Brunelleschi’s
Sacrifice of Isaac
Ghiberti’s
Sacrifice of Isaac
Lorenzo Ghiberti
”Gates of Paradise”,
baptistery, Florence Cathedral
1425-1452
Ghiberti, who demonstrated his interest in
perspective in his Sacrifice of Isaac,
embraced Donatello’s innovations.
Ghiberti’s enthusiasm for a unified system
for representing space is particularly
evident in his famous east doors.
Michelangelo later declared these as “so
beautiful that they would do well for the
gates of Paradise.”
Each of the panels contains a relief set in
plain moldings and depicts a scene from
the Old Testament. The complete gilding of
the reliefs creates an effect of great
splendor and elegance.
Lorenzo Ghiberti
Isaac and his sons
(”Gates of Paradise”), baptistery,
Florence Cathedral, Florence
1425-1452
EARLY ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
Applying Roman Mathematical Logic
Filippo Brunelleschi
west facade of the Pazzi Chapel
Florence, Italy begun ca. 1440
The chapel that was the Pazzi family’s gift to the
church of Santa Croce in Florence presented
Brunelleschi with the opportunity to explore this
interest in a structure much better suited to such a
design than a basilican church.
The chapel was not completed until the 1460s,
long after Brunelleschi’s death, and thus the
exterior does not reflect Brunelleschi’s original
design. The narthex
(the entrance hall leading to the nave of a
church.) seems to have been added as an
afterthought, perhaps by the sculptor-architect
Giuliano da Maiano.
It is suggested that the local chapter of
Franciscan monks who held meetings in the
chapel needed the expansion.
Applying Roman Mathematical Lo
Filippo Brunelleschi
west facade of the Pazzi Chapel
Florence, Italy begun ca. 1440
This chapel was the Pazzi family’s gift to the
church of Santa Croce in Florence. The artist is
Filippo Brunelleschi, who began to design this
chapel in 1440 and it was not completed until after
his death.
The interior trim is in gray stone or pietra serena
(serene stone). Medallions with glazed terracotta
are featured on the inside representing the Four
Evangelista and decorated wall panels represent
the Twelve Apostles.
Brunelleschi used this opportunity to create a
structure more suited to a compact and selfcontained “central floor plan” as seen in the
Pantheon. He used a basic unit that allowed him
to construct a balanced, harmonious, and
regularly proportioned space.
Pazzi Chapel
Brunelleschi
c. 1440