Italian Renaissance interior design
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Italian Renaissance interior design refers to interior decorations, furnishing and the decorative arts in Italy during the Italian Renaissance period (c. mid-14th century – late-16th century).
History, background and influences
Italy, in particular Florence and Tuscany, was the founding nation of the Renaissance artistic, cultural and social movement which swept across Europe and revolutionized European thought and philosophy. The Renaissance ended the Middle Ages and began a period of intensive learning, cultural appreciation and thought which still influences modern politics and society (Renaissance philosophy was mainly inspired by that of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece).[1] Along with this new movement, a whole new set of architectural principles were put in place, and the old Medieval and Gothic styles were neglected, and Classical designs were preferred. Cities such as Florence, and later Rome, Venice, Vicenza, Padua, Verona, Pienza, Naples, Turin, Milan and Siena began to be influenced by these new styles, often constructing elegant piazzas, beautiful palaces and re-designing some of the cluttered urban arrangements of the Middle Ages.
The architectural aim of the 15th and 16th centuries was to construct an
Furniture
(Marriage) Chests
Large cassoni (singular cassone) or marriage chests,[1] were the most desired and common features of homes, and despite the fact that they were expensive, were bought by nearly all the social classes. Made with gesso and wood, these chests were often dark and elaborate, and their grandness depended on people's different classes (wealthier people had more sumptuous ones, whilst poorer classes' chests were often far simpler). The best decorators and sculptors in Italy often produced grand and beautiful chests for some of the most important noble families of the time. Even though these chests were used to put objects inside of them, many were used simply for decoration.[1]
Furniture and decorative work
Furniture was mainly made out of wood, often walnut or willow, and was usually rich in style, with many inlays of ivory, gold, stone, marble or other precious materials, often decorated with marquetry. Much furniture was also relatively grotesque (a French variation of the Italian word grottesco), often creating sculpted odd-looking gargoyles and monsters to make these items seem more amusing.[1] Caryatids became popular at the time, and were made out of marble (the rich people used them as legs to their dining tables). Chairs such as the sgabello were considered symbols of wealth, and the wealthiest families had them made very sumptuous and grand. Poorer people's chairs had x-shaped backs, and some could only afford plain three-legged stools.
Palladianism
Bibliography
- Miller, Judith (2005). Furniture: world styles from classical to contemporary. DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7566-1340-X.