Filippo Brunelleschi

The Florentine architect and sculptor Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 — 1446) was a key figure in the Italian Renaissance. This comprehensive monograph, written by the respected art historian Eugenio Battisti, considers Brunelleschi's major contribution to Renaissance culture, discussing his interpretation of classical antiquity and his experiments with perspective. These led to the development of a rational architectural language where every single part is harmoniously blended and in proportion with the whole. This approach underpinned all of his architecture, and helped him to adapt antique forms to the needs of the Christian religion. This book is a detailed record of all Brunelleschi's major architectural works including The Foundling Hospital (c.1419-45), the Pazzi Chapel (c.1441 — 1460) and the technically innovative dome of S Maria del Fiore (c.1420-1436) that dominates the Florence skyline and is thought to contain more than four million bricks. The book also includes his military projects and his work as a goldsmith and sculptor as well as sections on his literature. As well as containing extensive illustrations, it concludes with a chronology of Brunelleschi's life and his times.