Lorenzo Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti (Italian pronunciation: /loˈrɛntso ɡiˈbɛrti/; Florence, 1378 - id., December 1, 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian sculptor, goldsmith, architect and art writer of the Quattrocento. He is known above all as the creator of the bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery, called by Michelangelo the Gate of Paradise . Trained as a goldsmith and sculptor, he established an important workshop for metal sculpture. His book Commentarii contains important writings on art, as well as what could be considered the oldest surviving autobiography of an artist.
Early Years
Ghiberti was born in 1378 in Pelago, a comune 20 km from Florence. Lorenzo is said to be the son of Cione di Ser Buonaccorso Ghiberti and Fiore Ghiberti. However, there is some doubt as to whether Cione was the true father of Ghiberti. At some point in his marriage, Fiore went to Florence and lived with a goldsmith by the name of Bartolo di Michele, it is unknown who was Ghiberti's biological father. There is no documentation of Cione's death, but it is known that after Fiore and Bartolo died they were married in 1406. Despite this, Bartolo was the only father Lorenzo knew and they had a close and loving relationship. Bartolo was a a skilled and popular goldsmith in Florence, and trained Lorenzo in his trade. It was from this apprenticeship that Lorenzo learned the first principles of design. Lorenzo was interested in many forms of art and was not limited to gold work. He copied models from antique medals and also in painting. Lorenzo received formal training as a painter from Gherardo Starnina, an Italian artist from Florence. He then went to work in the Florentine workshop of Bartolo di Michele, where Antonio del Pollaiolo also worked. When the bubonic plague struck Florence in 1400, Ghiberti moved to Rimini. In Rimini he was fortunate enough to be given a job at Carlo Malatesta's palace for the lord of Pesaro, where he assisted in finishing the frescoes on the walls of Charles I Malatesta's castle. At the Ghiberti palace he was given a wall to paint, and spent here a long time. It is believed that this is where he gained his deep love for the art of painting. Shortly after his arrival, however, many of his friends in Florence told him that a contest was going to be held and asked for masters who were experts in bronze work. Despite his great appreciation for the painting, Ghiberti asked Malatesta to leave. In 1401 he returned to Florence to participate in the competition for the commission of a pair of bronze doors for the baptistery of Florence Cathedral.
Doors of the Florence Baptistery
He began his artistic activity as a goldsmith. However, he did not gain fame until 1401, when he participated in the competition to decorate the second doors (north door) of the Florence Cathedral baptistery, winning, renouncing the prize ex aequo (with equal merit) Filippo Brunelleschi, the other finalist.
Ghiberti's career is dominated by his two successive commissions for the pairs of bronze doors for the Florence baptistery (Battistero di San Giovanni). They are recognized as one of the great masterpieces of the early Renaissance, and have been famous and influential since their discovery. Ghiberti became famous when he won the contest at the age of 21. The original plan was for the doors to depict scenes from the Old Testament, but the plan was changed to depict scenes from the New Testament instead. However, the piece with which he won the contest still survives, depicting the sacrifice of Isaac.
His victory in the contest was decisive for his life, since the magnitude of the task required the creation of a large workshop, which would become the main one in the city for half a century. It trained leading figures of the Italian Renaissance, such as Donatello, Michelozzo, Uccello, Masolino, Antonio Pollaiuolo and Filarete. When the first group of 28 panels for the first set was finished, Ghiberti was commissioned to produce a second group for other doors in the church, this time with scenes from the Old Testament, as originally intended for the first set. Instead of 29 scenes, he produced 10 rectangular scenes in a completely different style. These were more naturalistic, with perspective and a great idealization of the subject. Michelangelo called them "The Gates of Paradise", this second set is still a great monument from the time of Renaissance Humanism.
