Ye Olde English Renaissance

The entire English Renaissance spanned from the late 1500s to the early 1800s. England was the last of the major countries to jump on the renaissance bandwagon since they were isolated from continental Europe. So the English style kind of became a hodgepodge of styles. They did start getting influence from the Italian Renaissance due to books and works of art brought back to England. Also, since international trade became easier, we also see hints of oriental style in English interiors.

But during this period, I don't think the English were doing anything too groundbreaking in terms of interiors. The biggest "export" from the English Renaissance is an exterior- the Tudor style home. Built with timber framing, this style just screams England, even to this day.

English Renaissance Interior

The Anne Hathaway House-One of the most famous Tudors

Modern Day Tudor

French Renaissance

During the French Renaissance period, the French started moving away from the Gothic style and started incorporating elements from the Italian Renaissance movement. Interior design really flourished during this period and being an interior decorator became a real profession to ensure that interiors were as highly styled as possible.

One of the most important interiors of this time is Chateau de Chambord, which was supposed to serve as a hunting lodge for Francois I. The exterior of the chateau reflects the Medieval period.

Chateau Chambord

Because the Chateau was meant to be a hunting lodge and was only occupied for small periods of time, it was left unfurnished. Francois I hardly spent any of his time at the chateau and after his reign, it was left untouched for years and left to rot, essentially. Louis XIII finally gave it to his brother, who carried out a lot of the restoration work. Then when Louis XIV became king, he took it on as his hunting lodge and had it furnished with elements that are seen throughout the French Renaissance- heavy red fabrics, high amounts of intricate gold ornamentation, and a lot of large mirrors. But even Louis the XIV eventually quit using the chateau. 

Louis XIV's ceremonial bedroom.

Modern take on French Renaissance style

Other Blogs- For this section, I looked at Dana's blog. She focused mostly on the short period style of French Regency. She explains how the furniture style of this time lost all of its symmetry and became very curvy and was a big influence on the Rococo period. 

I also viewed Melanie's blog and really loved all of her photos from Versailles. It's always nice when someone has had a personal experience with one of the historical sights we discuss. Her photos are gorgeous and really reinforce the fact that the French looooved their intricate detail and gold. 

Italian Renaissance

You can't have Renaissance without the Italians (and I'm sure they'd be the first to tell you that). While their were periods of rebirth all across Europe, the Italians really nailed it- home to some of the most famous architects, engineers, and artists, and some who dabbled in all three (hence the term "Renaissance Man"). Also the period when one of my favorite artists of all time, Michelangelo Caravaggio, was born. While there was so much going on during the Renaissance, and we should be focusing on the interiors of the time, I'm going to veer away from our usual subject matter and really focus on the art. Commissioning works of art at this time was immensely popular, and oftentimes a show of one's wealth. Paintings from this period are some of the most famous of all time. All time. The span of the entire world of art and the majority came from this 200 year span. Pretty, pretty, preeetttyyyy impressive. On to the paintings!

The first I've chosen to discuss is "Europa and the Bull" by Titian. The story depicted in this image is that of the God Jupiter who falls in love with Europa. So he turns himself into a bull and convinces Europa to climb upon her back and when she does he carries her away and uh, well I'll let you figure out the rest.

This is "La Primavera" (The Allegory of Spring) by Sandro Botticelli. This might be one of the most famous of the most famous. La Primavera was commissioned by the Medici family and has about 1,000 theories on what the story behind it actually is. I'm going to leave you with the description most widely agreed upon from the Uffizi Gallery Museum website
             "Among the many theories proposed over the last decades, the one that seems to be the most corroborated is the interpretation of the painting as the realm of Venus, sung by the ancient poets and by Poliziano (famous scholar at the court of the Medici). On the right Zephyrus (the blue faced young man) chases Flora and fecundates her with a breath. Flora turns into Spring, the elegant woman scattering her flowers over the world. Venus, in the middle, represents the “Humanitas” (the benevolence), which protects men. On the left the three Graces dance and Mercury dissipates the clouds."
It really is worth looking up some of the other theories on it though, highly recommend.

The final work I've chosen to discuss is "The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden" by Masaccio.

