Architectural Wonders: Burgos, Notre Dame, and Las Palmas Cathedrals
HOME Sarmental BURGOS
The Sarmental Doorway is a Gothic façade on the south side of the Burgos Cathedral, dating back to 1230-1240. It’s adorned with high-relief and in-the-round sculptures, creating a captivating display of imagery. The stone sculptural groups are integrated into the flared front, typical of Gothic cathedrals.
The Program
The iconographic program of the doorway centers around the Maiestas Domini, conveying an apocalyptic message comparable to the Puerta Real de Chartres.
- Tympanum:
Baroque and Renaissance Art: A Comprehensive Overview
Baroque Art in Italy
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain’s backdrop is the Palazzo Poli, featuring a facade with Corinthian pilasters connecting the two floors. The fountain’s theme, “Taming the Waters,” is depicted through the interplay of water and rockwork. Two Tritons guide Neptune’s chariot-shaped shell, each controlling a seahorse. A robustly modeled triumphal arch is superimposed in the center. The central niche framing Neptune has free-standing columns for enhanced light and shadow effects.
Read MoreAnalysis of Modernist & Deconstructivist Architecture
1. Tassel House Analysis
Description
The Tassel House, designed by Victor Horta in 1892-1893 in Brussels, is a small residence constructed with classic materials like wood and stone, alongside modern iron beams and columns. Horta was a pioneer in using iron as both a structural and decorative element.
Formal Analysis
The building’s layout adapts to a long, narrow plot, featuring three floors with open plans. A harmony exists between functionality and modernist aesthetics, with rhythmic patterns in
Read MoreAnalysis of Artworks from Various Periods
The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
Description
Background: The Starry Night depicts the landscape Van Gogh saw from his room at the asylum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Notably, the church, people, and mountains are included in the background.
Formal Elements: Predominantly pictorial in its formulation, Van Gogh utilizes thick brushstrokes, distinctly marking each line with varying pressures. The contours of the mountains and houses are defined by a thick black line. He applies color directly onto
Read MoreImpressionism and Post-Impressionism: A Revolution in 19th-Century Painting
The Painting of the Late 19th Century: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
Introduction
The 1870s witnessed a significant shift in the economy, impacting all levels of artistic and social life. The failure of the Paris Commune brought a period of stability for the industrial and financial bourgeoisie, marking the peak of their power. The illustrated press expanded, and cultural events became mass phenomena. Two factors influenced artistic life: the popularization of photography and the development
Read MoreGlossary of Art and Architectural Terms
A
Compluvium
An opening in the atrium of Roman houses with a sloping roof towards the interior, allowing rainwater to collect in the impluvium or central pond. This system provided some water self-sufficiency in dwellings.
C
Canon
A rule of human figure proportions, accepted as the ideal type by Greek sculptors, whose highest aspiration was perfect proportion in an idealized natural form. Polykleitos’s famous canon is the practical form of the theoretical principles formulated in his work called “Kanon”
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