Anterior Doors by Andrea Pisano
As recommended by Giotto, Andrea Pisano was awarded the commission to design the first group of doors in the Florentine baptistery in 1329. The southern doors were originally installed on the east side facing the Duomo, and they were moved to their current location in 1452. These proto-Renaissance doors are made up of 28 quatrefoil panels, with the top 20 panels depicting scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist. The eight lower panels represent the eight virtues of hope, faith, charity, humility, fortitude, temperance, justice and prudence. Pisano took six years to complete, finishing in 1336. In 1453, Ghiberti and his son Vittorio were commissioned to add a frame to Pisano's existing panels. Ghiberti died in 1455, eight years before the frame was finished, leaving a large part of the work to Vittorio and other members of his workshop. There is a Latin inscription on the top of the door: "Andreas Ugolini Nini de Pisis fecit me A.D. MCCCXXX» (Andrea Pisano made me in 1330). The southern gates were undergoing a restoration in September 2016.
1401 Competition
In 1401, the Arte di Calimala (cloth importers' guild) announced a competition to design doors that would eventually be placed on the north side of the baptistery (the original location of these doors it was to the east of the baptistery, but the doors were moved to the north side after Ghiberti finished his second commission, known as the doors of Paradise).
These new doors would serve as a votive offering to celebrate Florence being rid of relatively recent outbreaks such as the Black Death of 1348. Each participant was given four bronze tablets, and asked to make a relief with it. theme of the "Sacrifice of Isaac" on a piece of metal that was the size and shape of the door panels. Each artist was given one year to prepare their panel, and the artist deemed best would receive the prize. commission. While many artists competed for this commission, the jury selected only seven semi-finalists which included Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Simone da Colle, Francesco di Val d'Ombrino, Niccolo d'Arezzo, Jacopo della Quercia da Siena, and Niccolo Lamberti. In 1402 at the time of judging them, only Ghiberti and Brunelleschi were finalists, and when the judges could not decide, they were commissioned to work together on it. Brunelleschi's pride intruded, and he went to Rome to study architecture, leaving the 21-year-old Ghiberti to work on the site by himself. Ghiberti's autobiography, however, states that he had won "without a single dissenting voice." The original designs for The Sacrifice of Isaac by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi are displayed in the Bargello museum in Florence. Differences between the Sacrifice of Isaac created by Brunelleschi and Ghiberti include the way the panel was constructed and the overall efficiency of the panel. Brunelleschi's panel was made up of individual pieces of the artwork's figures that were placed within a bronze frame. In contrast to Brunelleschi's method of creating his panel earring, Ghiberti's mold had all the figures, with the exception of Isaac, created all as one piece. The pieces of the figures themselves were all cast in inside. Due to the methods of how Ghiberti made the panel, it ended up being stronger, used less bronze, and had less weight than Brunelleschi's panel. The panel used less bronze which was more cost efficient. Including the aspect of the art itself, these differences influenced how the competition board decided the winner.
Northern Gates (First Gates)
After the competition, Ghiberti's father, Bartolo, helped him immensely in perfecting the design of his doors before they were cast. This commission brought immediate and lasting recognition to the great artist. In 1403 the formal contract was signed with the workshop of Bartolo di Michele, the same workshop in which he had previously trained, and overnight it became the most prestigious in Florence. Four years later in 1407, Lorenzo legally assumed the commission and was prohibited from accepting additional commissions. He devoted much of his time to creating the doors, and received two hundred guilders a year for his work.To cast the doors, Lorenzo worked in a studio called the Aja, or threshing floor. The studio was located near the Hospital of Santa Maria la Nueva, the oldest hospital still active in Florence today. At the Aja, Ghiberti built a large furnace to melt his metal in an attempt to melt the works, without However this first model was a failure. After this attempt, he tried one more time to make a cast. On this second attempt he was successful and ended up using 34,000 pounds of bronze, at a total cost of 22,000 ducats, a large sum at the time.
