A New Perspective
Born in Florence in 1377, Filippo Brunelleschi began his education at a very early age. His father, Ser Brunellesco di Lippo Lapi, quickly recognized his son’s intelligence and began teaching him art, mechanics, writing, and arithmetic.1 Brunelleschi’s father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a civil servant, but Brunelleschi showed more interest in art and machines. To support his son’s interests, Brunelleschi’s father helped him become an apprentice under the Guild of Goldsmiths, where he learned the art of design and eventually became a master goldsmith.2 His father’s efforts to educate Brunelleschi allowed the young scholar to work with great artists such as Donatello and Lorenzo Ghiberti and become a famous architect of the Renaissance. Although his many creations and discoveries brought him fame, Brunelleschi’s work in linear perspective in particular completely revolutionized European art and architecture during the Renaissance.
Because previous architects could not complete the difficult task of supporting a dome about 140 feet wide, in 1418, the government of Florence proposed a contest with a cash prize for anyone who could build, or design, a stable dome for the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral.3 The contest was proposed. After deciding to join the contest, Brunelleschi met with Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, a Florentine mathematician and astronomer, who showed him Ptolemy’s map of the world and introduced him to ancient Greek optical theory and grid measurements to create the map.4 Brunelleschi incorporated this idea to design the dome, which he successfully created using specific materials and design. Brunelleschi continued to use grid measurements to create a new perspective in his artwork: the linear perspective. He created the illusion of depth by using gridlines to make distant objects smaller and closer ones larger, yet all on the same grid plane. Brunelleschi’s creation soon reached the public as astounded citizens went to see his new form of art.
Linear perspective changed the way Europeans thought about the world around them. Before, they believed that everything only had a position in relation to the center of the universe, so artists typically painted central and spiritually significant objects larger. But Brunelleschi’s art positioned objects relative to the gridlines to create a more realistic image.5 This represented a change in priorities in European artwork. Rather than focus on religious aspects of a work of art, artists began to pay more attention to fine detail, giving every subject an individual focus. Brunelleschi’s usage of the linear perspective also applied to other aspects of Europe during the Renaissance. City buildings became more linear in order, deviating from the unorganized fashion in which they were built before, which had wasted much money. Because of this, cities developed in an organized manner and were built with a specific purpose. Brunelleschi’s linear perspective continued to be used in painting by artists such as Masaccio.
Filippo Brunelleschi’s work and discoveries paved the way for many famous artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, who used his techniques in their own artwork.6 Although some citizens and other artists ridiculed and ignored his ideas, Brunelleschi continued to practice them. The 14th century artist’s work reflects aspects of an architectural and scientific Renaissance in Europe by introducing a new perspective. Brunelleschi later passed away in 1446 the age of sixty-nine, and was buried under the Santa Maria del Fiore in honor of his contribution to the cathedral. Filippo Brunelleschi made the first steps toward the greatest art of Europe’s most progressive era.
Ian Jackson
1 Ross King, Brunelleschi’s Dome (New York: The Penguin Group, 2000), 347.
2 Barrett H. Clark, Great Short Biographies of Ancient Times (New York: A. &C. Boni, 1932), 11.
3 Ibid., 1.
4 “Point of View: Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance.” The Day the Universe Changed, British Broadcasting Corporation (London, England: BBC, April 2, 1985)
5 Ibid.
6 Christopher Jones, History 100 Spring Term Supplement, 17-20.
6 Christopher Jones, History 100 Spring Term Supplement, 17-20.
