Models of the sacrifice of Isaac, 1401 – (left) Brunelleschi’s competition piece; (right) Ghiberti’s competition piece – hanging side by side in the National Museum of the Bargello, Florence.
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378–1455) The Second Baptistery Doors
Ghiberti trained as a goldsmith and worked on the baptistery doors for his entire career. The new
doors took 27 years to make. The subject was the life of Christ, and while the panels maintained the quatrefoil shape, they were fuller and more adventurous than Pisano’s (Fig. 3.19).
The new art of perspective developed by his rival Brunelleschi can be seen in some of the scenes and the lifelike gestures and correctly proportioned figures show Classical influence (Fig. 3.20).
The Third Baptistery Doors
Once in place, the doors were such a success that the Calimala commissioned a third set. These took
Figure 3.19 Baptistery of St John, north door, by Lorenzo Ghiberti. These doors originally faced the cathedral but were later replaced by the ‘Gates of Paradise’.
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Figure 3.20 The Flagellation of Christ panel by Lorenzo Ghiberti on the north door of the Baptistery of St John, Florence. Note the Classical influence: Jesus has a gently curved contrapposto pose and is set against an architectural background of Classical Corinthian columns.