Work on these gates lasted more than twenty years (from 1403 to 1424). There are twenty-eight bronze reliefs in a relatively small quadrilobed format (45 × 38 cm was the model for the contest -a Sacrifice of Isaac-), arranged in a seven-by-four grid in the rectangle of the door (506 × 387 cm); where, on the five upper floors, twenty episodes of the cycle of the life of Christ from the New Testament (from the Annunciation to Pentecost) were represented. On April 19, 1424 they were placed on one side of the baptistery. Twenty panels show episodes from the life of Christ from the New Testament: the Annunciation, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Jesus among the doctors, Baptism of Christ, Temptation of Christ, Expulsion of the money-changers from the temple, Jesus walking on the water, Transfiguration, the raising of Lazarus, Christ's entry into Jerusalem, The Last Supper, Agony in the garden, Capture of Christ, The scourging, Christ before Pilate, Ascent to Calvary, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Pentecost.
On the two lower floors there are eight panels with figures of saints (the four evangelists - Saint John, Saint Matthew, Saint Luke and Saint Mark - and four doctors of the Church - Saint Ambrose, Saint Jerome, Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine -). The panels are surrounded by a frame of foliage on the door frame and gilt busts of prophets and sibyls at the intersections of the panels.
The detailed style is close to Gothic. Originally installed on the eastern side in place of the Pisano doors, they were later moved to the northern side. Art historian Antonio Paolucci described them as "the most important event in the history of Florentine art in the first quarter of the fifteenth century".
The bronze statues above the north gate depict Saint John the Baptist preaching to the Sadducees and were sculpted by Francesco Rustici. Rustici may have been assisted in the design by Leonardo da Vinci, who assisted in his choice of tools.
After the doors are finished
After these doors were completed, Ghiberti became widely recognized as a celebrity and the foremost artist in his field. He was given new commissions, including some from the pope. In 1425 he obtained a second commission for the Florence baptistery, this time for the eastern doors, on which he and his workshop (including Michelozzo and Benozzo Gozzoli) worked for 27 years, exceeding to themselves. The design themes for the works were chosen by Leonardo Bruni d'Arezzo, then Chancellor of the Republic of Florence. They have 10 panels depicting scenes from the Old Testament, and were at the time installed on the eastern side. The panels are large rectangles and were no longer inserted in the traditional Gothic quatrefoil, as in the previous doors. Ghiberti employed newly discovered principles of perspective to give depth to his compositions. Each panel represents an episode. “The Story of Joseph” presents the narrative outline of Joseph thrown into the well by his brothers, Joseph sold to the merchants, The merchants deliver Joseph to Pharaoh, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream, Pharaoh honors him, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt and Joseph he recognizes his brothers and returns home. According to Vasari's Lives, this panel was the most difficult and also the most beautiful. The figures are arranged in very low relief in a perspective space (a technique invented by Donatello and called rilievo schiacciato, which literally means "flattened relief"). Ghiberti uses different sculptural techniques, from incised lines to practically round sculptures, further accentuating the sense of space.
The panels are enclosed in a richly gold-decorated frame of foliage and fruit, with many statuettes of prophets and 24 busts. The two central busts are portraits of the artist and his father, Bartolomeo Ghiberti.
