BAROQUE

When referring to Baroque, I always think of these key words: expressive, ambiguity, complexity, contradiction, variety, emotion, and AFFECTIVE.

The word Baroque comes from portuguese term which inspired by Mannerism's inventive and expressive reformulation of rigid renaissance principals, as best embodied in the work of Michael Angelo. Architecture in Baroque period usually "Breaking the rules" unlike Renaissance. There will be a curve or trapezoid inverse in geometry also a curvy triangle shape. For example, Church of the Gesu in Rome (1573-1577) plan designed by Giacoma da Vignola. The plan is not a clearly cross breaking the rules of the cross plan for church in Renaissance also with its facade that has more baroque style of curve and inverse the geometry, compare to Santa Maria Novela church that has a cross plan and the facade controlled by perfect square and circles.

Church of the Gesu plan compare to Santa Maria Novela plan

One of the artist in Baroque period was Gian Lorenso Bernini (1598-1680), who was a sculptor first then painter, theatre designer, play writer, and architect. Bernini was Michael Angelo-like embodiment of the Renaissance. His work compare with Michael Angelo's is David, Bernini's David has a complex action and very expressive that could makes you feel like you are in the scene while David of Michael Angelo just stand in a simple action with less expressive face. Bernini makes his marble work become alive by making the face and action expressively and complex, as well as his paintings and architecture. The painting inside Santa Maria Della Victoria is the painting of clouds that looks real and deep, very expressive that Bernini want to make it look real as much as he can. The interior and exterior of the church is in a baroque style that has a curvy triangle also complex and inverse of the geometry.

David by Michael Angelo and The David by Bernini

RENAISSANCE: MICHELANGELO

After we studying about Modernism, we went back to the time before Modernism, late Renaissance.

Late Renaissance period having the influence of greek and classical architecture style. This period mainly occur in Italy which there were three main artists, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Andrea Palladio, and Donato Bramante. 

David

I'd a chance to visit Italy last year which brought me to these great work of these great artists. I went to many places like Pantheon, Colosseum, inside Vatican City including St. Peter's Basilica and Sistine Chapel, and other places I can not remember. Anyway, among great works in these places, I was very fascinated by Michelangelo the most because I think Michelangelo was 'All in One' artist. I mean, he seems to have ability to do all kind of arts; he could be a sculptor, architects, and painting artist. 

From what i saw from his works, seems like Michelangelo's style show a lot of massiveness and trying to make a perfect figure of human body. For example, David, a very famous and master piece of Michelangelo, show human figure and also with feeling that express through the face. When I stand on the ground and turn my face up to see David closely, I could see muscle and all of the blood vessels from marble skin of David.

Later on, David was forced by the Pope to make paintings and architecture which we all know them well, paintings inside Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Here, I found that Michelangelo is a great architect and painting artist at the same time with being a great sculptor. The paintings inside Sistine Chapel is the story in the Bible which all human figure also shows strength, and a clearly human figure  such as muscles as well as blood vessels.

Anyway, there are more paintings, sculptures, and architecture that Michelangelo did. All of his work was very magnificent, suit with the word "ALL IN ONE" artist.

The view from inside St. Peter's Basilica that I took myself. 

HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE, AND "NOT AT ALL"

Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci

History always refer back to the previous and remaining in the past. In architecture, what we see in buildings nowadays, developed from the past and use history as a source. Architects use history in their work which appear in their contemporary context. Renaissance architecture like Filippo Brunelleschi may be used history direcly for his architecture but in the opposite way, some architect is "not at all" in the the use of history like Le Corbusier. 


Filippo Brunelleschi is an Italian Renaissance architect that practiced on Classical Roman architecture and studying about theories and the elements of classical architecture. He got inspiration from ancient Roman authors like Leonado Da Vinci, especially "Vitruvius" which later established new rules and theory of proportion and symmetry according to human proportions. Anyway, Brunelleschi did not create any new forms of architecture, he just borrow and use history of Classical architecture for his work but with higher perform of engineering method and construction. On the other side, modernism architects like Le Corbusier has "Starting from zero", in which he get rid out of the history and creating his own rules of architecture. As you can see from Le Corbusier's work, his architecture intruduced "Geometry" , new form, pureness, simplicity, with new materials also theory of "Golden Ratio".

Golden Ratio by Le Corbusier

However, I think each architects have different style of how they got inspiration from. Some uses the past and create present, some might create their own theory and rules. Different style and different design of architect is beautiful in its own way. It's depends on how people look trough what architects were trying to convey trough their architecture.