viewed “invention” as its foremost aim’ ( 1979 , p. 47 ). The artists and architects who revealed
these traits in their sketches came to epitomize the title of divino artista. Myths regarding their
innate talents abounded, stressing their natural skills (Kris and Kurz, 1979 ). Such heroic archi-
tects were worshipped for their genius, and the value of work coming directly from their
hands increased. This enhanced status of these artists and architects, and assisted in the reten-
tion of sketches, subsequently affecting the number that have been retained and held in
archives through the years.
All of these factors attributed to the growing use of sketches and the general respect for
evidence of inspiration and invention. The notion of architectural sketching was less prac-
ticed and respected in the periods prior to the Renaissance for various reasons. Sketches were
not required since much architecture was envisioned by the Church who retained the tem-
plates of construction allowing only minor variations. These master builders were viewed as
agents of God governed by the traditions of their guilds. In the years preceding the fifteenth
century, these generations of craftsmen found little need to sketch and any sketches and
drawings were inclined to consist of documents copying existing solutions. The few sketches
that do exist appear minimal, diagrammatic, consisting of plan and elevation, and most likely
were used for details or to communicate accepted construction methods. They show
restraint and provide only the most pertinent information. In contrast, the creative building
expansion spurred by Humanism and the relative economic stability encouraged the
Renaissance architects to recognize the value of individual inspiration, and trust in their own
imaginations and the images formed by their hands. Although retaining strong beliefs in
God, these architects took responsibility for their actions and challenged themselves to new
heights of aesthetic exploration. Certainly the availability of sketching media and the desire
to explore and understand the constructions of antiquity rendered sketches more acceptable
and plentiful.
Sketches by architects of the Renaissance and later reveal more fluid lines, extensive
exploration of alternatives, plans, sections, and elevations rendered with detail along with
use of three-dimensional views. These sketches often fill the page and overlap in the exu-
berance of design thinking. They are less self-conscious as they often leave mistakes, utilize
expressive lines, and employ these images to attain knowledge about and understand the
world around them.
Although similar developments in science, technology, and art were occurring in various
parts of the world, other events kept architects from using or retaining sketches. Much of the
Americas, Africa and Australia had not yet moved beyond nomadic tribes or the evolution of
traditional vernacular architecture by the time of the Italian Renaissance. The Aztec civiliza-
tion of Mexico built monuments and extensive urban structures. Laid out with geometry and
precision, they must have developed extensive measuring systems. To document their work,
the Aztecs utilized a form of amatefiber paper. Designing in the brief time period of approx-
imately 1200 – 1400 AD, these builders devised combination drawings of plans and elevations,
and represented scenes in a believable semblance of perspective (Serrato-Combe, 2001 ).
Expansive ground drawings scar the mountains of Peru, but their use (and the tools for con-
ceiving and executing such enormous drawings) is a matter of speculation (Kostof, 1985 ).
The arrival of the Spanish erased much of this civilization and replaced it with European style;
so very few of these artifacts remain.H5719-Introduction 7/15/05 3:06 PM Page 12