Today’s class, we began studying 15th-century Italy, a period of the early Renaissance. A major focus of the class was spent discussing the competition for creating a panel on the door of the Baptistry of Saint John which was next to the church. The baptistery and the competition were organized and managed by the guild of wool merchants. The competition used a very small panel made out of bronze, and mounted on wood. The finalists where Brunelleschi and Ghiberti with Ghiberti eventually winning. Though the vistor, his reward of spending twenty years on the baptisty doors may not be as appealling reward to all people. motivated by this failure, Brunelleschi transitioned to a career in architecture, hughlighted by the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore.
Our analysis of Brunelleschi and Ghiberti was very interesting. It showed how different artists can take the same prompts and then allow their own interpretations and creativity to take them in different directions. The similarities were clear, but there were also glaring differences.
Our discussion of Brunelleschi’s Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore led to Professor Plesch mentioning the Pantheon in Rome. I had heard of the Pantheon, but her declaration that it may be the best building ever made me look into it more. I really enjoyed reading more about the building, its architecture, and how well it has been preserved throughout all of history.