Scott Nethersole

Lorenzo Ghiberti was the most celebrated sculptor of his day – praised by Alberti, admired by peers and trusted with Florence’s most prestigious commissions, including the iconic Baptistery doors. Yet his legacy has often been diminished, cast as a decorative hangover from the Gothic era and overshadowed by Donatello’s perceived Renaissance modernity. This book reconsiders Ghiberti’s achievement by focusing on his mastery of materials and design across bronze, glass, marble and drawing. From complex narrative reliefs to architectural ornament, Ghiberti emerges not just as a skilled craftsman, but as an inventive, multidimensional artist who redefined the possibilities of sculptural storytelling. By understanding him on his own terms, we gain a richer picture of early Renaissance invention and its lasting visual impact.

In this vivid account Scott Nethersole examines the remarkable period of cultural, artistic and intellectual blossoming in Florence from ca.1400 to 1520 - the period traditionally known as the Early and High Renaissance. He looks at the city and its art with fresh eyes, presenting the well-known within a wider context of cultural reference. Key works of art - from painting, sculpture and architecture to illuminated manuscripts - by artists such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli and Brunelleschi are showcased alongside the unexpected and less familiar.