The document summarizes the competition held in 1401-1402 for the commission to design the bronze East Doors of the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral. Brunelleschi and Ghiberti submitted entries, with Ghiberti's winning design showing a more advanced use of linear perspective and a greater sense of emotional complexity. Though he lost, Brunelleschi's studies of classical architecture and development of linear perspective led to his later success as a renowned architect, including his dome for Florence Cathedral. Ghiberti went on to complete the doors and later received another commission to design the Gates of Paradise doors for the Baptistery.

1. Humanism and the Allure of Antiquity
PART 1

2. 2
COMPETITION!

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4. 4

5. Florence
Proud city
Controls textile industry
Gold “florin”
5

6. Florence Cathedral
The “Duomo”
Constructed over hundreds of years
by several architects…di Cambio,
Giotto di Bondone, Brunelleschi.
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7. 7

8. The Florence Baptistery
8

9. COMPETITION!
For the East Doors of the Florence
Baptistery commissioned by the
Wool Merchants Guild
(South Doors by Andrea Pisano, 1330-36
Pictured here)

10. Wool merchants Guild
Sponsors contest as a kind of self-
promotional advertisement for their
civic mindedness
10

11. Competition Theme:
Sacrifice of Isaac
• Abraham is asked by Christ to
sacrifice his only son as a test
of his loyalty
• ”prefiguration” of sacrifice of
Christ
• A “covenant” or binding
agreement
• Baptism is an entry into a
covenant
11

12. Many interpret the story as an
attempt by the Hebrews to
differentiate their religion from
religions that actually DID
practice human sacrifice.
Sacrifice of an animal was the
new standard.
12

13. 13

14. Florence under attack
• 1402, Giangaleazzo Visconti
(Duke of Milan) attempts to take
over Italian peninsula
• Florence is surrounded
• The theme of personal sacrifice
for the common good becomes
popular
• Luckily Visconti dies suddenly
ending invasion threat.
14

15. The “Competition Panels”
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16. 16

17. 17
FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI,
Sacrifice of Isaac, competition
panel for east doors, baptistery,
Florence, Italy, 1401–1402.
Gilded bronze, 1’ 9” x 1’ 5”.
Museo Nazionale del Bargello,
Florence.

18. 18
LORENZO GHIBERTI,
Sacrifice of Isaac, competition
panel for east doors, baptistery,
Florence, Italy, 1401–1402.
Gilded bronze relief, 1’ 9” x 1’
5”. Museo Nazionale del
Bargello, Florence.

19. • “planar” orientation
• (everything seen from the side)
• Spatially primitive
• More dramatic, but less
emotional complexity
19

20. 20

21. • Space recedes- more complex,
0verlapping
• Emotional complexity
(contemplation)
• Also cast in one piece
• less $$$
21

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23. 23

24. Ghiberti’s figure recalls torsion of Hellenistic statue (classical influence)
24

25. Ghiberti WINS!
“To me was conceded the palm of
victory by all the experts and by all
who had competed with me. To me
the honor was conceded universally
and with no exception. To all it
seemed that I had at that time
surpassed the others without
exception, as was recognized by a
great council and an investigation
of learned men. There were thirty-
four judges from the city and the
other surrounding countries. The
testimonial of the victory was given
in my favor by all.”
25

26. 26

27. Brunelleschi
Loses the competition, but travels
to Rome, studies architecture and
re-invent Liner Perspective
Returns to Florence and becomes
renowned as an Architect
27

28. Representation of Space
Flat space
“isometric perspective”, “mixed
perspective”

29. Linear Perspective
• (re)discovered by Brunelleschi
(loser in previous competition)
around 1420
• “rationalization of sight”

32. 32
PAOLO UCCELLO, Battle of San Romano, ca. 1455 (?). Tempera on wood, approx. 6’ x 10’ 5”. National Gallery,
London.

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35. 35
LORENZO GHIBERTI, east doors (Gates
of Paradise), baptistery, Florence, Italy,
1425–1452. Gilded bronze, 17’ high.
Modern copy, ca. 1980. Original panels in
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence.

36. 36
LORENZO GHIBERTI, Isaac and His Sons (detail of FIG. 21-10), (Gates of Paradise), baptistery, Florence,
Italy, 1425–1452. Gilded bronze, 2’ 7 1/2” x 2’ 7 1/2”. Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence.

