Point Alternatives

While studying this unit, it has become evident that the idea of alternatives is seen throughout different time periods. However In the Baroque period it seems to stand out even more. This is because people during this time period are interested in pushing boundaries and breaking the rules that were set by architects before them in order to express their own personal statements. The renaissance period, which came before Baroque was all about the revival and rebirth of architecture. However we learned in class that renaissance is only a part of a complete cycle of revolution and “as one cycle ends an new one begins”. Patrick gave a good example of this in class with his “super cartwheel” showing that once the cartwheel was complete one would return to their original state, but off balance. This example can be used as a metaphor to compare how after the renascence came to a full cycle a new one began in the baroque period. This new cycle was offset by the fact that architects knew the rules and boundaries set by the renaissance but began to test and break them through alternative forms of building. When looking at this new cycle in baroque we can see that where man was the measure off all things in the renaissance period, things are now focused more on the theatrics of man and their emotions, which is captured in the designs and ornamentation of buildings. One example of a building that does this is the vestibule to the Laurentian library; the steps in this building emphasize the movement and idea of upward progress with fluid like structures. The detail of the steps is a repetition of movements that exaggerate what could have simply been steps to get a person from point A to point B.



Michelangelo who was considered as one of the leaders of the transition from the renaissance to the baroque period was an expert at finding a way to come up with theatrical alternatives to sculptures, paintings, or architecture. One example was his work o the Sistine chapel, where each of the Biblical depictions contains exaggerated paintings of people who are out of proportion. Even the poses that they were in seemed to be exaggerated the movements of the people even down to the smallest detail like the hands in The Creation of Adam.




Michelangelo who was considered as one of the leaders of the transition from the renaissance to the baroque period was an expert at finding a way to come up with theatrical alternatives to sculptures, paintings, or architecture. One example was his work o the Sistine chapel, where each of the Biblical depictions contains exaggerated paintings of people who are out of proportion. Even the poses that they were in seemed to be exaggerated the movements of the people even down to the smallest detail like the hands in The Creation of Adam.
Details like this are seen all throughout the baroque movement emphasizing on movement. Even in the architecture of buildings such as the Palace of Versailles. The hall of mirrors in this building creates a form of movement by either “thrusting” one outside as they walk through the hall or pulling the outside garden into them the interpretation is up to the person’s experience. This is done though the use of oversized mirrors, which counter act the light that floods in through the large arched windows. The arched ceiling as well as fluid like ornamentation adds to the rhythm that flows throughout the hall. Even details like the glass chandeliers and the pose of the golden candle holders emphasizes on movement in the space.


Buildings like this are examples of the strong overall idea of creating alternatives to boundaries and rules that were set by time periods before. They also show the emphasis on movement, and the idea of taking things that have been made and expanding and making them your own.