And right to Bologna. In 1428 he graduated from the University of Bologna, after which he received the position of secretary to Cardinal Albergati, and in 1432 - a place in the papal office, where he served for more than thirty years. In 1462, Alberti left his service in the Curia and lived in Rome until his death.
Leon Battista Alberti
Alberti's humanistic worldview
Harmony
The multifaceted activity of Leon Battista Alberti is a striking example of the universality of the interests of Renaissance man. Multi-talented and educated, he made a major contribution to the theory of art and architecture, literature and architecture, was interested in problems of ethics and pedagogy, and studied mathematics and cartography. The central place in Alberti’s aesthetics belongs to the doctrine of harmony as an important natural law, which a person must not only take into account in all his activities, but also extend through his own creativity to different spheres of his existence. Outstanding thinker and the talented writer Alberti created a consistently humanistic teaching about man, opposing its secularism to official orthodoxy.
Human
The ideal person, according to Alberti, harmoniously combines the powers of reason and will, creative activity and peace of mind. He is wise, guided in his actions by the principles of moderation, and has a consciousness of his dignity. All this gives the image created by Alberti a touch of grandeur. The ideal of a harmonious personality put forward by him influenced both the development of humanistic ethics and Renaissance art, including the genre of portraiture. It is this type of person that is embodied in the images of painting, graphics and sculpture in Italy of that time, in the masterpieces of Antonello da Messina, Piero della Francesca, Andrea Mantegna and others major masters. Alberti wrote many of his works in Volgar, which greatly contributed to the wide dissemination of his ideas in Italian society, including among artists.
Creativity and work
Original package humanistic concept Alberti is an integral part of man to the world of nature, which the humanist interprets from a pantheistic position as the bearer of the divine principle. A person included in the world order finds himself at the mercy of its laws - harmony and perfection. The harmony of man and nature is determined by his ability to understand the world, to have a rational existence striving for good. Responsibility for moral improvement, which has both personal and public importance, Alberti places it on the people themselves. The choice between good and evil depends on the free will of man. The humanist saw the main purpose of the individual in creativity, which he understood broadly - from the work of a humble artisan to the heights of scientific and artistic activity. Alberti especially highly valued the work of the architect - the organizer of people's lives, the creator of reasonable and beautiful conditions for their existence. The humanist saw in the creative ability of man his main difference from the animal world. For Alberti, work is not a punishment for original sin, as church morality taught, but a source of spiritual uplift, material goods and glory. " In idleness people become weak and insignificant“, besides, only life practice itself reveals the great possibilities inherent in a person. " The art of living is learned through deeds", emphasized Alberti. The ideal of an active life makes his ethics similar to civic humanism, but there are also many features in it that make it possible to characterize Alberti’s teaching as an independent direction in humanism.
Family
Alberti assigned an important role in raising a person who energetically increases his own benefits and the benefits of society and the state through honest work to the family. In it he saw the main cell of the entire system of social order. The humanist paid a lot of attention to family foundations, especially in dialogues written in Volgar “ About family" And " Domostroy" In them he addresses the problems of education and primary education the younger generation, solving them from a humanistic position. It defines the principle of the relationship between parents and children, bearing in mind the main goal - strengthening the family, its internal harmony.
Family and society
In the economic practice of Alberti’s time, family commercial, industrial and financial companies played an important role; in this regard, the family is considered by the humanist and as the basis economic activity. He associated the path to the well-being and wealth of the family with reasonable housekeeping, accumulation based on the principles of frugality, diligent care for business, and hard work. Alberti considered dishonest methods of enrichment unacceptable (partly at odds with merchant practice and mentality), because they deprive the family of a good reputation. The humanist advocated for a relationship between the individual and society in which personal interest is consistent with the interests of other people. However, in contrast to the ethics of civic humanism, Alberti believed it was possible in certain circumstances to put the interests of the family above immediate public benefit. For example, he recognized it as acceptable to refuse civil service for the sake of focusing on economic work, because ultimately, as the humanist believed, the welfare of the state is based on the strong material foundations of individual families.
Society
Alberti's society itself is conceived as a harmonious unity of all its layers, which should be facilitated by the activities of the rulers. Thinking through the conditions of achievement social harmony, Alberti in the treatise " About architecture» draws ideal city, beautiful in rational layout and appearance buildings, streets, squares. The entire living environment of a person is arranged here so that it meets the needs of the individual, family, and society as a whole. The city is divided into various spatial zones: in the center there are buildings of higher magistrates and palaces of rulers, on the outskirts there are quarters of artisans and small traders. The palaces of the upper class of society are thus spatially separated from the dwellings of the poor. This urban planning principle should, according to Alberti, prevent the harmful consequences of possible popular unrest. The ideal city of Alberti is, however, characterized by equal improvement of all its parts for the life of people of different social status and accessibility to all its inhabitants of beautiful public buildings - schools, baths, theaters.
