Blog Post 10 - Revolutionary Vision (Eyeglasses)

Though origins of the eyeglasses are unknown what is known is that in the early Middle Ages glasses were made and used for scholars in Italy and Germany. Eyeglasses are revolutionary because there is no way to know how many great scholars through time have been stifled in making new discoveries or how many artists we have missed out on knowing because they couldn't see!


Fragment from the alterpiece painted by Conrad von Soest at the Protestant Church for the City of Bad Wildungen demonstrates the use and design of eyeglasses of the 14th century (retrieved from: http://kirche.wildungen.info/287.html )

 The revolutionary design of putting magnifying glasses into frames that fit on the face instead of being held in the hand over the page made it possible for Benjamin Franklin to invent bifocals. In a equally revolutionary time period a much aged Franklin found it tedious to change quickly from reading glasses to glasses for viewing at a distance and so, created glasses that included both forms of magnification in one lens.

The embodiment of the value that glasses can bring to society Benjamin Franklin needed glasses and even improved on their design in 18th century America (retrieved from: http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/PictDisplay/Franklin_Benjamin.html)

 From a tool to create and learn glasses in more modern time have become artistic expressions for their creators and wearers. Eyeglasses as everyday objects are revolutionary and continue to be to this day in the form of sunglasses. Now glasses can be and are worn by everyone even those who don't have visual empairments. With everyone as a potential customer more and more designers are creating their own unique styles. From the everyday to haute couture the eyeglasses and sunglasses adorning faces are also turning heads.

A modern iteration of eyeglasses in the form of high fashion accessory exemplified by Valentino (retrieved from: http://www.specsuperstore.com/pictures/valentino_sun.jpg)

Reading Reflection 9 - Parallel Views of Landscape and Architecture

Reading Reflection 8 - Narcissistic Architecture of the 17th Century

Blog Post 8 - Evolution of the Dome

Domes in the western world are all, in some way, connected to the Pantheon of Rome. A thread that also runs through dome structures is the capacity for these spaces to bring people together. Three examples of how this has taken shape are the Baptistry Campo Dei Miracoli in Pisa, Italy, St. Paul's Cathedral of London, England and the United States Capitol building in Washington, D. C.

The Baptistry serves as a space for church rituals especially baptisms. The exterior includes elements from classical Roman architectural as well as early Gothic on the upper levels.

Built in 1153, the architecture of the Baptistry Campo Dei Miracoli, Pisa, Italy connects classic Roman and emerging Gothic elements.


The columns, arched windows, and overall proportions of the Baptistry are echoed in the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. Designed  by Sir Christopher Wren construction on the cathedral started in 1675 (http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History). Though hundreds of years apart from the Baptistry at Pisa the dome at St. Paul's is connected through exterior elements and through the purpose to bring people together through their faith.

St. Paul's Cathedral in London is a 17th century interpretation of classic dome architecture.


From Italy, through England and on to 19th century North America the dome stays true to the Pantheon prototype. Again, we see the colums, the arched windows, and marble facade. Like the two other the U. S. Capitol brings together people in a single place but the nature of the faith that brings them together has changed.

The dome the United States Capitol building illustrates the full evolution of spaces for gathering people.


The lineage of the dome which started with the Pantheon comes full circle through a building that embodies the democratic ideal started in ancient Rome.