Not technically a painting, but a fresco, located in the Brancacci Chapel, to me, this image is one of the most haunting of all time. The title pretty much explains what it depicts, the moment Adam and Eve are escorted by an angel from the Garden of Eden after committing the Original Sin. The torment on Eve's face and the way she covers herself is so powerful. Adam also shields his eyes in embarrassment. It really is just a commanding work of art. 

BONUS INFO! If you enjoy the art of this period as much as I do, or would like more in depth explanations, please take Art Survey I with Dr. Arthur Iorio. The man knows his stuff and was one of my favorite courses of all time. Enjoy!

The Americas

The early American civilization was broken up into four major cultures- the Olmec of Mexico, the Mayans of Central America, the Aztecs of Mexico, and the Incas of Peru, but I will be focusing on the Olmec. The Olmec were the prominent culture of Mexico from 2000 - 300 BC. The Olmecs were responsible for creating the first calendar of the western world, and also had their own form of hieroglyphic writing. Their culture revolved around their polytheistic religion and the temple was considered the epicenter of the city. They were well known for their large stone head statues and jade sculptures. I love the fact that art was such a prominent factor in their culture and all the artifacts that have been left over from this time.

A jaguar, the symbol of the Olmec people, carved out of jade.

Modern day flooring inspired by the use of jade

BONUS INFO! If some of you are too young to remember, there was a show called "Legends of the Hidden Temple" on Nickelodeon network where contestants had to answer questions and perform various competitions and the "co-host" of the show was a giant talking head named Olmec!

Olmec from "Legends of the Hidden Temple" - slightly terrifying.

Gothic Era

Paris was considered the central hub of Gothic design. There was a lot going on all around Europe at this time, and the churches were the center of city life, which sparked competition among cathedral designs. This was also a time where religion became a major religious player- churches were no longer just places of worship but places of wealth and power. How far we've come since praying under the city streets of Rome!

Back to the architecture though, Gothic cathedrals were extremely grandiose. Although the layouts were similar to those of the Romanesque period, they started included beautiful stained glass windows, which were meant to be very ethereal, and give church goers a sense of being one with those they worshiped. The arches became more pointed, the vaults were higher, and there were the addition of gargoyles, which I think are synonymous with Gothic design.

Gargoyle at the St.-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk, Ostend, Belgium

Although gargoyles have a little bit of mythology behind them, they also actually served an architectural purpose- they would deflect rainwater from the building which helped keep the mortar from eroding. Something I didn't know before looking into this chapter further!

The most famous example of Parisian Gothic architecture is the Notre Dame de Paris, which I found a great video on, here.

Enjoy!

Here's a really great bed frame inspired by Gothic arches. I actually would really love to own this bed for myself.


Other blogs- I looked at Yo's blog on the Gothic period and I enjoyed his inclusion on Gothic furniture. He explains how high back chairs designed in the Gothic style actually reclined slightly back, which would make things more comfortable for those using the chair than the traditional 90* angle chair.

Islamic Design

The religion of Islam began in 628 CE. According to the Qur'an (the Islamic sacred text), the prophet Mohammed was given the word of Allah, which he recorded as a way to live. Islam had a wide reaching following spreading from Asia to Europe and into Africa, which meant there was a lot of variety in terms of its architecture. Although the mosque is considered the universal place of worship, different mosques had different architectural features which made them unique. There are two types of arches found commonly in Muslim architecture-

The horseshoe arch

And the Ogival Arch, sometimes referred to the Persian Arch.

Another feature common in mosque designs are muqarnas

Which served as a transition piece from the four sided walls of the mosque to the domed prayer area. They not only added visual appeal, but helped with the load bearing of the domes. 

Islamic places of worship are interesting in that it is impermissible to use religious imagery,  unlike Christian places of worship, which almost always depict images of Christ and other key figures. Muslims instead use symbols and patterns to decorate their mosques, which make for a really gorgeous visual. 

This is a modern day application of Islamic inspired design. You can see hints of geometrical patterns on the arch of the fireplace. It's also reflected on the material in the doorway. 

Other Blogs- I think Rachel had a really gorgeous example of a modern day Islamic interior. I also like that she focused on the mosque of Sultan Ahmed. It really is a stunning bit of architecture that should be highlighted in any discussion on mosques. 

