Free Custom «Gubbio Studiolo» Essay Paper

The Actual Palace

Focusing on the actual palace, I would argue that Palazzo Ducale is one of the most celebrated palaces across the globe because of its magnificent Renaissance residence. It is the heritage of UNESCO. Currently, the palace hosts quite a number of masterpieces in 27 rooms. The underground floor, known as Sotterran, contains a kitchen, stables, and laundry rooms. The design provides an insight into the Renaissance life and architecture. The overview of the palace is shown below.

The Palace Façade

Bartolomeo, towards the end of the fifteenth century, undertook the construction of the Palace. The vital aim of the palace was to house Duke Federico III. The new structure encompassed the pre-existing Jole Palace. Luciano Laurana was the one who designed a magnificent outlook of the palace façade. Luciano also designed the entrance staircase and famous courtyard.

The Arcaded Courtyard

As one can see, the above royal courtyard at the Urbino rivals demonstrates the finest artworks of the Renaissance. Though the construction site was like a cliff, Laurana was able to create an ideal courtyard for the prince. The early Renaissance embodied similar features that were characteristic of Laurana paintings.

 

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Following the departure of Laurana in 1472, Francesco Martini continued the work from where it was left with a focus laid on the decoration of the façade. The window and portal’s sculptures, imminent in the palace, demonstrated artificial decorations of the 15^th century. When an individual enters the palace, he or she is greeted with sculptured doorways, friezes, and chimneys, where the workshop is embodied. The death of Federico III, in 1482, meant that most operations were left unfinished. However, Girolamo added the second floor after a long period. The restoration was completed towards the end of the 20^th century, and was reopened as a subterranean network to various visitors and tourists.

One would wonder: What really makes Federico’s Studiolo a famous Renaissance? Ideally, various inlays and architecture make the Studiolo unique. The painted frieze of twenty-eight prominent men, which are decorated in the Urbino’s Palace, characterizes Federico’s studiolo. The inlay technique that demonstrates cultural beliefs of the community have never been attributed to any of the authors, namely Botticelli or Bramante. The structure of the Studiolo is defined by marquetry paneling that denotes an irregular contour plan that completely facades Studiolo walls. When the west, east and south door recesses is ignored, in addition to the narrow area of the west door, inlays form three distinct horizontal registers. The upper register contains scientific instruments, cupboards full of books, and theological virtues. The middle one contains ducal imprese that articulates to a vegetal motif. Finally, the lower register has an impresa panel that some of them lean back, while others rest on stands. Each of the stands corresponds to a pedestal and a pilaster above, and inculcates a wheel-like design that carries an olive-branch motif.

On the other hand, the structure of the irregular east side contains central protrusion, which is the main feature of this segment. The loggia, imminent on the upper part, overlooks a landscape containing a squirrel and a basket of fruits. The left hand recess contains armor, while the right one is an illusion that has been expanded into a diminutive study including books, sandglasses, and lecterns. The other remaining part of the side contains actual shelves and few cupboards. On the west door there is a representation of a cage containing two parrots and a clock. A narrow strip of the wall that is to the right of the west door contains drawers, musical instruments and a scroll. Despite their natural traits, structures are endowed with cultural beliefs and the trend of the community.

Although the design and structure of the building may be disguised at its face value, most motifs imbibe knowledge of personal attributes in the society. Beautiful arrangement of motifs cannot be ignored. For instance, the lectern and the armor occupy a symmetrical recess and evoke the theme of vita contemplative. The painting of the frieze directly supports the claim and represents active life in the society. In addition, scholars have argued that most motifs can be treated as natural symbols that point to wide-ranging pursuits of Federico. However, it may also be considered that conventional symbols depict personifications.

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The representation of the Liberal Arts implies that attributes and symbols are only ideas of poetical efficacy and originality. Indeed, the closest contemporary equivalents include religious items and tools associated with mechanical craft, sacristy cupboards and choir stalls. Urbino inlays provide a full personification of theological values that guide the society in its endeavors. On the other hand, various symbols may denote an attribute associated with an individual. For instance, a sword refers to the prevalence of justice in the society. The mace is placed beneath the niche of faith to denote peace and wisdom. Temperance is represented by hourglasses and prudence of a squirrel. Indeed, a prudent ruler enlightened by his contemplative pursuits will ultimately provide for the state’s well-being. Fruits denote well-being of the nation and make up charity, an attribute in the Scrovegni Chapel.

Consequently, musical instruments denote rational foundation of hard-earned harmony in the region. The theme of the Muses suggests harmony that prevails in the entire state under the rule of Federico. Although the absence of reputable attributes and a large number of musical instruments weakens the perception and claim embodied to the Muses, the goddesses of creative inspiration are highlighted in the music book. The Muses decorated Ferrarra’s and Guidobaldo’s studies; therefore, among allegorical figures that precede Federico’s appearance, other motifs and themes depicted by the structural outlay of the Studiolo include bundles of rods that allude to concord, and candle and hourglass symbolizing transience. Olive motifs imminent on the front seat-stands show the theme of fortune.

