Callie Bagwell
January 31, 2006
Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture which Exemplify Ancient Influence
In every city we visited there were many buildings—palazzos, villas, churches—that showed classical influence, which made them exemplary Renaissance buildings. We also saw paintings firsthand in every city that depicted elements of ancient Roman culture or architecture. The Renaissance time period brought back many of the elements of classical style.
A perfect example of architecture influenced by ancient Rome is the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. The theater was designed by Palladio and he modeled it after several ancient theaters he studied. The seats are in a demi-eliptic shape and they surround a stage modeled after the Triumphant Arch. The stage has three arches, and in the background are foreshortened streets in perspective. The arches are decorated elaborately with Roman-like sculptures, and the life of Hercules is depicted above the arches.
Another example is in the same city, Palladio’s loggias in the “Gentlemen’s Square.” These arches and columns come from ancient Roman architecture. The columns at the bottom are Doric and the ones at the top are Ionic. Also in this area is the Villa Rotunda, built on a hill and designed by Palladio. This classical building has perfect symmetry—a center circular room with outer rooms that open to four entrances positioned to the four cardinal points. The four staircases lead up to porches with very large columns. The style of the entire building is definitely influenced by ancient Rome.
Bramante’s Tempietto in Trastevere is another Renaissance building that has classical elements. The circular structure is surrounded by Doric columns, and there are pilasters under the colonnade. It was modeled after the Temple of Vestels in the Forum, so obviously it is a perfect example of how ancient ideas were adapted to suit the purposes of a later time.
Another architectural work that sticks out to me as classical Renaissance style is the Church of San Andrea Mantegna in Mantova, which was designed by Alberti. It was hard to see because it was foggy, but the façade had an arch that looked like the Triumphant Arch. It was brick all around and had a large dome, but the façade was definitely influenced by ancient Rome.
The frescoes of the Villa Farnesina are proof that ancient culture also influenced Renaissance painting. The dining room with Raphael’s paintings has a ceiling decorated with horoscopes, and the loggia depicts the story of Cupid and Psyche and other mythological figures. Another painting influenced by antiquity is Raphael’s School of Athens in the Vatican Museums. It draws together ancient philosophers who are in discussion under a structure that is in the Roman Doric order, and on each side are niches with Apollo and Minerva presiding over the whole assembly. This painting, although painted in 1511, shows classical antiquity as an influential factor during the Renaissance.
Another painting that shows the influence of ancient Rome is Veronese’s Feast in the House of Levi in the Academia Museum in Venice. This painting depicts the Last Supper but with Veronese’s own ideas. The architecture is of classical style and the action occurs under three grand Roman arches. Throughout our trip we increasingly saw the influence of ancient Greek and Roman culture in the Renaissance works we visited.