The embodiment of ideas about the ideal city in words or images was one of the typical features of Renaissance culture in Italy. The architect Filarete, the scientist and artist Leonardo da Vinci, and the authors of social utopias of the 16th century paid tribute to the projects of such cities. They reflected the dream of humanists about the harmony of human society, about wonderful external conditions that contribute to its stability and the happiness of every person.
Moral improvement
Like many humanists, Alberti shared ideas about the possibility of ensuring social peace through the moral improvement of each person, the development of his active virtue and creativity. At the same time, being a thoughtful analyst of life practice and the psychology of people, he saw “ kingdom of man"in all the complexity of its contradictions: refusing to be guided by reason and knowledge, people sometimes become destroyers rather than creators of harmony in the earthly world. Alberti's doubts found clear expression in his " Mome" And " Table conversations”, but did not become decisive for the main line of his thoughts. The ironic perception of the reality of human actions, characteristic of these works, did not shake the humanist’s deep faith in the creative power of man, called upon to arrange the world according to the laws of reason and beauty. Many of Alberti's ideas received further development in the works of Leonardo da Vinci.
Creation
Literature
Palace Rucellai, Florence
Alberti wrote his first works in the 20s. - comedy " Philodox" (1425), " Deifira"(1428), etc. In the 30s - early 40s. created a number of works on Latin - « About the advantages and disadvantages of scientists"(1430), "On Law" (1437), " Pontifex"(1437); dialogues in Volgar ethical topics - « About family"(1434-1441), " About peace of mind"(1443).
In the 50-60s. Alberti wrote a satirical-allegorical cycle " Table conversations" - his main works in the field of literature, which became examples of Latin humanistic prose of the 15th century. Alberti's latest works: " About the principles of coding"(mathematical treatise, subsequently lost) and dialogue in Volgar " Domostroy"(1470).
Alberti was one of the first to advocate the use of the Italian language in literary creativity. His elegies and eclogues are the first examples of these genres in Italian.
Alberti created a largely original (going back to Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon and Cicero) concept of man, based on the idea of harmony. Alberti's ethics - secular in nature - were distinguished by their attention to the problem of man's earthly existence and his moral improvement. He exalted the natural abilities of man, valued knowledge, creative possibilities, and the human mind. In Alberti's teachings the ideal of a harmonious personality received the most complete expression. Alberti united all potential human abilities with the concept virtual(valor, ability). It is within the power of a person to reveal these natural abilities and become a full-fledged creator of his own destiny. According to Alberti, upbringing and education should develop the properties of nature in a person. Human abilities. his intelligence, will, and courage help him survive the fight against the goddess of chance, Fortuna. Alberti's ethical concept is full of faith in man's ability to rationally organize his life, family, society, and state. Alberti considered the family to be the main social unit.
Architecture
Alberti the architect had a great influence on the formation of the High Renaissance style. Following Filippo, Brunelleschi developed antique motifs in architecture. According to his designs, the Rucellai Palace in Florence (1446-1451) was built, the facade of the Church of Santa Maria Novella (1456-1470), the churches of San Francesco in Rimini, San Sebastiano and Sant'Andrea in Mantua were rebuilt, which determined the direction in architecture XV century
Alberti also studied painting and tried his hand at sculpture. As the first theoretician of Italian Renaissance art, he is known for his essay “ Ten books about architecture"(1452), and a small Latin treatise " About the statue"(1464).
Bibliography
- Alberti Leon Battista. Ten books about architecture: In 2 vols. M., 1935-1937
- Masters of art about art. T.2. Renaissance/Ed. A. A. Gubera, V. N. Grashchenkova. M., 1966
- Revyakina N.V.. Italian Renaissance. Humanism of the second half of the 14th - first half of the 15th century. Novosibirsk, 1975
- Works of Italian humanists of the Renaissance (XV century) / Ed. L. M. Bragina. M., 1985
- Cultural history of countries Western Europe in the Renaissance // Ed. L. M. Bragina. M.: Higher School, 2001
- Zubov V.P. Architectural theory of Alberti. - St. Petersburg: Aletheia, 2001. ISBN 5-89329-450-5.
Links
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- (1404 1472) scientist, architect, art theorist of the era Early Renaissance Among our ancestors, wise and modest men most of all observed moderation and frugality both in all other matters, public and private, and especially in construction... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms
Statue of Alberti in the courtyard of the Uffizi Leon Battista Alberti (Italian: Leone Battista Alberti; February 18, 1404, Genoa April 20, 1472, Rome) Italian scientist, humanist, writer, one of the founders of the new European architecture and leading theorist... ... Wikipedia
- (1404 72) Italian scientist, architect, art theorist of the Early Renaissance. Theoretical treatises (On the statue, 1435, On painting, 1435-36, On architecture; published in 1485) summarized the experience of contemporary art and humanistic... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Alberti Leon Battista- Leon Battista Alberti A humanist with varied interests was Leon Battista Alberti (1404 1472), who studied, among other things, philosophy, mathematics and architecture. The most famous are his works On Architecture, On... ... Western philosophy from its origins to the present day
Alberti statue in the courtyard of the Uffizi Wikipedia has articles about other people with this surname, see Alberti. Leon Battista Alberti (... Wikipedia
Alberti, Leon Battista- Leon Batista Alberti. Facade of the church in Santa Maria Novella. ALBERTI Leon Battista (1404 72), Italian scientist, architect, theorist of Early Renaissance art. In theoretical treatises he summarized the experience of contemporary art and... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Exactly 610 years ago, the Italian philosopher (as well as writer, humanist and scientist in general) Leon Battista Alberti was born, who, in fact, became the most prominent theoretician of the Renaissance.
