GHIBERTI, LORENZO, a famous Italian sculptor, was b. at Florence about 1378. He was educated in art by his stepfather, a skillful goldsmith, and rapidly acquired dex terity in drawing, painting, and modeling. At the age of 19, he was selected for the execution of a noble fresco in the palatial residence of prince Pandolfo Malatesta at Rimini. Along with seven other artists, he was next chosen by the Florentine guild of merchants to compete for the execution of a splendid gate in bronze to suit that exe cuted by Andrea Pisauo in the baptistery of Florence, about 1340. The subject of the design was "The Sacrifice of Isaac," to be executed in bas-relief as a model for one of the panels. The judges found a difficulty in deciding between Brunelleschi, Donatelli, and Ghiberti, but the two former generously proclaimed the superiority of Ghiberti's design, both with respect to the art and beauty of its conception and the delicacy and skill of its execution. When Ghibcrti had completed his great work, his fellow-citizens intrusted him with the execution of another gate, to emulate the beauty and colossal dimensions of the two already adorning the baptistery. From Michael Angelo Ghiberti received a noble tribute of admiration, when the great artist asserted that the two gates were worthy of Paradise. Ghiberti's second gate contains ten reliefs on a larger scale, the subjects
in this case also being wholly biblical. The mingled grace and grandeur of these com positions are beyond all praise. Not the least of Ghiberti's merits was the success that attended his efforts to break up the conventionalism that before his day hampered the free development of sculptural art. Among his other works may be mentioned a bronze relief in the Duomo at Florence, representing San 2enobi bringing a dead child to life, and bronze statues of St. John the Baptist, St. Matthew, and St. Stephen. Ghiberti died at Florence in 1455.
a princely family, of Albanian origin, which has given many hospodars to Moldavia and Wallachia. The founder of the house was George Ghika, an Albanian by birth, who, through the favor of his compatriot, the grand vizier Mohammed Kiuprult, was raised to the dignity of hospodar of Wallachia in 1657. He was succeeded by his sou Gregory Ghika, who ruled, with various vicissitudes, till 1673,• and received from the emperor Leopold I. the title of prince of the Holy Roeuan Empire. Of subsequent members of the family, the only ones calling for special notice are Alexander, Gregory, and Helena.