Sacrifice of Isaac

Question 1

Subject?

Answer 1

An Old Testament narrative depicting the moment an angel halts Abraham’s sacrifice of his son, Isaac.

Question 2

The frame?

Answer 2

Used the same Gothic quatrefoil (four leaf) frames Andrea Pisano had used for the baptistery’s south doors.

Question 3

Ghiberti’s angel?

Answer 3

Foreshortened angel emerges from an atmospheric background and intervenes calmly.

Question 4

Isaac?

Answer 4

Detailed musculature is inspired by images of classical athletes.

Question 5

Abraham?

Answer 5

While Abraham obeys God with determination, he also lovingly embraces his son.

Question 6

The setting?

Answer 6

The angel hovers above them and the ram and donkey appear in a natural setting.

Question 7

Ghiberti and Brunelleschi?

Answer 7

Both submitted a bronze panel depicting the same subject for the Baptistery doors competition.

Question 8

Brunelleschi’s version?

Answer 8

In contrast to Ghiberti’s graceful classicism, Brunelleschi imbued his image with dramatic emotion, dominated by a pyramidal composition and an emotional intensity.

Question 9

Influence of the Renaissance style?

Answer 9

Seen here in the Christian subject matter fused with renewed interest in classical antiquity – notably the idealised figures, emphasis on human anatomy and harmonious composition.

Question 10

Isaac meaning?

Answer 10

Idealised figure is suggestive of the perfection and innocence of Christ, whom he prefigures in the Old Testament narrative.

Question 11

The angel?

Answer 11

Intervenes less aggressively that Brunellsechi’s version. God’s preordination of all history obviated the need for urgent action.

Question 12

The subject within the setting of the baptistery?

Answer 12

Because of the parallel between Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac and God’s sacrifice of his son Jesus to redeem mankind, the sacrifice of Isaac was often linked to the Crucifixion. Both refer to covenants, and given that the sacrament of baptism initiates the newborn into the possibilities of these covenants, Isaac’s sacrifice was certainly appropriate for representation on a baptistery.

Question 13

The competition for the commission?

Answer 13

The cloth guild sponsored the 1401 competition for the second set of doors, requiring each entrant to submit a relief panel depicting the sacrifice of Isaac. Ghiberti won by a narrow margin.

Question 14

the significance of the baptistery?

Answer 14

Particularly beloved by the citizens of Florence, who had been baptized there for centuries.

Question 15

The role of guilds?

Answer 15

The major guilds of Florence had considerable power and were often responsible for maintaining and developing the city’s major public buildings. Not only did this assert the authority of the guild, but it also celebrated Florence’s artistic supremacy over rival city states.

Question 16

Rivalry with Milan

Answer 16

The theme of sacrifice paralleled the message city officials conveyed to Florentines during their feud with Milan. The cloth merchants, asserting both their pre-eminence among Florentine guilds and their civic duty, selected the subject with this in mind.

Question 17

Ghiberti?

Answer 17

Became famous when he won competition for the first set of bronze doors s a 21 year old.

Question 18

The cloth guild?

Answer 18

The cloth merchant’s guild was the most powerful among the guilds.

Question 19

Bronze casting (lost wax process)?

Answer 19

Details added to an original maquette (model). Molten bronze is then poured into a negative mold (usually using the lost wax process). Once the bronze has cooled, finer details can be defined using the chasing process.

Question 20

Properties of bronze?

Answer 20

High tensile strength allows for details in high relief. The gildingprocess enhances the sacred status of the object. The reflective quality of the metal would be animates the surface, creating a sense of depth. Monochrome quality creates unity.

Question 21

Humanism and Neo Platonism?

Answer 21

Florentine humanists thought that geometric principles could unlock the mysteries of the universe and reveal the intentions of God – seen here in the emphasis on proportion, balance and symmetry.

Question 22

Theme of Sacrifice?

Answer 22

Abraham’s sacrifice of his son was a particularly relevant subject for the Republic of Florence, who viewed themselves as the underdog against rival city states such as Milan.