Brunelleschi’s dome is the narration of how a Renaissance genius man used materials and the forces of nature that they could access to build an architectural structure that up to date stands out. Although he was first considered as a madman after the completion of the structure, Brunelleschi was termed as a genius at the end. Ross King wanted to pass the idea or notion that it can take long to design and construct an outstanding structure but at the end the results are a proof of the hard work. King points out that it took a long time in fact decades of commitment by Brunelleschi and the rest of the Florentine community to design one of the most creative and beautiful structures present in the world. King outlines the various challenges that Brunelleschi faced in his efforts to create the building. It was a major investment for Brunelleschi and the Florentine community in terms of time and other material resources.
The people at first could not understand him and could not understand why he was investing so much to construct the structure. Another challenge was that people referred to him as a madman. Ross King thus brings out the idea that in order to design something creative or something that stands out from the rest, one need to be patience and also be prepared for the various challenges will be experienced. One should not also be demoralized provided that the course is worth the investment. Another aspect that can be learnt from the story by Ross King is that regardless of how old an item is, provided that it is outstanding then it will remain in the books of history and will be studied more and more. Ross King’s perspective in regard to inventions is that everything is possible and should not be considered as impossible unless it has been tried. The proposed dome on the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence was considered as impossible to build but this is because no one had taken the initiative and the commitment required to construct it. The dome was finally constructed and left several people astonished.
Lessons from the reading
The reading has helped me understand that any art history works needs to be thoroughly researched to make it interesting and competitive. Ross King’s story was well researched and clearly outlined all the details of the designing and completion of the structure of the dome. His work has enabled me understand the architectural and artistic creation which was previously difficult. The reading is interesting and enjoyable particularly because it analyzes Brunelleschi’s activities, those of his critics and several of the workers who were determined to complete the structure. It is interesting to note how Brunelleschi who was at first considered as a madman because a celebrity and how he became more famous particularly after his death.
From the story, Brunelleschi overcame most of the challenges that he faced by solving every problem as it arose. Ross King thus had the point of view that every problem has a solution so long as it is tacked individually. Brunelleschi faced several challenges which forced him to invent machinery and equipment to aid the construction. Ross has helped me to understand that every problem requires creative thinking in order to come up with a solution. The description of pulleys, machines and the construction work itself is very interesting. The story has resuscitated my interest in art history by outlining the popularity of the dome on the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence.