Zuccaro (Credit)
PBS has an amazing documentary series we highly recommend about the Medici Dynasty called “The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance” and in the series “Birth of a Dynasty” a good portion of it covers the building of Brunelleschi’s dome. Here is the video: (fyi: the story of the dome enters about 10 minutes into the film)
We all need a place of solitude and serenity where we can escape the many stresses of the modern world. Beautiful surroundings infused with resplendent color, soft illumination and rich, supple textures replenish our body, mind and soul.
Imago Dei believes wholeheartedly in making one’s home a haven and to that end our talented artists helped create these serenely golden rooms.
A decorative ceiling and wall treatment in stunning metallic gold.
Golden-washed ceiling and walls make this bedroom dance.
An old world style textured wall and ceiling treatment is warm and inviting.
Golden walls and ceiling create a lovely canvas for this ornate black iron bed.
Parisian pink and gold hand painted headboard with custom cherub cameo.
Hand painted pink and gold headboard set off by hand painted stencil walls.
Imago Dei’s expert sculptor Alex Conway led the creation and installation of a fantastic contemporary chandler for the Houston Family Arts Center (HFAC) to completion yesterday.
The final piece has three tiers of custom translucent panels; each made of richly dyed red resin that is cast from our own specially made texture molds. The chandelier is lit from within with strips of LED lights so that all of the color and brightness can be controlled from the light board.
The HFCA, who presents mainstage comedies, musicals, and dinner theatre for Houston area families, needed something special to provide versatile lighting for the theatre. Unable to find anything prefab to capture the unique theme they intended the lead designer turned to Imago Dei. Fortunately, we were already working on a 45′ long mural for them and the lead designer (who by now knows how we roll) asked us to create a custom 12′ long resin chandelier.
This was another part of the theater project in which we installed a custom texture treatment which surrounds the proscenium wall.
New resin sculpture in the works… stay tuned!
