Lorenzo Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery, the later one called by Michelangelo the Gates of Paradise. Trained as a goldsmith and sculptor, he established an important workshop for sculpture in metal. His book of Commentarii contains important writing on art, as well as what may be the earliest surviving autobiography by any artist.
Ghiberti's career was dominated by his two successive commissions for pairs of bronze doors to the Florence Baptistery. They are recognized as a major masterpiece of the Early Renaissance, and were famous and influential from their unveiling.
Early life
Ghiberti was born in 1378 in Pelago, a comune 20 km from Florence. It is said that Lorenzo was the son of Cione di Ser Buonaccorso Ghiberti and Fiore Ghiberti. However, there is some doubt about whether Cione was Ghiberti's actual father. At some point in their marriage, Fiore went to Florence and lived with a goldsmith by the name of Bartolo di Michele. Fiore and Bartolo maintained a common law marriage, so it is unknown who Ghiberti's biological father was. There is no documentation of Cione's death, but it is known that after his passing Fiore and Bartolo married in 1406. Regardless, Bartolo was the only father Lorenzo knew and they had a close and loving relationship. Bartolo was a clever 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 did not confine himself to gold-working. He delighted in modeling copies of antique medals and also in painting. Lorenzo received formal training as a painter from Gherardo Starnina. He then went to work in the workshop of his stepfather. When the bubonic plague struck Florence in 1400, Ghiberti moved to Rimini.
In Rimini he was fortunate enough to receive employment by Carlo I Malatesta, where he assisted in the completion of frescoes on the walls of the castle. It is believed that this is where he gained his love for the art of painting. However, shortly after his arrival he received word from his friends back in his home town of Florence that the governors of the Baptistery were holding a competition and sending for masters who were skilled in bronze working. Despite his great appreciation for painting, Ghiberti asked Malatesta for leave. In 1401 he headed back to Florence to participate in a competition that was being held for the commission to make the second pair of bronze doors for the Baptistery of the Cathedral of Florence.
Florence Baptistery doors
Ghiberti first became famous when as a 21-year-old he won the 1401 competition for the first set of bronze doors, with Brunelleschi as the runner up. 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 trial piece, which survives, depicts the sacrifice of Isaac.To carry out this commission, he set up a large workshop in which many artists trained, including Donatello, Masolino, Paolo Uccello, and Antonio del Pollaiuolo. When his first set of twenty-eight panels was complete, Ghiberti was commissioned to produce a second set for another doorway in the church, this time with scenes from the Old Testament, as originally intended for his first set. Instead of twenty-eight scenes, he produced ten rectangular scenes in a completely different style. These were more naturalistic, with perspective and a greater idealization of the subject. Dubbed "The Gates of Paradise" by Michelangelo, this second set remains a major monument of the age of Renaissance humanism.
The Gates of Paradise had ten panels with several episodes from a particular story from the Old Testament portrayed on each of them. The list below shows where each story is placed on the Gates of Paradise.
| Adam & Eve | Cain and Abel |
| Noah | Abraham and Isaac |
| Jacob and Esau | Joseph |
| Moses | Joshua |
| David | Solomon |
''Gates of Paradise'' multiple descriptive panels
The Story of Adam and EveIn the beginning of Genesis, God created the Universe '.
When he created the universe, he created “The Garden of Eden”. This is where he created the first humans Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve are eating an apple from the forbidden tree. Eve was tricked by Lucifer, God's fallen angel, the serpent from being told she would be like God if she ate the forbidden fruit '.
Lucifer, his most beautiful angel, became a fallen angel and the devil '.
The Story of Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam, the first man. Abel was younger than Cain. Out of jealousy, Cain was enraged with God preferring Abel's sacrifice over his '. Abel was known to be peaceful and is sitting calmly with the herd '. Cain tricks Abel to follow him and murders him '.
The Story of Noah
God did not like how the world was full of violence. He told Noah he was going to destroy the earth with a flood and that he needed to build an Ark '. He was told to bring two of each kind of animal and his family '. There is a Moses laying next to a barrel signifying the drunks '. There is Moses offering a sacrifice '.
The Story of Abraham
Three men came to Abraham. He clothed them, fed them, and gave them drinks. The three men were angels and they revealed themselves as messengers of God '. They told him his wife Sarah, who was 80 years old, would bear a child. Once they had the child God order Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, but was ordered to stop by an angel '.
The Story of Isaac
Isaac is the son of Abraham. He was going to be sacrificed before an angel stopped Abraham. Jacob is receiving Issac's blessing '. Rebecca is listening to God tell her of her two sons who will have conflicts '.
The Story of Joseph
Joseph's father's name was Jacob and they lived in Canaan. Joseph was the second youngest of 11 brothers and his father spent more time with him because of it. Jacob had given Joseph a special robe, which his brothers became envious of. Joseph had two dreams he told his brothers about one where they were all killing him and the other was where they were bowing to him. They were enraged and were planning on killing him, but sold him to slavery and being owned by Egypt '. Joseph was imprisoned and told people their meaning of their dreams. The Pharaoh sought Joseph to explain his dream. The Pharaoh told Joseph of his dreams of his city becoming low in food resources. Joseph suggest putting food aside each year for the upcoming low harvest '.
The Story of Moses
Moses was hidden by his birth mother in a basket in the Nile River. The Pharaoh's daughter spotted Moses and took him from the basket '. Moses became a child of the Pharaoh of Egypt. He was born an Israelite and his people were enslaved by people of Egypt. The ten plagues hit Egypt and people are shown to be frightened '. Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt to cross the Red Sea ' Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai '.
The Story of Joshua
Moses died. Joshua was now the leader of the Israelites and had to lead them to the Promised Land '. God's people, to cross the Jordan River '. Joshua carries the ten commandments around the city of Jericho seven times then the wall collapsed. Joshua and his army then took over the city '. They were victorious in taking the city '.
The Story of David
Saul was the king of Israel. God said Saul was not the chosen king to lead God's people.
Samuel, a prophet, who was sent by God to search for a new king. David was brought back to Saul like David and had become his armor bearer and had him carry his shield. A war was between Israel and Egypt '. Goliath promised his armies work quit if someone could kill him. David was skilled at killing beast from protecting his sheep, as a herdsman, and hit Goliath with a rock and killed him with his own sword '.
The Story of King Solomon
King Solomon made an alliance with the Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter '. God Solomon any wish. Solomon asked God to become a better leader and God rewarded him with wisdom. People acknowledged Solomon as a good and wise king '. Two prostitutes came to the king. They both had a baby. One of the babies died. The mother of the dead baby claimed that the live baby was hers. Both women swore the live baby was theirs. King Solomon ordered the baby to be cut in half so they could share the baby. Its mother cried out for mercy on her baby, while the other shamelessly submitted. Solomon rewarded the one who cried out, since he believed she was truly the mother .