Lorenzo Ghiberti, Back of the Gate of Paradise

Author
Lorenzo Ghiberti
Date
1425-1452
Original location
Baptistery of Saint John, east door
Material
Bronze
Technique
Lost-wax casting
Dimensions
Height: 520 cm; Width: 288 cm; Thickness: 11 cm;

The reverse side of the “Gates of Paradise” doors realized by Lorenzo Ghiberti between 1425 and 1452 for the Baptistery. Despite breaking with the past to use only ten panels on his famous “Gates of Paradise” doors, Ghiberti reverted to the same pattern of twenty-eight panels used by the other two doors of the Baptistery on their reverse side, probably in the interests of symmetry. Interestingly, traces of impressions of florins, Florence’s former currency, have been found on this side of the doors. Because the design of the coins varied very slightly over the years, this has helped set a fairly precise date for the work, between 1448 and 1449.

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