Ghiberti

Lorenzo Ghiberti (c. 1378–1455) was an Italian sculptor and goldsmith from Florence, renowned for his bronze relief work and as a leading figure of the early Renaissance. Trained as a metalworker, he developed a refined approach to narrative reliefs that integrated classical architecture and perspective with contemporary Florentine taste.

Ghiberti’s most famous achievement is the east doors of the Florence Baptistery (the Baptistery of San Giovanni). In 1401 he won the competition to design and execute these doors, a project that occupied his workshop for more than two decades. The bronze panels illustrate scenes from the Old Testament in a continuous narrative, and they are celebrated for their sense of depth, refined modeling, and harmonious composition. The doors were completed in the mid-15th century and became known as the Gates of Paradise, a term later popularized by Michelangelo.

Among his other works, Ghiberti created a celebrated bronze statue of Saint John the Baptist for the Orsanmichele in Florence (early 15th century), exemplifying his mastery of bronze sculpture and his ability to convey expressive detail in a sculptural form. His workshop produced numerous reliefs and medallions that influenced a generation of Florentine artists, contributing to the shift from Gothic to early Renaissance idioms in sculpture.

Ghiberti died in Florence in 1455. His innovations in relief sculpture and his successful integration of narrative, perspective, and architectural framing helped shape Florentine sculpture and Renaissance practice.