Renaissance Art: Technical Innovation in the Arts

The Renaissance is definitely a time of technical innovation in the arts, with developments in every area of the arts, from architecture to sculpture. Defying convention and creating a new era of art, artists, architects, and sculptors paved the way by looking towards the past, ironically, for new ideas and styles. This meshed the art of the past and the innovation of the present, creating a solid foundation for improvement.

Such can be seen in the dome, a part of the Florence Cathedral, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1420, which had an octagonal design and rested on a drum. This designed eliminated the need for buttresses, which created a more aesthetically pleasing exterior. At the base of the dome, there are high-tension chains that are constructed out of wood and iron in order to keep the dome erect. This innovation in architecture was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. However, the dome was not the only premiere work of art that stood without support.

In the realm of sculpting, Donatello created a free-standing sculpture of David in 1440. This sculpture, made of bronze, is of David wielding the sword of Goliath and standing atop the giant's head. He also stands contrapposto, which suggests that slaying the giant was an easy task. In addition, he is also naked with the exception of his hat, poised with a feminine physique. These features stray very distantly from the muscular Greek sculptures that often depicted perfection.

Ultimately, Renaissance art was not too different from styles of the past. Artists during the Renaissance period simply built upon old ideas, improving upon what was conventional with innovational concepts.