Lorenzo Ghiberti's Greatest Piece Of Work example essay topic

LORENZO GHIBERTI EDUCATION AND TRAINING Lorenzo Ghiberti was born as Lorenzo di Bartolo in 1378 in Florence, Italy. Hismother's second husband, Bartolo di Michele trained Lorenzo as a goldsmith. Ghiberti also received training as a painter. According to his autobiography, he left Florence in 1400 to work with a painter in the town of Pesaro for its ruler, Sigismond o Malate sta.

His education as a goldsmith helped him create his greatest piece of work, "The Gates of Paradise". ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS Ghiberti's big break came when he went back to Florence in 1401 after hearing that a competition was being held for the commission to make a pair of bronze doors for the Baptistery of the cathedral in Florence. He beat Filippo Brunelleschi and Jacopo de aQuercia, as well as four other artists, to win the commission. He spent more than 20 years to make the doors, but during that time he trained students and also concentrated on other artwork. His students include Donatello and Paulo Uccello.

Each door contains 14 quatrefoil-framed scenes from the lives of Christ, the Evangelists, and the church fathers. He also made another set of doors for the Baptistery. These bronze doors had 5 panels on each side, containing scenes from the Old Testament. They were dubbed " The Gates of Paradise", by Michaelangelo, and were Ghiberti's greatest work. Ghiberti also made a larger than life statue of the Arte dei Merca ni di Calimala's (the guild of the merchant bankers) patron saint. He made two large bronze figures for Or San Michele, created designs for the stained glass windows in the cathedral, and wrote two books, as well as accomplishing other things.

IMPACT AND INFLUENCE ON CIVILIZATION Ghiberti impacted the Renaissance in many ways. His work and writings formed the basis for much of the style and aims of the later High Renaissance. He was actively involved with other artists and was interested in their works. He influenced and trained artists in his workshop.

Some of his students included Donatello, Paulo Uccello, Michelozzo, and Benozzo Gozzoli. Many artist took notice to his style. His works showa development toward naturalistic movement, volume, perspective, and a greater idealization of the subject, which influenced artists to be creative. Ghiberti was a well respected gentlemen, and a major figure in Florentine society. He was rich and generous to all, and never turned away a painter or person who needed help in any sort of way. Title: Gates of Paradise Subject: Religous architecture; contained scenes from the Old Testament.

RENAISSANCE CHARACTERISTICS The "Gates of Paradise" are Lorenzo Ghiberti's greatest piece of work. They have 10 panels, 5 on each side, depicting scenes from the Old Testament. Some scenes on the doors are the Creation of Adam, and the Story of Joseph. The doors show a development toward naturalistic movement, volume, and perspective, and a greater idealization of the subject.

Ghiberti uses perspective and realism in the scenes. He concentrates on evoking skies, distant woodlands, buildings, groups of figures and personalities in high relief. This can be seen in the scenes, the Creation of Adam, and the Story of Joseph.

Bibliography

1) "Ghiberti, Lorenzo" Volume 9; Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia Copyright (c) 1996 Lexicon Publications 2) Great Artists of the Western World;
Early Renossaince, Copyright (c) 1988, Marshall Gavandish Corporation 3) "Ghiberti, Lorenzo", Microsoft (R) Encarta.
Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corp.
Copyright (c) 1994 Funk and Wagnall's Corporation 4) Julius von Schlosser, Lorenzo Ghiberti's Denk w" (I Commentarii), 2 vol.
1912), the only complete printing of the text of Ghiberti's Italian, with an analysis in German;
excerpts in English translation appear in Elizabeth Gilmore Holt (ed. ), A Documentary History of Art, 2nd ed. (1957);
and Robert Goldwater and Marco Trees (eds. ), Artists on Art (1945).