Bramante and the High Renaissance

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Bramante and the High Renaissance Brandy Jones Art 101 Alex Vuilleumier November 18, 2012 The High Renaissance period gave artists the opportunity to explore their talent in ways unimaginable. The focus of architecture moved physically from Florence to Rome and Venice during this era. Its aesthetic objectives became the search for an all-encompassing spatial experience (Kleiner, 2010). The High Renaissance gave birth to some artistic geniuses. Three of the major artists were, Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, and Andrea Palladio. Bramante was an architect and painter and was known as the chief architect in Rome. He expanded on the 15th century idea of self-awareness, which he transformed into a perception of one's position in a complex by response to mass and volume (Donato Bramante, 2011). During this era, Bramante designed many works that labeled him an artist of the High Renaissance. One of his most beautiful pieces of architecture, Tempietto is Italian for small temple. It is a small commemorative tomb for St. Peter. The small round chapel was built in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio in Rome. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain also commissioned it and it was built in 1502. The temple of Vesta at Tivoli that was built on a circular plan and surrounded by columns inspired the design. Bramante added a dome and chose the Doric order for the structure’s decoration. It was truly amazing with its simple elegant portrayal of classical forms, and is considered a masterpiece and is an excellent example of High Renaissance Italian architecture (Sharp, 1991). Another work of Bramante’s was The Cortile del Belvedere, the Belvedere Courtyard.
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