Early Renaissance: The Revival of Classical Art and Innovative Architecture

1
Early Renaissance The Revival of Classical Art
and Innovative Architecture

• By Drake Wootton, Patrick Hood, Connor Prince

2
Brunelleschi and the Pazzi Chapel
A large movement during the Early Renaissance was
the revival of classical art. Brunelleschi had
studied classical Greek and Roman architecture
and used his own interpretation in the shapes of
the Pazzi Chapel. The round arches and patterns
of rectangles and squares throughout the interior
hold geometric shapes inspired by classical
buildings, the dominate shape being the circle in
this instance
Exterior of Pazzi Chapel
3
The Renaissance was innovative for its employment
of linear perspective and creating artwork with
correct mathematical proportions. Brunelleschi's
Pazzi Chapel was revolutionary in its design
based on perfect geometric proportions. The
ratios used throughout the interior of the
building are representative of the fundamental
laws of God and nature. The building is a square
with a rib vaulted dome.
Interior of Pazzi Chapel
4
Brunelleschis final work Santo Spirito Basilica
The Santo Spirito Basilica in Florence is another
great example of Early Renaissance architecture.
It was designed by Brunelleschi, though he was
not alive to see it be fully constructed. In
fact its facade was never actually built and was
instead left blank. 
5
It was designed in the traditional cross shape
like many other churches before and after it, but
showed Early Renaissance ideas by being rigidly
spaced in geometry and perfect modulation on the
inside, which was a departure from the less
strict spacing of architecture in the middle
ages. These provided outlets for many different
statues (in the niches) and frescoes (in the
chapels) by different artists to be
displayed.  This showed the new Renaissance
focus on the individual and giving credit to the
artist himself. It also allowed for merchants and
guilds to give patronage to the churches by
paying artists to make pieces for these different
niches and chapels. This stresses the Early
Renaissance focus on the merchant and working
class rather than royalty.
Exterior
Interior