The biography of Leon Baptiste Alberti began with his birth into a noble Florentine family, which found itself in exile in Genoa. He studied law in Bologna and humanities in Padua. Alberti graduated from the University of Bologna in 1428, and after that received the position of secretary under Cardinal Albergati. And from 1432, for thirteen years, he served in the papal office. He left his office in 1462 and lived in Rome for the rest of his life.
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PhilosophyLeona Batista Alberti.
Harmony.
Alberti's diversified activities are a vivid example of the versatility of people's interests during the Renaissance. Comprehensively gifted and educated, he was interested in problems of pedagogy and ethics, studied cartography and mathematics, and also contributed huge contribution in the theory of architecture and art, in architecture and literature. In Alberti's aesthetics, the main place belongs to the doctrine of harmony, which is considered as an important natural law. And a person must not only take it into account in his activities, but also spread it through his work and creativity to various facets of his own existence.
Human.
According to Alberti, the ideal person consistently combines willpower and reason, peace of mind and creative activity. In his actions he is guided by the principles of measure. The person is wise and has self-esteem. All this taken together gives the formed image features of greatness. The development of humanistic ethics, as well as Renaissance art, including the genre of portraiture, was greatly influenced by the ideal of a harmonious personality created by Leon Battista Alberti. In many images of Italian sculpture, graphics and painting of that time one can see the embodiment of this type of person. This can be seen in the works of such masters as Andrea Mantegna, Pierodella Francesca, Antonello da Messina and other famous masters.
Creativity and work
The starting point of Alberti's humanistic teaching is the inalienable belonging of man to the natural world. The writer interprets this affiliation from a pantheistic position as a bearer of the divine principle. People are included in the world system and accordingly fall under the power of its laws, perfection and harmony. The consonance between man and nature determines the former’s ability to understand the world, to be healthy and directed towards goodness. According to Alberti's theory, all responsibility for moral improvement, regardless of the meaning (public or personal), rests only with the people themselves. The choice between good and evil depends only on the free will of man. Leon Batista Alberti saw the main purpose of man in creativity. This concept was very broad for him, from the occupation of a simple artisan to the heights of scientific and artistic work. The humanist gave particular preference to the work of architects. He considered them the organizers of people's lives, the creators of wonderful and reasonable conditions of existence.
Family.
Humanist big role in the formation of a person who actively increases his personal benefits and the benefits of the entire society and state through righteous labor, he devoted it to the family. He considered it the main cell of the entire regime of social order. Leon Battista Alberti paid a lot of attention to family foundations. This is clearly visible in the dialogues written in Volgar “Domostroy” and “About the Family”. In these works, he examines the problem of upbringing and primary education of the younger generation, and proposes to solve them from a humanistic position. According to his theory the main objective in the relationship between children and parents, this is the strengthening of the family and its internal harmony.
Family and society.
In those days, family-owned commercial, industrial and financial companies played a large role in economic practice. In this regard, the family according to Alberti is considered as the basis of economic activity. He believed that only savings and reasonable housekeeping, based on diligent care for business, based on the principles of frugality and hard work, could lead a family to wealth and prosperity. Leon Battista Alberti considered the use of dishonest methods of enrichment unacceptable, in this he partially diverged from the merchant mentality and practice. He believed that by doing this the family was depriving itself of a good reputation. Alberti defended a relationship between man and society in which the interests of an individual are consistent with the interests of other people.
Society.
The humanist sees society as a harmonious unity of all its layers, and this should be facilitated by the activities of rulers. Leon Batista Alberti spent a considerable part of his biography thinking about the conditions for achieving social harmony. In his treatise “On Architecture,” he showed an ideal city, excellent in its reasonable layout and appearance of buildings, squares and streets. The entire living environment here is arranged so that it meets the needs of the family, individuals, as well as society as a whole. The entire city square is divided into separate zones. The palaces of rulers and the buildings of higher magistrates are located in the center of the city, and the homes of small traders and artisans are located on the outskirts. Thus, high society is spatially separated from poor neighborhoods. Alberti believed that with this method of urban planning, the disastrous consequences of various popular unrest could be prevented. The perfect city of Alberti is designed equally for all its inhabitants, regardless of their social status. Public buildings, theaters, schools, etc., should be accessible to everyone.
Moral improvement.