The panel of the Annunciation depicts the scene with an angel dressed, with a tunic and wings, as well as a trumpet, appearing to Mary, who shows an expression of surprise leaving the door. The Nativity panel depicts the birth of Christ with an ox, a donkey, Joseph and Mary, an angel, and shepherds. All the characters in the panel are presented near a cave as all but Mary show reverence to her. The adoration of the magi panel shows the three magi praising Christ and Mary, with Joseph and angels in the background. In the panel Christ Among the Doctors, Christ is depicted as a child seated on a throne-like chair surrounded by the doctors arguing with him. The narration of the doctors surprised by how intelligent Christ speaks is demonstrated by how all the doctors talk among themselves in an intense discussion around Christ. The Baptism of Christ panel shows Jesus surrounded by by spectators, a dove and his cousin, John the Baptist, being baptized in a river. The background includes intensely detailed trees with leaves, rocks, and a flowing river. The panel of The Temptation of Christ shows Christ surrounded by angels as he confronts the fallen angel, Satan, raised above rocks. Satan is depicted as a human with bat wings and clothing. The panel of the Expulsion of the Merchants from the Temple presents the scene with Christ expelling a group of merchants with raised fists into the temple. temple. The temple in the background is depicted with intricately designed columns and arches, merchants are also shown holding wares as they are pushed out. The Christ Walking on the Waters panel shows Jesus in standing on the water and the disciples while Peter is drowning. The panel shows a detailed ship with sails showing individual strings of the mast as well as the ship itself with artistic designs. The ocean is also detailed with the waves rippling and where Jesus stands above the water, it is doubled to show him rising above them. The Transfiguration panel shows Jesus standing with the prophets Moses and Elijah above. his disciples Peter, James and John. The astonishment of the three disciples is expressed with them lying on the ground and looking away from Christ and the prophets.The panel of the Resurrection of Lazarus shows Lazarus leaving his tomb surrounded by Christ, the sisters of him, and his disciples. The astonishment of Lazaro's sisters is shown with one of them on the ground and the other holding Lazaro as he kneels. The Entry into Jerusalem shows Christ on a donkey greeted by a large crowd with the gates of Jerusalem in the background. Each individual in the group has a different face with different styles of hair and clothing. The Last Supper depicts the well-known New Testament scene of Christ eating with the twelve apostles. The background is decorated with grapes on the columns and cloths in the background while Christ presides over the table and the disciples seated together. Jesus in the garden presents Christ praying towards a corner and disciples behind him, asleep. The imagery of the garden is detailed with highly detailed bushes, rocks, and trees. The capture of Christ shows Jesus marked by Judas and about to be arrested by Roman soldiers while the disciples are fighting against the soldier The soldiers each have individualized armor and weapons such as a spear, axe, and sword. In the Flogging Jesus is whipped by Roman soldiers holding reeds in a swinging motion. i>Crucifixion from the northern doors presents the scene with Mary and John at the foot of the cross, lamenting with angels near Christ hanging. Mary is presented in mourning looking away from the cross.
While the overall quality of the casting is considered exquisite, there are some known bugs. For example, in panel 15 of the northern doors (The Flagellation) the cast of the second column in the front row has been covered with an arm, so that one of the flagellators appears trapped in stone, with his hand sticking out.
Michelangelo referred to these gates as fitting companions to the gates of Paradise (en it. Porte del Paradiso), and they are still invariably called by this name. Giorgio Vasari described them a century later as "undoubtedly perfect in every way and must be considered the greatest work of art ever created." Ghiberti himself said that they were "the most unique work I ever did."
Paradise Gate (second gates)
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| Adam " Eve | José |
| Cain & Abel | Moses |
| Noah | Joshua |
| Abraham | David |
| Isaac " Jacob | Solomon |
The first doors were so successful that he was later entrusted by the merchants' guild of Florence to build a third double door for the same baptistery, which he finished in 1452.
It is decorated with ten gilt bronze bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Old Testament, in a totally different format and style from the previous ones, consciously applying the rules of Renaissance perspective. Michelangelo baptized this door as "door of the Paraíso", the name by which it is still known today.
