Spanish Renaissance Extra Credit Post

Here is a video I found that gives a look at Alhambra, located in Granada Spain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEseJViidy8

Spanish Renaissance

The Spanish period was a unique time period that was influenced by Moorish, Early Christian, Medieval and Italian design. This fusion of Christian Spain and Moorish is termed Mudejar. One of the main features of this design style is the use of wrought iron in so many of the design features, especially used in furniture and exterior grilles

There were a few different architectural phases during the Spanish renaissance. The first being the Plateresco phase, also called the silversmith phase. This phase was similar to Gothic or Renaissance in architectural style, and it also featured minute and delicate ornamentation that resembled the work of a silversmith. One example of a building contracted during this phase is the University of Salamanca located in west of Madrid.

The phase that immediately followed the Plateresco phase was the Desornamentado phase. This phase was a reaction the the heavily ornamental design of the Plateresco phase and is much more un-ornamented . This phase is known for its austerity and carefully defined proportions. One great example of this phase is El Escorial which was made to be an imitation of the Temple of Solomon from biblical times. El Escorial includes a palace and a religious house and is known as being a highly "moral" building and is known for its simplicity, sobriety, and plainness. In the picture below you can see that EL Escorial really is such a massive structure and so different from the Plateresco phase in its simplicity and careful proportions. 

The furniture from the Spanish period all have a common element in the use of wrought iron in almost all of the pieces from this time. Some of the pieces like the wooden bench are much more rustic than pieces from previous design periods. 

Modern Application 

Today, Spanish design is very popular and its influences can be seen all over the world. The first picture shows a modern application of the tile and wrought iron that was a key feature in the Spanish Renaissance 

Santiago Calatrava is a Spanish born architect and engineer who creates spectacular designs all over the world, below are pictures of bridge in Jerusalem that he created as well as a building he constructed in Valencia Spain. 

Peer Reviews: 

The first blog I read was Paige S's.  I really enjoyed her blog post, especially all the pictures she provided, it really displayed the time period well and showed a great understanding of all this period included. 

Secondly, I read Nicole K's blog. She also provided really good pictures to display the period accurately. I also really liked the video she posted of the furniture during the Spanish period. It gave a good review and showed the details of the main furniture pieces. 

Italian Renaissance (Extra Credit Post)

Here is a video that talks about how humanism was a main trigger to the Italian Renaissance.


http://www.history.com/topics/italian-renaissance/videos/humanism-triggers-the-renaissance?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Italian Renaissance

Renaissance means a "rebirth and Floranece Italy is the home of this rebirth known throughout the world. The Italian renaissance took place from 1400-1600 and began after the return from the crusades. A big part of the Italian Renaissance was a switch from a religious to a secular emphasis as well as a movement toward humanism among the people of the time. During the Renaissance everyone was interested in art, and this really began the idea/profession of interior design. Homeowners now began to care about not just function and safety but wanted to add beauty and luxury to their homes; some of these touches included decorative moldings, elaborate coffered ceilings, elaborate frescos, and beautiful fireplace mantels.

The Palazzo Medici Riccardi is a famous building from the Italian Renaissance located in Florence Italy. This building really shows three guiding principles of this time period, they are as follows: 

-Symmetry

-Public rooms are located right off of entrance and private rooms are located deeper in the floor plan

- Dividing the Palazzo into multiple small apartments rather than one large space

Below are some pictures of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in which you can see many of the features mentioned above such as the symmetry of the exterior, coffered ceilings, and an extravagant fresco. 

Modern Application

Here is an example of Palazzo inspired architecture. 

This interior is really inspired by the Italian Renaissance with its coffered ceiling and ornate fireplace. 

Peer Reviews:

I read Alexandra's blog post this week, I thought she did a great job giving a thorough explanation of what an Italian Renaissance interior consisted of and she posted very accurate pictures to further explain her point. 

I also read Mackenzie's blog on the Italian Renaissance. She gave a really good overview of the importance and characteristics of this time period. I also enjoyed her modern application pictures that she posted, I thought they accurately represented the timer period but in a new and modern way. 

The Americas (Extra Credit Post)

Here is a link to a video done by the history channel that talks about the rise of the aztec civilization.

http://www.history.com/topics/machu-picchu/videos

And another video from the national geographic website that talks specifically about Machu Picchu and gives a little tour of the site.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/peru_machupicchu

The Americas

The Americas cover and extensive time period, extending from 2000 B.C.- 1521 A.D. and includes 4 different cultures/people groups. These different groups were located in various areas of the Americas; the Olmecs were the 1st dominant culture in Southern Mexico, Mayans-Toltecs in Central America, Incas in Peru, and Aztecs in Mexico.

Although there were these four different groups they had some cultural similarities such as the status of nobles and commoners, hereditary leadership, divine rights, farming as a way of life, and sporting events. Religion was also a large part in all of these cultures. There were temples which were the center of the town, pyramids were common to each of these groups and were meant to represent the gods of the specific region. All of these groups were also polytheistic which means that they worshipped many gods; lastly these groups practiced human sacrifice as an act of worship to their gods.

I thought that the most interesting thing we learned about in the Americas was Machu Picchu. It is such a beautiful and architecturally stunning establishment. The size alone is astounding and the fact that it was made without any mortar shows how advanced the Aztecs were and how they really had an eye for architecture and design. Seeing the video and pictures of Machi Picchu made me want to visit Peru someday to get to see Macchu Picchu in person! Below are a couple of pictures of Machu Picchu.

Another element of the Americas that I thought was really neat was the Olmec stone head that was representative of their ruler, the size of the statue is so impressive and is such a cool piece of art. 

Modern Application 

One modern application that I thought of was the popular use of Aztec prints in both fashion and interiors, such as in the colorful patterned rug and the printed table runner in the pictures below. 

Peer Reviews:

First I read Haley's blog; she did an excellent job giving a detailed description of the Americas, the 4 different groups and their cultures. I enjoyed the pictured that she shared that showed where the Temple Mayor would have stood if it were still standing today. I also liked the modern application pictures she shared, especially the image of the Machu Picchu inspired building. 

I also read Katie's blog post on the Americas. The information that she shared about Machu Pichhu was interesting, like how that civilization rose to power in the 1400's and many of the structures have been reconstructed to give an accurate portrayal of what the entire structure looked like so tourist can really get the full picture. She also shared that the Olmec stone heads weigh about 40 tons, which I thought was so amazing! 

Gothic (Extra Credit Videos)

Here is a short clip of a tour of the Regensburg Cathedral in Germany.

Here is a second video clip that gives a good explanation and examples of the differences between Romanesque and Gothic architecture.