The philosophy of Leon Baptiste Alberti, like that of most humanists, pointed out that social peace can be ensured through the moral improvement of each individual, the development of his creativity and active virtue. In the work of Leonardo da Vinci, many of Alberti's ideas were further developed.
Literature.
In the 20s, Leon Battista Alberti wrote his first works, in 1425 the comedy Philodox and in 1428 Deifira. In the 30s and 40s, works were published in Latin; in 1430 “On the advantages and disadvantages of scientists”, in 1437 “Pontifex” and “On Law”, in 1443 “On peace of mind”.
In the 50s and 60s, he wrote works that later became examples of Latin humanistic prose of the 15th century. It's about about the satirical-allegorical cycle “Table Talks”. The author’s latest works are “On the principles of compiling codes”, and written in 1470 on the Volgar “Domostroy”.
Alberti was among the first to advocate that the Italian language be used in literary work. The first examples of such genres are the elegies eclogues he wrote.
The original concept of man, based on the idea of harmony, belongs to Alberti. His ethics are distinguished by attention to the problems of human existence on earth and his moral improvement. In his teaching, he most fully expressed the ideal of a harmonious personality. Alberti combined all potential concepts of a person with such a concept as virtu (ability, valor). A person can develop his natural abilities and create his own destiny. According to the teachings of a humanist, education and upbringing should develop in a person the properties of his nature. In the fight against the goddess of chance, Fortuna, a person is helped to survive by such qualities as courage, will and intelligence.
Battista Alberti, Leon Alberti, Leon Battista (Alberti, Leon Battista), (1404-1472), Italian scientist, writer, art theorist, architect of the Early Renaissance Alberti was born into the family of an influential Florentine merchant. The Alberti family, who were in exile at that time, were forced to settle in Genoa, where Leon Battista was born on February 14, 1404.
Life of Battista
He studied ancient languages and mathematics in Padua with the famous humanist Gasparino de Barrizza, after which he continued his education at the University of Bologna, studying canon law, Greek philosophy and literature. Showed outstanding abilities in all disciplines and became the author of several literary works. After graduating from the university in 1428, he received a doctorate in canon and civil law. He spent several years in France as secretary to the nuncio (papal ambassador) Cardinal Albergati, and visited Germany and the Netherlands. Upon returning to Italy in 1432, he received the position of abbreviator (a kind of secretary) in the papal office, which he held until 1462. After leaving the service, Alberti lived in Rome until his death in 1472. Alberti's creativity The versatility of Alberti's interests is a classic example of the universality and breadth of views of Renaissance humanists. Giftedness and versatile education allowed the scientist to make a significant contribution not only to literature, art theory and architecture - Leon Battista also studied problems of pedagogy and ethics, mathematics and cartography. One of the main provisions in his humanistic concept is the doctrine of harmony as an inherent essence inherent in man. Every intelligent being must not only embody harmony in its way of life, but also spread it outward. Almost for the first time, the idea of physical and moral self-improvement was opposed to the official church orthodox doctrine. For most of his life, Alberti devoted great attention to literature - the first of his famous works, the comedies “Deifira” (1428) and “Philodox” (1425), were written by him while studying at the University of Bologna. After the Roman revolt. In 1434, the influential Colonna family raised an uprising in Rome, as a result of which Alberti, who was at the court of Pope Eugene IV, ended up in Florence. The dialogues "Teogenio" and an art history treatise dedicated to the sculptor Brunelleschi - "Three Books on Painting" - were created there. At the same time, work began on the treatise “On the Family” (Della famiglia), completed in 1441. While traveling in Italy with the papal court (1437-1443), Leon Battista created the legal works “On Law”, “Pontifex” "and ethical dialogues "On peace of mind." Around the 50-60s. Alberti wrote Table Talk. This satirical-allegorical cycle is a striking example of Latin humanistic prose of the Early Renaissance. His last works include the mathematical treatise “Treatise on Ciphers” (1466) and the dialogue in Volgar (folk Latin) “Domostroy” (1470). Alberti was the first to be able to expound the doctrine of perspective in the language of mathematics; he was the first to be able to expound the doctrine of perspective in the language of mathematics; he was responsible for the original concept of a polyalphabetic cipher, which served as a significant contribution to the development of cryptography. He was an active supporter of the use of the folk Italian language in literature - many of his works were written in Volgar, which contributed to the popularization of his ideas among different segments of society.
Palazzo Rucellai. Each of the three floors of the building is decorated with pilasters of one of the 3 classical orders - Tuscan (1st floor), Corinthian (3rd floor); The 2nd floor, instead of the Ionic order, contains pilasters with an original capital, the authorship of which belongs to Alberti
Alberti and his influence on architecture
As an architect, Alberti had a significant influence on the formation of style High Renaissance, developing, following Filippo Brunelleschi, ancient motifs in architecture. Palazzo Rucellai (Florence), built by Bernardo Rossellino in 1446-1451. designed by Alberti, is one of the first examples of secular architecture of that era.
