Architecture and Art: The Art Influence is the second article of a series of articles about the art dimension in architecture. This article shows the initial art influence in the Old Ages and its influence on architecture in various stages of its development. The article illustrates the art influence of architecture in the beginning of laying down the art principles. And how art people interacted with architecture in its various functions. How art principals had a major role in the architecture design in various stages of its historical development.

The art in the Old Ages had various forms of appearance. Art people decorated tools used in daily life and even its production process followed some initial art methods of production. Painters showed the art influence in the ornament on several locations in building elements see Figure 1. Ornaments appeared on the home’s doors and passages, the building’s corners and entrances and arcades, and the top and bottom of columns in temples.

Paintings and sculptures appeared in open spaces and buildings. Many examples appear in European cities like Paris, Rome, Germany, and others. Adding to that in public spaces and buildings in Asian cities like Japan and China.

The art influence – visual arts

The beginning of art is one of the several types of visual arts. In later stages, then the Old Ages pre-medieval period people practiced art in the form of painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and so on. Rulers, governors, officials, and people of wealth had a great interest in visual arts. Art people moved from city to city and country to country to follow the demand for art. These people who commissioned art people to paint and carve sculptures of special creatures in many locations in the city, and buildings created an interest in the art circle to develop this craftsmanship.

Painters and sculptors practiced painting and carving different materials and built skills and experience in these visual arts fields. Gradually every one of these art people built self-style in painting and carving. They wrote notes on basic skills required to work in these fields. The gradual development in these fields pushed some talented art people to record and write books on the field of art.  Art people developed the art of drawings and techniques. For example, Alberti’s 1435 book On Painting laid out the rules for depicting a three-dimensional scene on a two-dimensional surface. He was not only a scholar but also an architect, painter, classicist, poet, scientist, and mathematician.

Alberti was one of the painters and architects who used the golden section to design elevations of buildings. That marks one of several attempts at art influence in architectural design see Figure 2 Palazzo Rucellai façade by Alberti.

The Greeks applied the golden section in the design of their religious buildings and the invention of the column orders before the Italians used it in designing facades.

Art entered a new era as painters and sculptors by practice became architects. The painter’s role in transforming one of the main elements of painting, the golden section, into a tool in architectural design was apparent in many façades designs of buildings in Italy and Greece. Painters continued to use this tool widely in architectural design but on the two dimensions and the application on the façade. The commissioned painters, architect, continued to design buildings without specific rules. The rules that are studied today in the field of architecture in terms of functional, Structural, services, environmental requirements, and rules.

The art influence in laying out the principles of architecture

The painters of Italy and Greece were commissioned to conduct architecture design gradually from designing 2d facades to designing buildings. They gathered massive experience in architectural design. These painters and architects expressed their perspective and artistic taste in writing rules for architectural design. In their writings, they expressed qualities, requirements, and characteristics of architectural design. In the times of the Roman Renaissance and equivalent time in Greece appeared several pioneers in this field originally painters.

Antonio di Pietro well known as Filarete was a sculptor and architect. He was commissioned to design buildings such as the Ospedale Maggiore a public district general hospital in Milan one of the oldest hospitals founded by Francesco I Sforza 1546. Filarete also worked on the Castello Sforzesco or Sforza Castle and on the Duomo di Milano or Milan Cathedral. See Figure 3, Sforza castle.

He exceeded the architecture design level to master planner and city designer as he laid out the concept of the city of Sforzinda. Filarete transferred all his experience in art and the architecture he designed in his book Libro architettonico a form of treaties that includes 25 volumes on architecture design.

Leonardo di Vinci another painter who was trained by Andrea del Verrocchio at the age of 15, his art had a direct influence on architecture. He was constantly kept busy as a painter and sculptor, a technical adviser in the fields of architecture, fortifications, and military matters, and served as a hydraulic and mechanical engineer. He invented a proportional system simulating the human body. Leonardo’s sketches survived for various Renaissance buildings and material details. He laid out also his counterpart’s concept of a city masterplan. Leonardo wrote notes on various fields and was regarded as one of the most important notes in the art field.

Michelangelo was a sculptor, painter, poet, and architect from Italy. He was well known for his sculpture works like David, Piete, Madonna of the Stairs, and others. He was commissioned to complete works on buildings to add sculptures, and paintings on walls. He designed various buildings such as the Medici Chapel, Laurentian Library and fortification, the tomb of Julius II, and St Peter Basilica see figure 4.

Art historians mentioned in several places and references that Vitruvius wrote the ten books of architecture. These ten books took a lot from the Greek architects, and it was considered the only reference in architecture. Many art historians do confirm that there is no evidence the ten books of architecture were written by Vitrivius. It is correct that it was written by several people working in the same field. Adding to that art historians confirmed that these books were not of interest to painters, sculptors, and architects because they lacked the art content.

Artists and sculptors, I have shown participated in and influenced the architecture creation. By using the same principles, rules, and techniques they have learned from their teachers applied to art painting and sculpture in architecture design. Painters and sculptors dealt with architecture as an object whether in designing the building facades or making the building mass as much attractive by applying massing and sculpture techniques of shade and shadow.

The art influence exceeded the architecture field to affect the field of landscape architecture of palaces, public gardens, and parks. The art influence appeared in these landscape projects reflecting the rules of symmetry, harmony, focal point, and dominance See Figure 5.