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Verrocchio Verrocchio (Andrea del Verrocchio) ’s Tombslab for Cosimo de’ Medici Tombslab for Cosimo de’ Medici : Designing with a Mathematical Vocabulary

In: Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future

Author

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  • Kim Williams

    (Kim Williams Books)

Abstract

The tombslab for Cosimo de’ Medici is laid in the pavement in the crossing of the basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. Its design is credited to Florentine sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio. It is very different from the kind of tomb markers of the early Renaissance: there is no bust or portrait of the deceased, and no explicit Christian symbols appear in the marker. To interpret the tombslab, it is necessary to study its geometrical forms and proportions. Far from being a terse pagan marker, it is a rich symbol for the cosmos and the Creator. Proportions as well as geometric forms are exploited for expressive purposes. All the proportional relationships are based on the ratios of the five integers which make up the Ptolemaic musical scale. The use of these proportions implies a “harmonic” treatment of the elements of the composition, a phenomena which occurs quite frequently in Renaissance architecture.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim Williams, 2015. "Verrocchio Verrocchio (Andrea del Verrocchio) ’s Tombslab for Cosimo de’ Medici Tombslab for Cosimo de’ Medici : Designing with a Mathematical Vocabulary," Springer Books, in: Kim Williams & Michael J. Ostwald (ed.), Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 675-685, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-319-00137-1_45
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-00137-1_45
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