Chateau de Chenonceau is one of the many chateaus located in the Loire Valley. The chateau spans the River Cher near a village called Chenonceau. In 1514-1522, the chateau initially was built upon the foundations of an old mill and later stretched the River Cher. The Chateau belonged to many French families, beginning with the Marques family to the royal family and their mistresses. With each new inhabitant, more adjuncts, gardens, and bridges were added until it became the chateau that stands today. One notable owner was Diane de Poitiers, who built a bridge to attach the chateau to the opposite side of the river and designed the flower, vegetable, and fruit gardens. Another major contributor to Chateau de Chenonceau is Catherine de’ Medici who added more gardens to decorate the perimeter of the chateau as well as rooms within the chateau’s walls. Catherine had many grand parties there, including one with the first firework show ever. The chateau was reflective of not only the wealth that France’s elites possessed, but also the architectural magnificence and intellect that humans were capable of. We are able to think up and create these structures that outlive us in longevity and tower over us in size because of our brain’s ability of creativity.
Creativity is the ability to acquire “a new or novel understanding–insight that leads to the expression of orderly relationships” (Heilman & Accosta, 2013). Through brain imaging techniques such as PET and fMRI we can begin to understand the brain mechanisms important in visual creativity. From what we do know, there are likely four main stages in the creative process: preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification (Heilman & Accosta, 2013). Important to imagination and design is the right hemisphere. This hemisphere is involved in certain forms of spatial cognition, visualization, production, and is the dominant hemisphere in determining spatial relationships between lines (Heilman & Accosta, 2013). Other important neuroanatomical features involved in creativity have arisen from various neural anomalies. In the Delis et al. (1988) study, patients with left hemisphere brain-damage were impaired in the capability to draw local forms of a hierarchical design. On the other hemisphere, damage caused patients to have trouble allocating global attention (Robertson and coworkers,1988). These inabilities prove that the brain is necessary in creative visualization. The brain possess the capability to build and create something of such significance that it provokes awe and amazement in humans generations later. To be able to understand a concept, process that concept, and build upon that concept to materialize an idea and make something splendid is uniquely human.
Works Cited
Heilman, K., & Acosta, L. (2013). Visual artistic creativity and the brain. Progress In Brain Research, 19-43. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63287-6.00002-6