Lorenzo Ghiberti

Abstract

Born in, or just outside, Florence c. 1380, Lorenzo Ghiberti probably trained in the shop of a goldsmith. He established himself, in the early 15th century, as one of the most skilled bronze/brass sculptors on the Italian peninsula; indeed, he reinvigorated the art of casting metal sculpture in Florence. He demonstrated his abilities in working with cooper alloys first in the famous competition of 1401–1402, in which sculptors, vying for the commission to fashion the Florence Baptistery’s second set of doors, made trial reliefs representing the sacrifice of Isaac. His victory led to his completion of a set of doors (1403–1424) representing scenes from the New Testament. He carried out this project, along with many others, with the assistance of his large workshop. Ghiberti’s mastery of bronze/brass sculpture subsequently led to numerous commissions in these media: between 1412 and 1429, he sculpted three colossal statues for the church of Orsanmichele (St. John the Baptist, St. Matthew, and St. Stephen) and two reliefs for the Siena Baptistery (1417–1427). He received commissions in other materials as well. In the 1420s he produced a number of designs for marble tombs, cast another in bronze, and made two elaborate papal miters (1419 and c. 1434). Between 1425 and 1452, he completed the Florence Baptistery’s third and final set of doors, known as the Gates of Paradise, which both demonstrate his ability to represent—in reliefs made of copper alloys—fictive space through linear perspective and elegant bodies inspired by Antiquity, and highlight his understanding of the meaning and power of Old Testament stories. While working on the Gates he completed other projects, including, for Florence Cathedral, a tomb-shrine of St. Zenobius. In these years and earlier he also made designs for stained-glass windows throughout the cathedral. During his career, he dabbled in architecture, working on the project for the cathedral’s new dome and designing a sacristy-chapel space for the Strozzi family in Santa Trinita. Aside from his sculptures, he is in the early 21st century unquestionably best known for his remarkable Commentaries, a three-book treatise containing the first history of art penned after Antiquity—he included histories of ancient and recent Italian art, culminating in his autobiography—and an extensive section on the science of optics. Ghiberti was an avid collector of ancient art and also owned a number of books. His uncommon acumen as a businessman led him to acquire a great deal of wealth, including a number of properties. After a long, productive, and influential life, he died on 28 November 1455.