Basilica of Sant'Andrea (Mantua), "the greatest, most amazing and eternal temple." Built in the shape of a Latin cross, the main facade is designed in the form of an ancient Roman triumphal arch, divided into three parts by Velten pilasters.
According to his designs, the facades of the churches of Santa Maria Novella, San Francesco (Rimini), San Sebastiano and Sant'Andrea (Mantua) were rebuilt and decorated. They used ancient Roman architectural motifs (triumphal arcades and arches). The architectural ideas of one of the largest authorities in the design of “new model” temples, Leon Battista Alberti, had a significant influence on the formation of the architecture of the Quattrocento - early era Italian Renaissance.
Santa Maria Novella (Chiesa di Santa Maria Novella) is a church in Florence. The magnificent portal and the upper part of the church with its clear rhythm of squares are inlaid with marble. The composition of the squares is limited on three sides by the heraldic symbols of the Rucellai family
The varied life of Alberti Not limiting himself to architecture, Alberti was engaged in sculpture and painting. The works “Ten Books on Architecture” (De re aedificatoria) (1452), and the treatise “On the Statue” (1464) were the first works on the theory of Italian art. Despite the fact that Alberti spent most of his life in Rome, the cultural and artistic atmosphere of Florence had the greatest influence on his work and worldview. Gifted by nature and receiving an excellent education, Alberti was knowledgeable in many types of art - a theorist and practitioner of architecture, he was also a successful writer, was engaged in painting and sculpture, was versed in music and knew how to play the organ. As a humanist, Alberti was interested in a variety of aspects of personality and society; he explored family foundations and economic principles, morality and ethics, issues of psychology, law and politics. Alberti did not limit himself to the humanistic sciences - he was the author of works on mathematics and mechanics, graphology and cryptology, and he was responsible for the invention of various devices and tools. Following his concept of harmonious personal development, Alberti, with hard work and perseverance, engaged in physical and military exercises, developed and improved the best human traits in himself - restraint, philanthropy, ability to understand, generosity.
The most famous architectural projects of Leon Battista Alberti:
1. Palazzo Rucellai (1446-1451, Florence)
2. Facade of the church of Santa Maria Novella (1456-1470, Florence)
3. Facade of the Church of San Francesco (Rimini) 4. Church of San Sebastiano (Mantua)
The name Alberti is rightfully called one of the first among the great cultural creators of the Italian Renaissance. His theoretical writings, his artistic practice, his ideas and, finally, his very personality as a humanist played an extremely important role in the formation and development of the art of the early Renaissance.
“There had to be a man,” wrote Leonardo Olschki, “who, mastering theory and having a vocation for art and practice, would put the aspirations of his time on a solid basis and would give them a definite direction in which they were to develop in the future. These many-sided, but at the same time Leon Battista Alberti was a harmonious mind."
Leon Battista Alberti was born on February 18, 1404 in Genoa. His father is Leonardo Alberti, illegitimate son which Leon was, belonged to one of the influential merchant families of Florence, expelled from his hometown by political opponents.
Leon Battista received his initial education in Padua, at the school of the famous humanist teacher Gasparino da Barzizza, and after the death of his father in 1421 he went to Bologna, where he studied canon law at the university and attended lectures by Francesco Filelfo on Greek language and literature. Upon graduating from the university in 1428, he was awarded the title of Doctor of Canon Law.
Although in Bologna Alberti fell into the brilliant circle of writers who met in the house of Cardinal Albergati, these university years were difficult and unlucky for him: the death of his father sharply undermined his material well-being, litigation with relatives over an inheritance illegally seized by them deprived him of peace, and he undermined his health through excessive activities.
The beginning of Alberti's passion for mathematics and philosophy is associated with his student years. IN early works Alberti ("Philodoxus", "On the Advantages and Disadvantages of Science", "Table Talks") of the Bolognese period, one can feel restlessness and anxiety, a consciousness of the inevitability of blind fate. Contact with Florentine culture, after permission to return to their homeland, contributed to the elimination of these sentiments.
During a trip in Cardinal Albergati's retinue through France, the Netherlands and Germany in 1431, Alberti received a lot of architectural impressions. The subsequent years of his stay in Rome (1432-1434) were the beginning of his many years of study of monuments of ancient architecture. At the same time, Alberti began to study cartography and the theory of painting, while simultaneously working on the essay “On the Family,” dedicated to problems of morality.
In 1432, under the patronage of influential patrons from the high clergy, Alberti received a position in the papal office, where he served for more than thirty years.
Best of the day
Alberti's hard work was truly immeasurable. He believed that a person, like sea ship, must traverse vast spaces and “strive through labor to earn praise and the fruits of glory.” As a writer, he was equally interested in the foundations of society, family life, and the problems human personality, and ethical issues. He studied not only literature, but also science, painting, sculpture and music.
His “Mathematical Amusements,” as well as the treatises “On Painting” and “On the Statue,” testify to the thorough knowledge of their author in the field of mathematics, optics, and mechanics. He monitors air humidity, which gives birth to a hygrometer.