Later life, family and death
By 1417 Lorenzo Ghiberti was married to Marsila, the 16-year-old daughter of Bartolommeo di Lucca, a worthy comb-maker. They had two children. In 1417 they had Tommaso Ghiberti, and a year later Vittorio Ghiberti.Ghiberti was wealthier than most of his contemporary artists, and his success gave them great financial advantages. A tax receipt from 1427 shows that he owned a considerable amount of land, and outside of Florence. He also invested a substantial amount of money in government bonds on his credit. Over the years, his royal and monetary property continued to grow. Lorenzo Ghiberti lived to be 75 years of age, succumbing to a fever and dying in Florence. He was buried on December 1, 1455, in Santa Croce Vittorio followed in his father's footsteps as a goldsmith and bronze caster, but never achieved great fame. Tommaso joined his father's business, helping as a collaborator with Lorenzo's assistants. After his father's death he whether he continued the business is unknown, as he is not mentioned in the documents after 1447. Later, Vittorio had a son named Buonaccorso who followed his father's art. However, Buonaccorso had a different purpose in his work than his father. grandfather, with his metal castings taking the form of artillery and cannon balls. His manufacture of these weapons made him famous, mainly for providing weapons for the wars at Sarzana and Pisa.
Other works
Ghiberti was commissioned to execute selected monumental gilt bronze statues for niches in the Orsanmichele in Florence, one of Saint John the Baptist for the Arte di Calimala (Wool Merchants Guild) and another of Saint Matthew for the Arte di Change (guild of bankers). The sculpture of Saint John the Baptist was made in 1412-1416. This statue was a technological advance for the time. Ghiberti had an incredible ability when it came to casting bronze. He was influenced by the Gothic style in Italy, which is shown in the graceful curves of the sword and the draping.
The statue of Saint Matthew, the one financed by the bankers, was executed in 1419-1423. It reached a height of 2.69 meters. It is made of bronze. It is also found in a niche by Orsanmichele. The union specified that they wanted a statue as tall or taller than that of Saint John the Baptist.
Finally, he also produced a bronze figure of Saint Stephen for the Arte della Lana (guild of wool weavers).
He was also a finalist together with Brunelleschi in the competition for the construction of the dome of the cathedral (1419), but this time the work was entrusted to Brunelleschi.
He also collected classical artifacts and was a historian. He was actively involved in the dissemination of humanist ideas.
Comments
In his later years he wrote the three volumes of I Commentari ("the Commentaries"), which included references to Italian painters and sculptors. They are a valuable source of information on Renaissance art. This work was a main source for Vasari's Vite.
Ghiberti's Comments include what is considered the oldest surviving autobiography of an artist. He discusses the development of art since Cimabue's time through his own work. On discovering his second bronze portal for the Baptistery in Florence, he states: "In this work I sought to imitate nature as realistically as possible, both in proportions and in perspective...the buildings appear as if seen by someone else's eye." look from a distance." The language that Ghiberti uses to describe his art has proven invaluable to art historians in understanding the purpose that Renaissance artists served with his work.
Paolo Uccello, often regarded as the first great master of perspective, worked in Ghiberti's studio for several years, making it difficult to determine to what extent Uccello's innovations in perspective were due to instruction from Ghiberti. Donatello, known as one of the first examples of center point perspective in sculpture, also worked briefly in Ghiberti's studio. It was also around this time that Paolo began his long friendship with Donatello. Around the year 1413 one of Ghiberti's contemporaries, Filippo Brunelleschi, demonstrated the geometric method of perspective used by artists today, painting the outlines of various Florentine buildings on a mirror. As the outline of the building continued, he realized that all the lines converged on the horizon line.
Recent scholarship indicates that, in his work on perspective, Ghiberti was influenced by the Arab polymath Alhazen who had written on the optical basis of perspective at the turn of the century XI. His Book of Optics was translated into Italian in the 14th century as Deli Aspecti, and was widely quoted in Ghiberti's "Commentary Terzo". Author A. Mark Smith suggests that, through Ghiberti, Alhazen's Book of Optics "may well have been central to the development of artificial perspective in early Italian Renaissance painting."
Gallery
Ghiberti winning piece for the competition of 1401.
Paradise GateBaptistery, Florence. The doors in situ It's a reproduction.
View from an angle of a panel with the story of Abraham in the Paradise Gate (see above).
Ghiberti Tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence
The story of José, second group of doors
Adam and Eve
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