Many of you might be asking whether Federico’s Studiolo was the first one to be established. Indeed, before the establishment of the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, Federico had remodeled the fourteenth century building to be his palace at Gubbio. The building had been used as a Gubbio’s civic center, until it was turned into mayors’ and consuls’ palaces. In 1476, Francesco redesigned the building and its surrounding space in an attempt to transform it into a Renaissance palace and appropriate environs. Indeed, the transformation task was demanding, as the Gothic façade had to be preserved and irregular outlines maintained. The result was one that an architect with the imagination of Francesco di Giorgio could only have achieved. The square was transformed into a Renaissance courtyard of a trapezoidal shape, with columns on three sides and a plain wall on the fourth one to disguise medieval structures against the mountain.

Francesco added a pictorial note having strong ornamental brackets, which demonstrated highly orchestrated fortresses, which he had designed across Montefeltro. The main entrances are provided on shorter sides of the courtyard. Space inside the Gothic building was remodeled into a private apartment and reception halls. In accessing the room, Francesco designed two narrow wings towards the building. The southeast wing was created to house a chapel, duke’s private studiolo, spiral staircase, and a narrow galley acting as a library. While the southwest part houses the main window, which opens onto the street.

Upon entering the Studiolo, the first impression that a visitor will encounter is a unified warm tone of the woods, aggressive geometry of its designed panels, and controlled lighting streaming from the three windows. All the four sides of the rooms are divided by an illusion of pilasters capped by composite capitals. A guilloche frame that is flat and fits well surrounds each cabinet. Below the cabinet, there are frieze devices and emblems, and a fictive bench supported by balusters.

Following the design of the magnificent Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, Federico moved to this palace. Although the presence of arts attributes, such as a portative organ for music and an armillary sphere for astronomy, Federico preferred Palace Façade in Urbino.

Federico’s Studiolo: Critical Analysis

From the above analysis, we can purport that the Federico’s Studiolo represents a significant turning point in the role of sight in verifying experience. The chamber manifested transformation of practices of envisioning knowledge from an inward habit of mnemonic composition towards an extroverted mediation of the world as a theatre for the corporeal eye and its prosthetic instruments. By the visual arrangement, the Studiolo demonstrates emerging quantitative methodology for representing the reality. The magnificent work of Federico II and his son Guidobaldo was vital in enhancing the success of the Studiolo.

Various architects decorated the Federico’s Studiolo, as they wanted the it to be magnificent. As Federico was ‘The Light of Italy,’ most of the architects wanted to have a hand in the development of the Studiolo. Isabella herself decorated Isabella’s Studiolo. Isabella took over a small room exactly beneath the Studiolo, a space she later called “the grotto”. The space was decorated in about 1505 by brothers Antonio and Paolo Mola, who made the intarsia for its walls and a wooden ceiling, which still survives with Isabella’s emblem.

Unlike the Palazzo Ducale, Isabella’s d’Este Studiolo contained paintings of Isabella. By contrast, it was conceived and executed in more precious and delicate terms, destined for a restricted realm of the Studiolo, where she kept her collection of small luxury objects. The project to expand her Studiolo just at the turn of the eighteenth century proved vital in the Renaissance of a new culture. The structure of two studiolos differs greatly. As the Federico’s Studiolo is more modernized, Isabella’s Studiolo still articulates to ancient sculptures and collection methods. Ideally, Isabella brought sculptures to the Studiolo, or she was given some coins and ancient medals, such as a bronze arm to restock her architectural room. Isabella was not involved in negotiations and most of the sculptures she acquired were either gifts or bought by friends.

The paintings imminent in Federico’s studiolo were unique, and were phased depending on the wing it was situated. The paintings are established by the perspective design of its paneling. However, in the case of the Palazzo Ducale, the Latin inscription emphasizes paintings. They are carved and gilded letters, which are against a blue ground in the frieze that runs along all sides of rooms. In addition, the theme that is portrayed by Federico Studiolo is love and harmony. Iconographically, the painted Oculus with people leaning out is rightly associated with famous Mantegna fresco in Mantua. The main intent of developing the Federico Studiolo was to restore the sense of togetherness and reliability among individuals in Italy and Germany. Some of the paintings available in the Studiolo include:

The development of the Federico’s Studiolo was undertaken by qualified personnel and analyzed by scholars across the globe. Not a single architect was allowed to design the Studiolo and present relative findings without scrutinizing the effect it had on the society. The illusion and the selection of colors for both carpets and ceilings were undertaken with care in order to prevent any conflict of interests and personification. Architects undertook specific job, for instance designing entrance seats, while other parts were left to other architects. This ensured that specialization was highly put into practice, as such, enhancing accuracy in their design. In contrast, Isabella’s Studiolo did not incorporate numerous architects as work was undertaken by brothers Antonio and Paolo Mola.

The designer of Federico Studiolo was not always a producer. An architect only designed the nature of the Studiolo, and left the rest to skilled workers, who were able to construct and develop the required architecture. As the structure encompassed arithmetic and geographic representation, there was a need for qualified and skilled workers to undertake this initiative.

In conclusion, Museum visitors find it interesting how architects relayed the pictorial representation and the structure of the monument with personality attributes in the society. Federico and Isabella’s Studiolos are perfect demonstration of how unity, harmony and peaceful coexistence can be achieved, both in the aristocratic government or democratic one, depending on the message passed by paintings and artworks. It is phenomenal that most tourists travel to see achievements of Italian architects in developing a magnificent palace.