Lorenzo Ghiberti
By: Graham Reynolds
Biography
Lorenzo Ghiberti was born in Pelago, Italy in 1378. Ghiberti spent most of his life in Florence, Italy where he excelled as a painter and a sculptor. His predecessor was his beloved stepfather, Bartoluccio, where he was trained by him and soon after became a painter and a goldsmith. After a life as a painter, he switched to sculpting, and is actually what he is most famous for. Besides sculpting and painting, he also made contributions to the formation of the architectural manner of early Renaissance Florence. He created many sculptures, but some of his most famous works included a second set of bronze doors in the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral (1425-1452), constructed three bronze statues for San Michele, Florence (1412-1428), and finally he constructed the first set of bronze doors in International Gothic style for the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral. Ghiberti's patrons were anyone who wanted to construct cathedrals and who were willing to pay him to build architectural designs within the cathedral. Two "isms" associated with his work are classicism and perspectivism because he incorporated new ideas into architecture and used 3D artwork as well.
Ghiberti's Most Famous Work
Ghibert's most famous work that he ever did was when he constructed two bronze doors in the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral. This was built between 1425-1452, roughly about 27 years! If you wanted to see this piece in the present day, you might want to take a trip to the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral where you can still see it today. This piece is so interesting because he influenced renaissance sculptural relief with this piece and it was also known for spacial perfection. With this piece, it brought a lot new things to the table in renaissance art, using classicism throughout this masterpiece, and mastering the art of detail in the doors. The two doors (The Gates of Paradise) were made of bronze and were located in the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral. This piece was equal in space and was a magnificent sight to see, especially in renaissance times. This was definitely one, if not the best, piece of artwork that Ghiberti ever created. Classicism was used in the making of this piece because he was influenced in the classical designs of the past, and it used symmetry and great detail within it. I thoroughly enjoy this artwork because it is a very unique thing to look at with the great detail and symmetry with in it, and it is also still standing today.
Works Cited
"Lorenzo Ghiberti." International Dictionary of Architects and Architecture. Gale, 1993. Biography in Context. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Lorenzo (di Cione di Ser Buonaccorso) Ghiberti." International Dictionary of Art and Artists.
Gale, 1990. Biography in Context. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Lorenzo Ghiberti." Merriam Webster's Biographical Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1995. Biography in Context. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
Lorenzo Ghiberti Gates Of Paradise n.d. Baptistery of Florence Cathedral.