He is thinking about creating a geodetic instrument to measure the height of buildings and the depth of rivers and to facilitate the leveling of cities. Alberti designs lifting mechanisms to retrieve sunken Roman ships from the bottom of the lake. Such minor things as the cultivation of valuable breeds of horses, the secrets of the women's toilet, the code of encrypted papers, and the form of writing letters do not escape his attention.
The variety of his interests so amazed his contemporaries that one of them wrote in the margins of Alberti’s manuscript: “Tell me, what did this man not know?”, and Poliziano, mentioning Alberti, preferred “to remain silent rather than say too little about him.”
If you try to give general characteristics throughout Alberti’s work, the most obvious will be the desire for innovation, organically combined with thoughtful insight into ancient thought.
In 1434-1445, in the retinue of Pope Eugene IV, Alberti visited Florence, Ferrara, and Bologna. During a long stay in Florence, he established friendly relations with the founders of Renaissance art - Brunelleschi, Donatello, Ghiberti. Here he wrote his treatises on sculpture and painting, as well as his best humanistic works in Italian - “On the Family”, “On peace of mind", which made him a generally recognized theorist and leading figure of the new artistic movement.
Repeated trips to the cities of Northern Italy also greatly contributed to awakening his keen interest in various artistic activities. Returning to Rome, Alberti and new energy resumed his studies of ancient architecture and in 1444 began compiling the treatise “Ten Books on Architecture”.
By 1450, the treatise was roughly completed and two years later, in a more corrected edition - the one that is known today - was given to Pope Nicholas V for reading. Alberti, later absorbed in his projects and buildings, left his work not quite finished and more did not return to him.
Alberti's first architectural experiences are usually associated with his two stays in Ferrara, in 1438 and 1443. Being on friendly terms with Lionello d'Este, who became the Marquis of Ferrara in 1441, Alberti advised on the construction of an equestrian monument to his father, Niccolo III.
After Brunelleschi's death in 1446 in Florence, not a single architect of equal importance remained among his followers. Thus, at the turn of the century, Alberti found himself in the role of the leading architect of the era. Only now did he get real opportunities to put his architectural theories into practice.
All of Alberti's buildings in Florence are marked by one remarkable feature. The principles of the classical order, extracted by the master from ancient Roman architecture, were applied with great tact to the traditions of Tuscan architecture. The new and the old, forming a living unity, give these buildings a unique “Florentine” style, very different from the way in which his buildings were made in Northern Italy.
Alberti's first work in hometown There was a project for a palace for Giovanni Rucellai, the construction of which was carried out between 1446 and 1451 by Bernardo Rossellino. Palazzo Rucellai is very different from all the buildings in the city. Alberti, as it were, “overlays” a grid of classical orders onto the traditional scheme of a three-story facade.
Instead of a massive wall formed by a rusticated masonry of stone blocks, the powerful relief of which is gradually smoothed out as it moves upward, we have before us a smooth plane, rhythmically dissected by pilasters and ribbons of entablatures, clearly defined in its proportions and completed by a significantly extended cornice.
Small square windows of the first floor, raised high from the ground, columns separating the windows of the two upper floors, and the fractional running of the cornice modules extremely enrich the overall rhythm of the facade. In the architecture of the city house, traces of the former isolation and that “serf” character that was inherent in all other palaces of Florence of that time disappear. It is no coincidence that Filarete, mentioning Alberti’s building in his treatise, noted that “the entire façade... was made in an ancient manner.”
Alberti's second most important construction in Florence was also associated with the order of Rucellai. One of richest people city, he, according to Vasari, “wanted to make at his own expense and entirely in marble the façade of the Church of Santa Maria Novella,” entrusting the project to Alberti. Work on the facade of the church, which began in the 14th century, was not completed. Alberti had to continue what the Gothic masters had started.
This made his task difficult, because, without destroying what had been done, he was forced to include in his project elements of the old decoration - narrow side doors with lancet tympanums, lancet arches of external niches, the division of the lower part of the facade with thin lizenes with arcature in the proto-Renaissance style, a large round window in top part. Its facade, which was built between 1456 and 1470 by the master Giovanni da Bertino, was a kind of classical paraphrase of examples of the proto-Renaissance style.
By order of his patron, Alberti also performed other work. In the church of San Pancrazio, adjacent to the back side of the Palazzo Rucellai, in 1467 a family chapel was built according to the master’s design. Decorated with pilasters and geometric inlays with rosettes of various designs, it is stylistically close to the previous building.
Despite the fact that the buildings created in Florence according to Alberti’s designs were closely related in style to the traditions of Florentine architecture, they had only an indirect influence on its development in the second half of the 15th century. Alberti’s work developed in a different way in Northern Italy. And although his buildings there were created simultaneously with those in Florence, they characterize a more significant, more mature and more classical stage in his work. In them, Alberti tried more freely and boldly to implement his program of “revival” of Roman ancient architecture.