I also looked at Samantha's blog on Islam and really enjoyed the video she posted on Alhambra of Granada. It gives a really in depth look at this marvelous palace and thought it was lovely that the palace was inspired by poetry. They also describe how the palace is alive in all of its architectural details, which is an interesting thought.  

Pompeii

Pompeii was an ancient Italian city that was ruined by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Although the entire town was destroyed, the volcanic ash that blanketed the city kept it very well preserved which made it easy for archaeologists to discover how the people of Pompeii lived. The architecture of Pompeii was similar to the rest of the Roman empire, but there with a few noticeable differences which were discovered by studying the House of Vettii.

The Garden at the House of Vettii

The layout of the House of Vettii

The House of Vettii was owned by Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva, two wealthy freedmen, who represented the "nouveau riche" of Pompeii. The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius wasn't the first disaster to strike Pompeii, there was an earthquake in 62 AD, which led to many of the wealthy citizens of Pompeii to move and make room for people like Vettius Restitutus and Vettius Conviva. The House of Vettii had many murals that depicted some rather...obscene images; a depiction of Priapus (the God of fertility) and scenes from brothels, but there were also images of cupids making wine which makes historians think that the Vettii relatives made their money by selling wine. Also, many of the walls were painted in red and gold, which were considered the colors of Pompeii.

Cupid wine mural

Other Blogs- I was really excited when I decided to look at Natalie's blog to see she had actually been to Pompeii. She had some really great images from her trip and I always think it's beneficial to be able to have a point of reference with someone who has actually been to an area before. Also, the picture of the "fast food" restaurant was really neat.
Rachel's blog discusses the four wall painting styles of Pompeii which was interesting. The first style is supposed to resemble marble, the second style highlights architectural features, the third style focused on intricate detailing and the fourth focused on panoramic scenes.

Byzantine Empire!

I feel like Byzantine (!) just needs an exclamation point after it. Which is kind of justified, since the Byzantine Empire was the longest political entity in European history, no small accomplishment! While Christianity remained the major religion in the Byzantine empire, the style of the churches changed under the ruling of the Emperor Justinian. They went from the long and narrow basilica style, to a more centralized style. The most famous example of this being the Hagia Sophia - a church dedicated to the "Wisdom of God".

(Exterior of Hagia Sophia)

The modern day Hagia Sophia is actually the third church that was built on that site, and completed under Justinian's rule. The exterior mixes architectural styles from all around the world (at the time) and the interior is a decorative hodgepodge of materials. 

If you look at modern day images of Hagia Sophia, you can clearly see Arabic text, the reason for this being that the church was turned into a mosque around the 1450's, and although the site is now a museum, the Arabic texts were left from the transition. 

Other Blog discussions- Melanie did a great job differentiating between Christian and Byzantine. She explains how Christianity wasn't really an architectural style, but just has to do with the religion, while Byzantine was about politics and economy. Megan's blog went really in depth on the art of the Byzantine period which I loved. She talks about how it moves in stages and gets away from the typical Roman art.

Early Christian

With the acceptance of the new Christian religion, came the need for a new place of worship. After Christianity was legalized, believers could come out of their homes and underground spaces and worship in public, but where? Enter the Basilica. Christian basilicas were based on the ancient Roman basilicas, which weren't actually places of worship but were nonsecular areas used for law courts and other civic purposes, but their layouts made sense to be used for the group worship Christians required. Some were long and narrow and others added transepts on either side of the apse, such as the one below.

One of the most famous basilicas is Old St. Peter's Basilica. It was commissioned to be built by the Roman emperor Constantine and took over 30 years to completion. It had a very plain exterior but a very ornate interior, and was 700 feet long (crazy).

 (Floor plan and elevation of Old St. Peter's)

Unfortunately Old St. Peter's was torn down, but people today can visit St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

 (Current day St. Peter's Basilica interior shot)

And even to this day, the long and narrow basilica style is the prominent architectural style for Christian churches.

(Modern day Catholic church)

Other blogs- I looked at Hannah's blog for early Christianity and I really liked her in depth discussion on the catacombs of ancient Rome. While I only slightly touched on the fact that Christians had to hide their religious practices, she really got to the meat of it. The video on the Catacombs on San Callisto was great! It really showed how intense these underground lairs were. Some of them had five different level. That takes a lot of dedication to the early believers. Fascinating. 

