GHIBERTI, g4-13fletts, LORENZO (1378-1455). A Florentine goldsmith, and one of the chief sculptors of the early Renaissance. He was the son of Cione di Ser Buonaccorso and Madon na Fiore, a lady of distinguished Florentine fam ily. His mother left his father soon after his birth, but Lorenzo found a foster-father in the goldsmith Bartolo Ghiberti, with whom she lived, and who married her after her first hus band's death. He adopted the lad and taught him his art, but Lorenzo was more drawn to painting, which he studied, perhaps under Ghe rardo Starnini. Fleeing from the pestilence in 1400, he went to Rimini, where he decorated a room of the palace of Carlo Malatesta. He re turned to Florence, notwithstanding the induce ments offered by Malatesta, in response to a let ter from his stepfather, in 1401. The Merchants' Guild had decided to adorn the baptistery with two new bronze doors, and the signory invited all the artists of Italy to compete. Among the com petitors of Ghiberti were Brunelleschi, Jacopo della Quercia, and Niccolb d'Arrezzo. The sub ject to be presented was a bas-relief of the "Sac rifice of Isaac." Ghiberti was much aided by the counsel of his adopted father, who criticised his designs, and submitted them to competent citizens and stran gers before the final one was cast. The judges were unable to decide between Ghiberti and Brunelleschi. Both of the winning designs are preserved in the Museo Nationale, Florence, and Ghiberti's certainly appears superior in both com position and line. Recognizing this, Brunelleschi generously withdrew, and on November 14, 1403, the commission was awarded to his rival.
The doors were not completed and set up until April 14, 1424. Ghiberti made use of a number of assistants, among whom we find Donatello and Michelozzo, and was much aided by his step father. Twenty of the panels represent scenes from the "Life of Christ"; four are devoted to the "Fathers of the Church," and four to the "Evangelists." These representations fulfill the highest demands of relief, and, considered as re liefs, stand higher than those of the more cel ebrated east portal. Among the best of the
panels are the "Annunciation," the "Raising of Lazarus," the "Kiss of Judas," the "Birth of Christ," the "Purification of the Temple," and the "Youthful Christ Teaching." The figures of the "Evangelists" and of the "Fathers of the Church" are dignified and admirably draped, es pecially Saint Matthew. All of the reliefs show reminiscences of the Gothic, especially in the garments, but the ornamentation is antique. The corners of the panels are decorated with heads of prophets and sibyls.
The north portals gave such satisfaction that on January 2, 1424, Ghiberti received an order for the east gate—the famous "Paradise Por tals." The subjects for these were selected from the Old Testament by Leonardo Bruni, the Chan cellor of the Republic, but the designs were by Ghiberti himself. The technical skill displayed in handling relief is most remarkable; the com position is faultless, and sometimes four different subjects are handled in the same fashion, and yet without conflict. In some panels there are as many as one hundred figures, with architectural and landscape backgrounds.
Among the finest reliefs are the first, repre senting in one panel the "Creation of Adam." the "Creation of Eve," the "Fall of Man." and the "Expulsion from Paradise." In these the groups of angels accompanying the Creator are especially beautiful. Another fine panel is "Moses upon Sinai," in which we see the expectant, terrified throng Of the Israelites below, among whom is the famous group of a "Mother and Her Children." Equally beautiful are the twenty four statuettes of prophets and other scriptural personages, by which the panels on each portal are surrounded. There are also heads of proph ets and sibyls at the angles of each relief, among which are two especially interesting ones, rep resenting Ghiberti and his stepfather. The door frame is carved with tasteful Renaissance orna mentation of foliage and animals.