The first such attempt was associated with the reconstruction of the Church of San Francesco in Rimini. The Tyrant of Rimini, the famous Sigismondo Malatesta, came up with the idea to do this old church family temple-mausoleum. By the end of the 1440s, memorial chapels for Sigismondo and his wife Isotta were completed inside the church. Apparently, Alberti was involved in the work at the same time. Around 1450, a wooden model was made according to his design, and subsequently he very closely followed from Rome the progress of construction, which was led by the local miniaturist and medalist Matgeo de' Pasti.
Judging by Matteo de'Pasti's medal, dated to the anniversary year 1450, which depicted the new temple, Alberti's project involved a radical restructuring of the church. First of all, it was planned to make new facades on three sides, and then build a new vault and choir, covered with a large dome.
Alberti received at his disposal a very ordinary provincial church - squat, with pointed windows and wide pointed arches of the chapels, with a simple rafter roof over the main nave. He planned to turn it into a majestic memorial temple, capable of rivaling ancient sanctuaries.
The monumental facade in the form of a two-tier triumphal arch had very little in common with the usual appearance of Italian churches. The spacious domed rotunda, which opened to the visitor in the depths of the vaulted hall, awakened memories of the buildings of ancient Rome.
Unfortunately, Alberti's plan was only partially realized. Construction was delayed. Main facade The temple remained unfinished, and what was done in it did not exactly correspond to the original project
Simultaneously with the construction of the "Temple of Malatesta" in Rimini, a church in Mantua was built according to Alberti's designs. The Marquis of Mantua, Lodovico Gonzaga, patronized humanists and artists. When Alberti appeared in Mantua in 1459 in the retinue of Pope Pius II, he received a very warm welcome from Gonzaga and maintained friendly relations with him until the end of his life.
At the same time, Gonzaga commissioned Alberti to draw up a design for the Church of San Sebastiano. Remaining in Mantua after the pope's departure, Alberti in 1460 completed a model of a new church, the construction of which was entrusted to the Florentine architect Luca Fancelli, who was at the Mantuan court. At least twice more, in 1463 and 1470, Alberti came to Mantua to monitor the progress of work, and corresponded on this matter with the Marquis and Fancelli:
The new Alberti Church was a centric structure. Cross-shaped in plan, it was supposed to be covered by a large dome. Three short projecting stands ended in semicircular apses. And on the fourth side, a wide two-story bunk vestibule adjoined the church, forming a façade facing the street.
Where the narthex, with its rear wall, connected to a narrower entrance platform, on either side of it, filling the free space, two bell towers should have risen. The building is raised high above ground level. It was erected on the ground floor, which was a vast crypt under the entire temple with a separate entrance to it.
The façade of San Sebastiano was conceived by Alberti as an exact replica of the main portico of the ancient Roman temple-periptera. A high staircase led to the five entrances to the vestibule, the steps of which extended the entire width of the facade, completely hiding the passages to the crypt.
His idea of decorating a wall with pilasters of the grand order reconciles the doctrine of classical architecture, for which he so advocated in his treatise, with the practical needs of the architecture of his time.
The architecture of the Italian Renaissance had never seen such a constructive and decorative solution for the interior space of the church. In this regard, Bramante became the true heir and successor of Alberti. Moreover, Alberti's building was a model for all subsequent church architecture of the late Renaissance and Baroque.
The Venetian churches of Palladio, Il Gesu of Vignola and many other Roman Baroque churches were built according to its type. But Alberti’s innovation turned out to be especially important for the architecture of the High Renaissance and Baroque - the use of a large order in the decoration of the facade and interior.
In 1464, Alberti left his service in the Curia, but continued to live in Rome. His last works included a treatise of 1465 on the principles of codes, and a work of 1470 on moral themes. Leon Battista Alberti died on April 25, 1472 in Rome.
Alberti's last project was carried out in Mantua, after his death, in 1478-1480. This is the Capella del Incoronata of the Mantova Cathedral. The architectural clarity of the spatial structure, the excellent proportions of the arches that easily support the dome and vaults, the rectangular portals of the doors - everything reveals the classicizing style of the late Alberti.
Alberti stood in the center cultural life Italy. Among his friends were the greatest humanists and artists (Brunelleschi, Donatello and Luca della Robbia), scientists (Toscanelli), the mighty of the world this (Pope Nicholas V, Piero and Lorenzo de' Medici, Giovanni Francesco and Lodovico Gonzaga, Sigismondo Malatesta, Lionello d'Este, Federigo de Montefeltro).
And at the same time, he did not shy away from the barber Burchiello, with whom he exchanged sonnets, and willingly stayed until late in the evening in the workshops of blacksmiths, architects, shipbuilders, shoemakers, in order to learn from them the secrets of their art
Alberti was far superior to his contemporaries in talent, curiosity, versatility, and special liveliness of mind. He happily combined a subtle aesthetic sense and the ability to think rationally and logically, while relying on experience gleaned from communication with people, nature, art, science, classical literature. Sick from birth, he managed to make himself healthy and strong. Due to failures in life, prone to pessimism and loneliness, he gradually came to accept life in all its manifestations
Leon Battista Alberti (Italian: Leone Battista Alberti; February 14, 1404, Genoa - April 25, 1472, Rome) - Italian scientist, humanist, writer, one of the founders of new European architecture and a leading theorist of Renaissance art.
