Encyclopedia of the Renaissance and the Reformation

It is an oversimplication to regard Ghiberti as a
Gothic artist, in diametric contrast with Brunelleschi and
DONATELLOas representatives of the Renaissance, for there
are many debts in his work to Greco-Roman sculpture,
which he personally collected and on which he advised
others. Ghiberti’s genuinely transitional style was greatly
appreciated in his day and was probably more popular
than Donatello’s demanding and dramatic mode. Ghib-
erti’s three bronze statues for the guildhall, Orsanmichele,
are also far less intensely characterized than Donatello’s:
St. John the Baptist (1412), still very Gothic in treatment;
St. Matthew (1419), a truly Renaissance statue, derived
from those of ancient Roman senators; and St. Stephen
(1426–28), a rather bland young priest.
Further reading: Ross King, Brunelleschi’s Dome: The
Story of the Great Cathedral in Florence (New York: Walker,

2000); Richard Krautheimer, Lorenzo Ghiberti (Princeton,

N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1956; repr. 1982).

Ghirlandaio, Domenico (Domenico di Tommaso

Bigordi) (1449–1494) Italian painter

The best FRESCOpainter of his generation and extremely

prolific, Ghirlandaio was the son of a Florentine gold-

smith and established a flourishing workshop there with

the assistance of his relatives. Later, MICHELANGELOserved

him as an apprentice. One reason for Ghirlandaio’s popu-

larity was his inclusion in his paintings of portraits of his

friends and contemporary Florentine dignitaries, as seen

in the fresco cycle Christ Calling the First Apostles in the

Sistine Chapel in Rome (1481–82), painted in the already

old-fashioned style of MASACCIO. Most of Ghirlandaio’s

frescoes were painted in Florence and are notable for their

complex composition and technical excellence; chief

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Lorenzo GhibertiA panel (one of ten) from the east door of the Baptistery adjoining the Duomo of Florence, produced by
Ghiberti during the period 1425–52. The panel depicts the biblical story in which Jacob tricked his father, Isaac, into believing
that he was his brother Esau.
Mansell/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images