Episode 2: Brunelleschi and the Dome of Florence Cathedral
Italian Masterpieces Rebuilding the Renaissance
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12m
Towering 32 stories tall and with an interior diameter of 143’6’’, Brunelleschi’s dome is still the largest in the world. No other work defines the determination and vision of Renaissance Florentines better than this engineering marvel, which showed the world that Renaissance artists were not simply imitating their classical ancestors – but surpassing them! This lecture will explore the history of the construction of Brunelleschi’s great dome and unravel the secrets behind its design.
Up Next in Italian Masterpieces Rebuilding the Renaissance
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Episode 3: Gates of Paradise by Loren...
Often described as the most beautiful and famous doors on the planet, the Gates of Paradise took nearly a full generation for their artist, Lorenzo Ghiberti, to complete. The ten richly- decorated-gilded-bronze panels depict Old Testament subject matter like pages from a picture book. This lectur...
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Episode 4: Holy Trinity by Masaccio
Although not as highly publicized as many other more famous paintings, the Holy Trinity by Masaccio might just be the most important painting in Florence, and is certainly one of the most important of all time. The reason is that it is the first painting ever, in the entire history of art, to app...
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Episode 5: David by Donatello
Donatello’s bronze David was the first free-standing nude statue to be made since ancient Roman times. In addition to restoring sculpture to its place alongside architecture, and not simply as ornamentation for it, Donatello also caused quite a ripple in traditional Christian iconography. The ero...
