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Essay on Lorenzo Ghiberti and the Gates of Paradise
Ghiberti, Lorenzo (1378-1455), an Italian goldsmith and one of the greatest sculptors of the early Renaissance, was born at Florence. In 1401 the Merchants Guild of Florence decided upon two new doors for the baptistry, and all the artists of Italy were invited to compete. Ghiberti won the competition because of the superiority of his design. He labored for almost 20 years on the first gate, which consists of 28 panels, representing incidents in the life of Christ, the Church fathers and the Evangelists. So well had Ghiberti wrought that he immediately received a commission for a second gate. Upon this one he spent another 20 years, choosing subjects from the Old Testament. The bronze gates, are among the finest works of art in Italy (William, 1977).
He was one of the most important Italian sculptors in the Early Renaissance of Florence. As a sculptor he created bronze doors for the baptistery of the cathedral of Florence. This work of art took him more than twenty years to complete. In 1452 the doors were finished, each portraying five scenes from the Old Testament. The doors show a development toward naturalistic movement, volume and perspective. Ghiberti's second pair of doors that he was commissioned to do was called the "Gates of Paradise". These doors differed from the first set he had done. The "Gates of Paradise" were relief that were set in square frames. This allowed more space for the scenes to be portrayed (Krautheimer, 1982).
This style brought in the Early Renaissance point of view. This work also brought in a greater idealization of subject. Some Gothic style is still visible in the figures. The gentleness and gracefulness of them is a reminder of it. The story of Jacob and Esau, which is depicted on one of the panels, is interesting....