Alberti was the first to coherently set out the mathematical foundations of the doctrine of perspective. He also made a significant contribution to the development of cryptography, proposing the idea of a multi-alphabetic cipher in his 1466 book “Treatise on Ciphers”.
“A man had to appear,” wrote Leonardo Olschki, “who, mastering theory and having a vocation for art and practice, would put the aspirations of his time on a solid basis and would give them a definite direction in which they were to develop in the future. This versatile, but at the same time harmonious mind was Leon Battista Alberti.”
Leon Battista Alberti was born in Genoa on February 18, 1404. The education he received first in Padua and then in Bologna was based on the ideas of humanism. Already at the age of twenty-four, Leon Battista Alberti received the title of Doctor of Canonical Law.
Leon Battista Alberti - a man whose activities influenced the entire era student years the artist was interested in languages, mathematics, and philosophy. Already during these years, his works appeared in which he spoke about fate and its influence on human life. At the same time, Leon Battista Alberti was filled with anxious, restless moods. Florentine culture and acquaintance with architecture helped him look at the world differently different countries during trips abroad.
In the early 30s, Alberti began to study the theory of painting. He generalized the knowledge he gained in his theoretical works on painting. Having a habit of putting theory into practice, Italian artist tried to paint pictures, but in our time only a few of his works are known.
Further creative and life path Italian humanist associated with Italy and Florence. It is in these cities that the most famous buildings of this outstanding architect appear, new treatises appear that are dedicated to man and society.
During the same period, Leon Battista Alberti wrote many literary works. He writes to various genres, from the classical forms of which very often departs. He creates all his works in Italian, thereby promoting it and giving it great importance. There are suggestions that the author of the first textbook on Italian grammar is Leon Battista Alberti.
Leon Battista Alberti is a man whose work influenced the entire era. Starting from the 40s, Alberti concentrated all his attention on mathematics and architecture. By this time, the man's personality was so respected that Pope Nicholas V himself turned to him for advice when the project to rebuild Rome was carried out.
Leon Battista Alberti was far superior to his contemporaries in talent, curiosity, versatility, and special liveliness of mind. He happily combined a subtle aesthetic sense and the ability to think rationally and logically, while relying on experience gleaned from communication with people, nature, art, science, and classical literature.
Leon Alberti was the type of person who finishes what he starts, and does the work he takes on very well. If he took on a problem or topic, he studied it completely, not passing over even the most insignificant issues.
Thanks to this persistence, he creates new devices. For example, in order to make it more convenient to monitor air humidity, Alberti invents a hygrometer; In an effort to retrieve the remains of sunken ships from the bottom, he designs lifting mechanisms.
The Italian humanist was also interested in methods of encoding words, cultivating valuable breeds of horses, forms of writing letters and much more.
The variety of his interests so amazed his contemporaries that one of them wrote in the margins of Alberti’s manuscript: “Tell me, what did this man not know?”, and Poliziano, mentioning Leon Alberti, preferred “to remain silent rather than say too little about him.”
According to his designs, the Palazzo Rucellai was built in Florence (1446-1451), the Church of Santissima Annunziata, the facade of the Church of Santa Maria Novella (1456-1470), the churches of San Francesco in Rimini, San Sebastiano and Sant Andrea in Mantua were rebuilt - buildings that determined the main direction in Quattrocento architecture...
Alberti was the first to coherently set out the mathematical foundations of the doctrine of perspective. He also made a significant contribution to the development of cryptography, proposing the idea of a multi-alphabetic cipher in his 1466 book “Treatise on Ciphers”...
Alberti wrote his first works in the 20s. - comedies “Philodox” (1425), “Deifira” (1428), etc. In the 30s - early 40s. created a number of essays in Latin - “On the Advantages and Disadvantages of Scientists” (1430), “On Law” (1437), “Pontifex” (1437); dialogues in the Volgar on ethical topics - “On the Family” (1434-1441), “On the Peace of the Soul” (1443).
In the 50-60s. Alberti wrote the satirical-allegorical cycle “Table Talks” - his main works in the field of literature, which became examples of Latin humanistic prose of the 15th century...
“...Nature, that is, God, has invested in man a heavenly and divine element, incomparably more beautiful and noble than anything mortal. She gave him talent, the ability to learn, reason - divine properties, thanks to which he can explore, distinguish and know what should be avoided and what should be followed in order to preserve himself. In addition to these great and priceless gifts, God also placed in the human soul moderation, restraint against passions and excessive desires, as well as shame, modesty and the desire to earn praise. In addition, God instilled in people the need for a strong mutual connection, which supports community, justice, fairness, generosity and love, and with all this a person can earn gratitude and praise from people, and favor and mercy from his creator.”