I also looked at Margaret's blog and I enjoyed reading her explanation on the importance of the fish symbol. Christians would use this drawing of a fish to let other Christians know that they could trust each other. 

Ancient Rome

Although the Romans borrowed many architectural elements from the Greeks, they are responsible for one of the most valuable materials still widely used today- concrete. With the invention of concrete, the Romans were able to take their already impressive structures to the next level, like they did with the Pantheon. The Pantheon's use of concrete has allowed it to stand the test of time, one of the best preserved buildings from ancient civilization. Also, the Pantheon's domed roof is the largest still standing (out of domes that have not used reinforced concrete).

The Pantheon's domed roof isn't even visible from outside the building when up close. 

But upon entering the Pantheon, people get to see this majestic coffered dome roof, with an oculus that is 27 feet in diameter. 

One of my favorite modern day applications of the dome- The Reichstag Dome located in Berlin, Germany. With it's glass panels, it allows for a 360* view of the city of Berlin.

So, we all know the Romans were capable of really amazing public structures, but how did they live? Well, if you were a wealthy farmer, or a nobleman you most likely lived in a villa, which would be located in the country

or a domus, which would be located in the city.

But for the average Roman laborer, living conditions were less than ideal. Most citizens lived in what was called an insula, which has a structure akin to modern day apartments but with deplorable conditions. Although Romans made plumbing available, it was usually limited to the stores and specialty shops located on the ground floor of the insula, and maybe went up to the second floor if it was being occupied by a more wealthy family. The higher up one traveled in the insula, the worse the conditions. And although there were restrictions on how many stories Roman buildings could be made up of, often times those restrictions were ignored and made for structurally unsound buildings which were susceptible to collapse and an extreme fire hazard.

Cutaway example of an insula. 

Although the United States has done its part to rid itself of slum living conditions, unfortunately many people the world over still live in insula-like conditions across the world. 

 Slum apartment in Mumbai.

Other Blogs- I looked at Chanel's blog for ancient Rome and found it really interesting that she made the connection between Insulas and cruise ships! I wouldn't have even though about that on my own. I just thought about the connection between modern day apartment buildings but that was neat. Also, in Emily P.'s blog, she compared the insulas to the housing in uptown Normal which was another creative modern day application. With many of the storefronts on the first floor and housing above, this is a perfect example. She also found a modern day compluvium which is awesome! That's definitely something I wouldn't have thought to incorporate into design today but might have to give it a try in one of my next projects! 

Greece

The ancient Greeks were the masters of complex architecture and attention to detail. A very devote people, the Greeks made sure the temples for their gods and goddesses were outstanding in every way possible. One of the best examples of majestic Greek architecture is the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill (quite the achievement) and the patron deity to the people of Athens.

The Parthenon was built in the Doric Order of Greek architecture. Although this style of architecture is the most simple of the three, the large columns are still very powerful in appearance. 

(The three orders of Greek Architecture)

Columns are obviously still widely used in architecture today, usually more oftentimes for aesthetics than for structural support. 

Current day application- decorative columns on my parents' home.

Other Blogs- I really like Ali's example of modern day Greek inspired architecture. The mixture of the Klismos chairs and the pillars really screams Greek without coming across as tacky. I also really like how she described that they considered every day objects as art and incorporated it into their designs.

I also looked at Dana's blog for this section and I found it interesting that she did a little research to find out that the chair building techniques used in ancient Greece are still employed by modern day furniture designers. Also, the video of the modern day applications was a really nice touch! 

Ancient Egypt

I really enjoy the style of ancient Egyptian architecture and design. They incorporate a lot of elements of nature in their wall murals, which I'm a huge fan of. I've also recently become really fond of acacia wood, I find it to be really beautiful in it's current day applications, so I think it's really awesome to see something that I enjoy so much now, being used thousands of years ago. Also, I think a lot of people think of lots of gold and gaudy furniture when thinking of ancient Egypt due to depictions in film, but this image of a chair belonging to Queen Hetepheres shows that more modest woods were used, even for royalty.

An example of nature being depicted in a mural:

Various Egyptian furniture 

Present day application for Acacia wood (my favorite cutting board!)

Modern day (really hideous) nature inspired mural