From Raphael Sanzio to John Baptist of Toledo: evidences of the Renaissance drawing in Spain before the plans for the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Abstract

The Spanish architectural drawings prior to the designs for El Escorial have been described as Gothic. The designs for this building were made by Juan Bautista de Toledo from 1560, long after the well-known “Letter to Leo X”. This letter was possibly written by Raphael Sanzio and Balthazar Castiglioni around 1518-19 and already describes the new Italian Renaissance drawing. In this regard, this paper analyzes the characteristics of the Spanish drawings during this period and identifies some important changes in the graphic aspects or related to the dimensioning. These changes were due to a logical evolution and also to foreign influences. However, floor plans continued to be used mainly to represent buildings, without elevations or sections. The methods traditionally used for the architectural design persisted, even after the Escorial drawings. This research addresses the significant transformations in the architectural drawing that occurred during this period, analyzes their causes, and identifies some useful criteria for future research. Furthermore, the aspects studied also allow us to reflect on the complex relationships between architecture, design and drawing.