Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise This book examines the heretofore unsuspected complexity of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s sculpted representations of Old Testament narratives in his Gates of Paradise (1425–52), the second set of bronze doors he made for the Florence Baptistery and a master- piece of Italian Renaissance sculpture. One of the most intellectually engaged and well-read artists of his age, Ghiberti found inspiration in ancient and medieval texts, many of which he and his contacts in Florence’s humanist community shared, read, and discussed. He was fascinated by the science of vision, by the functioning of nature, and, above all, by the origins and history of art. These unusually well-defi ned intellectual interests, refl ected in his famous Commentaries , shaped his approach in the Gates . Through the selection, imaginative interpretation, and arrangement of biblical episodes, Ghiberti fashioned multitextured narratives that explore the human con- dition and express his ideas on a range of social, political, artistic, and philosophical issues. Amy R. Bloch is Associate Professor of Art History at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Her research focuses on Italian Renaissance sculp- ture, and she has published articles and essays on Ghiberti, Donatello, Michelangelo, and on the art and ritual of baptism in Florence. Her work has been supported by fellowships and grants from the Villa I Tatti (the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies), the Renaissance Society of America, and the College Art Association. © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance AMY R. BLOCH © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473, USA Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University’s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence. www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107099166 © Amy R. Bloch 2016 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2016 Printed in the United States of America by Sheridan Books, Inc. A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Bloch, Amy R., 1975– Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise : humanism, history, and artistic philosophy in the Italian Renaissance / Amy R. Bloch. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-107-09916-6 (hardback) 1. Ghiberti, Lorenzo, 1378–1455. Gates of paradise. 2. Ghiberti, Lorenzo, 1378–1455 – Criticism and interpretation. 3. Bible. Old Testament – Illustrations. I. Title. NB 623. G 45 A 65 2015 730.92–dc23 2015020632 ISBN 978-1-107-09916-6 Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URL s for external or third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Publication of this book has been aided by a grant from the Millard Meiss Publication Fund of the College Art Association, by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Publications Subsidy at Villa I Tatti, and by an RSA-Kress Publication Grant from the Renaissance Society of America. Illustrations in this book were funded in part or in whole by a grant from the Meiss/Mellon Author’s Book Award of the College Art Association. © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information To Evelyn Klein and the memory of Walter and Roslyn Bloch and the memory of Irwin © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information Contents List of Plates page viii List of Figures ix Acknowledgments xxi Introduction 1 1 The Adam and Eve Panel: The Birth of Creativity 14 2 The Cain and Abel Panel: Fashioning Thought and Fate 49 3 The Noah Panel: Architecture and Politics Emerge 72 4 The Abraham and Isaac Panel: The Sacrifi ce from the Competition to the Gates of Paradise 96 5 The Jacob and Esau Panel: Perspective, Vision, and Memory 131 6 The Joseph Panel: Speech Acts in the Piazza 158 7 The Moses Panel: Sculpting the Drama of Nature 189 8 The Joshua Panel: The Fate of Art 210 9 The David Panel: Ghiberti, Tragedian 233 10 The Solomon and Queen of Sheba Panel: A Portrait of Ghiberti’s Florence 253 Notes 279 Works Cited 327 Index 349 vii © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information Plates Color Plates follow page xxii I . Baptistery of San Giovanni (view of east X . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Joshua panel from the side and copy of Gates of Paradise ), Florence Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di II . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Gates of Paradise , Museo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence XI . Lorenzo Ghiberti, David panel from the III . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Adam and Eve panel Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di from the Gates of Paradise , Museo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence XII . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Solomon and the Queen IV . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Cain and Abel panel of Sheba panel from the Gates of Paradise , from the Gates of Paradise , Museo Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Fiore, Florence V . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Noah panel from the XIII . Lorenzo Ghiberti, detail of Adam and Eve Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di panel (creation of Eve) from the Gates of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria VI . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Abraham and Isaac del Fiore, Florence panel from the Gates of Paradise , Museo XIV . Lorenzo Ghiberti, detail of Noah panel dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence (Noah and his family leaving the ark) VII . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Jacob and Esau panel from the Gates of Paradise , Museo from the Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence XV . Lorenzo Ghiberti, detail of Moses panel VIII . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Joseph panel from the (angels in the sky) from the Gates of Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence del Fiore, Florence IX . Lorenzo Ghiberti, Moses panel from the XVI . Lorenzo Ghiberti, detail of Joshua Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di panel (fi gures on the right side of the Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence foreground) from the Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence viii © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-09916-6 - Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise: Humanism, History, and Artistic Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance Amy R. Bloch Frontmatter More information Figures 9. Lorenzo Ghiberti, back of Adam and Eve INTRODUCTION panel from the Gates of Paradise , Museo 1. Lorenzo Ghiberti, north doors of the dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Baptistery of San Giovanni, Florence page 3 Florence 21 2. Lorenzo Ghiberti, Self-Portrait from the 10. Lorenzo Ghiberti, detail of Adam and Eve Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di panel (God and angels in the sky) from Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence 10 the Gates of Paradise , Museo dell’Opera di 3. Lorenzo Ghiberti, Portrait of Vittorio Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence 22 Ghiberti from the Gates of Paradise , Museo 11. Salerno di Coppo and Corso di Buono (?), dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Creation of Adam and Eve , Baptistery of San Florence 11 Giovanni, Florence 23 12. Lorenzo Maitani, Creation of Adam and CHAPTER 1 Eve , façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Orvieto 23 4. Filarete, Self-Portrait with Assistants , reverse 13. Andrea Pisano, Creation of Adam , Museo of left door of main portal, St. Peter’s, dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Rome 15 Florence 24 5.