This book examines the heretofore unsuspected complexity of Lorenzo Ghiberti's sculpted representations of Old Testament narratives in his Gates of Paradise (1425–52), the second set of doors he made for the Florence Baptistery and a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance sculpture. One of the most intellectually engaged and well-read artists of his age, Ghiberti found inspiration in ancient and medieval texts, many of which he and his contacts in Florence's humanist community shared, read, and discussed. He was fascinated by the science of vision, by the functioning of nature, and, above all, by the origins and history of art. These unusually well-defined intellectual interests, reflected in his famous Commentaries, shaped his approach in the Gates. Through the selection, imaginative interpretation, and arrangement of biblical episodes, Ghiberti fashioned multi-textured narratives that explore the human condition and express his ideas on a range of social, political, artistic, and philosophical issues.
A rich account of the giant bronze doors created by Florentine sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti--so exquisite that Michelangelo proclaimed them suitable to serve as the Gates of Paradise.
This book presents the first images of the fully restored Gates, traces their long history, and offers a careful look at the Old Testament scenes on the bronze panels ..."--Publisher description.
The Gates of Paradise: Lorenzo Ghiberti's Renaissance Masterpiece
This lavish volume - containing comprehensive texts and 294 full color illustrations - serves as an essential and much-needed introduction to the carved bronze doors of Florence's Baptistery, a landmark...
" This one-volume edition includes an extensive new preface and bibliography by the author. Richard Krautheimer, Professor Emeritus of the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, currently lives in Rome.
This book traces how four early Renaissance masters represented the Creation of Eve, which showed woman rising weightlessly from Adam's side at God's command.
This is a major new scholarly survey, and will become a seminal text on the artistic imagination, creativity, and skill of the Florentine Renaissance.
Henry's only recorded act in favor of an English hospital is a charter issued in 1184 or 1185, with which he confirmed ... The English Hospital 1070–1570 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995), 20–23, and 233 for St John in Exeter.
Possibly derived from a fallen hunter from a sarcophagus with the Wounding of Hippolytus. (The correct identification of ... Slave girl from right edge of Marriage Ceremony, most likely from so-called Fieschi sarcophagus, S. Lorenzo f.
Methodologically wide-ranging, the essays, specially commissioned for this volume, explore the vast range of techniques and media (stone, metal, wood, terracotta, and stucco) used to fashion works of sculpture.