Filippo Brunelleschi is one of the most outstanding architects and engineers of the period of Italian Renaissance. A number of his successors tried to follow some of the principles of his work. It is necessary to discuss one of the greatest works of Brunelleschi in order to state whether his contemporaries and successors were able to imitate his style and whether there existed rivalry between him and other architects who created in the period of Renaissance.
Firstly, it seems to me that among all Filippo Brunelleschi’s works the dome of Florence Cathedral is the most impressive. This work of his attracted my curiosity because the construction of the dome involved a number of practical problems but this did not stop the architect who continued his working on it, which once again proves his genius. To create the dome, Brunelleschi applied the system of double shell together with “simplification of the overdone means of support by reducing the weight of the masonry; ingenious brickwork in herringbone technique borrowed from antique buildings; substitution of inadequate horizontal cable-chains by carefully calculated stone ribs connecting and strengthening the shells” (Heydenreich 13). The creation of the dome of this Cathedral brought the architect his glory.
Secondly, just like Brunelleschi, Michelezzo performed his works in a classical Gothic style. However, certain independence from Brunelleschi’s architecture can be observed in Michelezzo’s works. One of his greatest creations is the monastery of St. Matteo; it can be characterized by its relative simplicity but this does not make it less brilliant. Michelezzo was trying to find a classicizing design for this monastery and in this he reminds of Brunelleschi. Nevertheless, the latter would have never applied the methods Michelezzo used: “The hall is divided by very plain pilasters and heavy transverse arches; the spatial impression is massive, yet does not lack a certain austerity and dignity” (Heydenreich 25). The architecture of the monastery totally contradicts to Brunelleschi’s canon.
And, lastly, what made Lorenzo Ghiberti and Brunelleschi rivals is the former’s striving to keep to classic Gothicism, trying at this to preserve delicacy. Ghiberti “developed an entire programme of idealized Renaissance architecture” (Heydenreich 32). It was applied when creating “Jesus in the Temple”, “The Flagellation”, as well as “The Last Supper”, and Or San Michele. What is interesting about this programme is that it is almost completely independent of Brunelleschi. Sometimes Ghiberti imitated works of Alberti (as in “The Story of Joseph”) and Urbino (St. Zenobius), but it was very seldom that anything akin could be found between his and Brunelleschi’s works. Ghiberti’s works are brilliant because he applied idealized conception to his architecture, which, however, was not sufficiently praised in the 15th century.
Therefore, the dome of Florence Cathedral is one of the most outstanding works of Brunelleschi; it is performed in the classical Gothic style which another Italian architect, Michelezzo, tried to follow when creating his works. There existed some rivalry between Brunelleschi and Michelezzo and it consisted in their striving to keep exceptionally to classic Gothicism.
References
Heydenreich, L.H., Lotz, W., Davies, P. Architecture in Italy, 1400-1500. Yale University Press, 1996