37. 37

38. Ghiberti’s previous set of doors moved North to give way to his new set of doors in the most
prestigious location
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39. Another commission by the Wool Merchants Guild
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40. The “Door” has been significant architecturally since ancient Rome
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43. All episodes from the Old Testament (Book of Genesis)
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47. No longer constrained by the
“quatrefoil” the relief can
become a “window” of illusion
The artist creates an entire world
47

48. • Amazing sense of depth
“raised relief” almost jumps out of the panel
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52. The beauty of gilded bronze
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54. Isaac and Rebecca
Have twins
Esau(older)
Jacob(younger)
54

55. God appears to Rebecca-she asks
why there is so much trouble in her
womb-”my two future children seem
to be fighting.”
55

56. 56

57. Rebecca giving birth to the twins.
57

58. Esau (first born) has gone hunting,
has come back very hungry. Asks
Jacob for his bowl of stew. Jacob
says he will trade the stew for
Esau’s birthright.
Esau foolishly agrees.
58

59. Later, Isaac sends Esau out to hunt
for him. “When you come back I will
give you my blessing.”
(Esau is Isaac’s favorite, Jacob is
Rebecca’s favorite.)
59

60. Esau going out hunting.
60

61. “While Esau is hunting I will prepare
the meat for you to give to Isaac.
You will trick Isaac into thinking you
are Esau in order to receive his
blessing.”-Rebecca
61

62. The trick works.
Isaac (can’t see very well) blesses
Jacob thinking he is Esau.
Jacob's vocation as Isaac's
legitimate heir in the continued
founding of the Jewish people is
reaffirmed. Daniel J. Elazar
suggests that the Bible indicates
that a bright, calculating person
who, at times, is less than honest,
is preferable as a founder over a
bluff, impulsive one who cannot
make discriminating choices
62

63. 63

64. CONTRAPPOSTO
-an asymmetrical arrangement of
the human figure in which the line
of the arms and shoulders contrasts
with while balancing those of the
hips and legs.
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66. 66
LORENZO GHIBERTI, Isaac and His Sons (detail of FIG. 21-10), (Gates of Paradise), baptistery, Florence,
Italy, 1425–1452. Gilded bronze, 2’ 7 1/2” x 2’ 7 1/2”. Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence.

67. 67
DONATELLO, Feast of Herod, panel on the baptismal font of Siena Cathedral, Siena, Italy, 1423–1427.
Gilded bronze , 1’ 11 1/2 ” x 1’ 11 1/2”.

68. Meanwhile….Brunelleschi makes his comeback !
68

69. • Loser in sculpture, winner in architecture.
Highest Dome until St. Peters
Wide as the Pantheon
Alberti: an achievement without precedent
69
Brunelleschi

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77. • Cantilevered scaffolding
• (not enough lumber to use the
Pantheon method)
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79. 79

80. Stone, mortar and iron
“chains” to hold the form in
80

81. Invented an “ox-hoist”
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82. Florence under attack
again !!
King Ladislaus of Naples in a
campaign to take the peninsula
surrounds Florence.
Ladislaus, on the verge of military
success dies suddenly in 1414.
Florence is pretty lucky.
82

83. During the Siege at the..
Or San Michele
Church, granary, town hall, guild
headquarters
The “Signoria” (Florence’s
governing body) assigned a “niche”
in which to place a commissioned
sculpture
Many works stress the importance
of sacrifice, civic pride, and
“Florentine Spirit”
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85. The 14 niches act as public advertisements for guilds and symbols of civic pride.
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87. 87
DONATELLO, Saint Mark, Or San Michele, Florence, Italy,
1411–1413. Marble, 7’ 9” high. Modern copy in exterior niche.
Original sculpture in museum on second floor of Or San
Michele, Florence.

88. St. Mark the Evangelist
Often shown holding or writing the
Gospel of Mark
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89. Commissioned by the Guild of linen
makers and tailors.
Contrapposto is evident in weigh shift.
Even more impressive that it is seen
through sophisticated sculptural
rendering of linen (must’ve pleased the
guild).
Implied movement suggests
emergence from niche into real space.
No contrapposto vs. contrapposto
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91. 91

92. Dignity of the individual
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93. Intersection of the spiritual and
human.
Internal focus/awareness
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NANNI DI BANCO, Four Crowned
Saints, Or San Michele, Florence, Italy,
ca. 1410–1416Marble, figures 6’high.
Modern copy in exterior niche. Original
sculpture in museum on second floor of
Or San Michele.

95. Four Christian sculptors defy an order
from Diocletian (Roman Emperor) to
carve a statue of a Roman Deity. They
are executed
Commissioned by the Guild of stone
and woodworkers.
Displays emergence of sculpture from
its original architectural setting.
Inter-relationship of the figures.
Shows moment of contemplation and
communication. Psychological unity.
Honors the power of the “group” and
discipline and integrity in the face of
adversity.
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101. Direct Roman influence
101