Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/431

* DOME. 369 DOMENICHINO. originally low, but as the Middle Ages progressed, its drum" iueroascd in height until it became al- most tower-like in outline, as in the churches of Salonica, in Greece, and in late examples in Con- stantinople. The Arabs I'opied the dome from both Persian and Byzantine models. That of the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem is probably the earliest extant. They also used it especially for mausoleums, calling them by the term Kiibha (cupola). There arc many of these in Cairo, where the mausolcimi-mosqucs are surmounted by some of the finest Mohammedan domes ex- tant, such as that of Kail Bey. The outline of these domes is sometimes that of a reverse curve — a new form. The Mohammedans invented an elaborate system of corbeling as a substitute for the regular pendentive. Their most colossal domes are in India: those of the Jumnia Musjid and the Tomb of Mahmud in Bijapur are among the largest in the world, and that of the Taj ilahal in Agra among the most beautiful. The Turks also reproduced the dome of Saint Sophia more monumentally than had been done by the Byzan- tines themselves (witness the mosques of Moham- med II. and Solyman). ileanwhile the Byzan- tine dome had been imitated in mediseval Europe; in Italy, in Venice (Saint Mark). Padua (San Antonio), Ancona (cathedral), Pisa (cathedral), Palermo, and in Calabria ; in France, through- out Perigord and the neighboring region ( Peri- gueux, Cahors, Sonillac, Solignac, Angouleme, etc. ). with scattering examples elsewhere. The so-called Gothic dome is a ribbed construc- tion, originating in France, derived by com- bining this Byzantine dome with the ribbed Gothic groin vault. The dome of the Renais- sance was developed out of a mixture of medieval and Roman elements. Its earliest masterpiece, that of the cathedral in Florence, was planned in the Gothic period on medieval lines, but perfected by Amolfo through his study of Roman archi- tecture. The dome entered more generally hence- forth into architecture than it had done before in the West. Its greatest examples are those of Saint Peter's in Rome, by Michelangelo, and of Saint Paul's in London, by Wren: though other fine examples are La Salute, in Venice, by Long- hena; the Invalides, by Mansart, and the Pan- thSon, both in Paris. The dome of Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg is a sham struc- ture of cast iron, which is a material that has been used in modern times for the construction of several colossal domes, such as that of the Vienna Exhibition (.360 feet). Domes built of separate units — stone, brick, or tile — require no centring such as was necessary in Roman domes, but could be built up by the simple superposition of concentric rings. It has been found that point- ed domes are as much stronger than hemispherical as the pointed is stronger than the round arch. Early domes like the Pantheon received light merely through an improtected opening in the apex: later this was protected by a lantern, and at Saint Sophia for the first time a row of win- dows was opened in the base. It was this devel- opment of a clearstory at the base that led to the heiirhtening of the drum. The following are the inside diameters of some of the larger domes: Pantheon, 142 feet; cathedral, Florence. 1.381A feet; Saint Peter's. Rome, l.S7>2 feet; Tomb of Mahmud. Bijapur. ^7 feet: Saint Sophia. Con- stantinople. lO.T feet; San Carlo. Milan, 10.5 feet; Saint Paul's, London, 102 feet; the Capitol, Washington (constructed of iron), 96 feet; In- valides, Paris, 92 feet. Consult: Choisy, L'art de butir chez lea Ito- iiiains (Paris, 1873) ; id., L'art de butir chez les liiizfinlins (Paris, 1883) ; Franz-Pascha, "Die Baukunst des Islam," in Durm, Uandbuch der Archilcktur (Stuttgart, 1896) ; Isabelle, Les edi- fices circiilaires ct les dvmcs (Paris, 18.5.5) ; also the various monographs on Saint Peter's, Saint Paul's, etc. Sec Ct"POI... DOMENICHINO, d.Vma'n^-ke'n6( 1581-1641). . ll;iliaii painter of the Bolognese School (q.v.), whose real name was Donienico Zampieri. He was born in Bologna, October 21, 1581, and stud- ied chielly under the Carracci. Among his school- mates were Guido Reni and Francesco .-Vlbani ; with the latter he formed a life-long friendship. Together they visited Parma, Modena, and Reg- gio, studying the works of Correggio and his school, and it was in response to Albani's urgent letters that Domenico went to Rome in 1603. In Rome he was well received by his country- men, especially by his teacher. Annibale Carracci, whom he assisted in his frescoes in the Villa Farnese. On Annibale's recommendation, he and Guido were employed in decorating the Chap- el of San Andrea, in the Church of San Gregorio. In executing this commission a rivalry arose between the two painters. Both represented the '■.Martyrdom of Saint Andrew," but while Guido chose the moment where the saint, at sight of the cross, falls into an ecstasj% Domenichino painted the martyrdom itself, in all its gruesome details. This rivalry culminated in Domenichi- no's "Last Communion of .Saint .Jerome," paint- ed in 1614 for the chief altar of the chapel, and now occupying a place of honor in the Vatican Col- lection opposite Raphael's "Transfiguration." It is a noble and well-balanced composition, full of action, and is tmquestionably the best of his works. In connection with his stay in Rome. Domenichino decorated the villa of Cardinal Aldobrandini. in Frascati, with frescoes from the life of Apollo, and the Abbey of Grotta Fer- rata with a fine series representing the life of Saint Nilus (1609), among which the "Meeting of the Saint with the Emperor Otho" is par- ticularly good. He also decorated the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome w-ith frescoes from the life of Saint-Cecilia. In 1617, wearied by the annoyances caused by the jealousy of the painters in Rome, he returned to Bologna, and in 1610 he was married. From this time the Raphaelesque type of women dis- appears from his pictures, and is replaced by one less impressive, indeed, but full of charm and more realistic — the Image of his wife. His chief work of this period is the "Madonna of the Ro- sary," now in the gallery of Bologna. In 1621 he returned to Rome, and was named principal painter and architect of the Papal Palace. The chief works of his second stay in Rome were the "Four Evangelists," on the i^endentives of the cupola of San . drea della Valle — noble and impressive representations — and a charming mythological canvas, "Diana and Her Nymphs Bathing," in the Palazzo Borghese, Rome. In 1631 he went to Naples to decorate the Capella del Tesoro, in the cathedral, with frescoes repre- senting the life of Saint .Tanuarius; but he was so restricted by his instructions, and annoyed by the nuirderous threats of Neopolitan artists, that he was unable to produce his best work. He