Orsanmichele
Florence, Italy
Artworks
Tabernacle of Orsanmichele
An elaborate marble tabernacle housing the miraculous image of the Madonna.
Four Crowned Martyrs
Part of the sculptural program at Orsanmichele. Commissioned by the guild of stone and wood workers (Arte dei Maestri di Pietra e Legname), this sculptural group shows four Early Christian sculptors—Claudius, Castorius, Symphorian, and Nicostratus—who, according to legend, refused to carve a pagan idol for Emperor Diocletian and were martyred. The work is remarkable for its classical Roman influence and innovative group composition within a single niche. The four figures engage in conversation, their drapery and poses recalling ancient Roman senatorial statues. This classical reference was particularly appropriate given that the martyrs were sculptors, connecting the guild members to an ancient artistic lineage.
St. Mark
Commissioned for the Arte dei Linaioli e Rigattiri (linen weavers and peddlers). Cloth and drapery are more natural and realistic than Ghiberti's St. John the Baptist.
Saint Mark Self-researched
A marble statue standing approximately 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) high, commissioned by the linen-drapers' guild (Arte dei Linaioli e Rigattieri). It depicts Mark the Evangelist with extraordinary naturalism in the drapery and pose. The figure stands in a confident contrapposto, with weight shifted to one leg, creating a sense of life and movement. The statue originally was displayed in an exterior niche of the church, where a copy now stands. The original has been moved inside the building, which is now a museum. Michelangelo reportedly said that he had "never seen a figure with more of the appearance of a good man than this."
St. John the Baptist
Part of the sculptural program at Orsanmichele. Ghiberti developed a new approach to sculpting eyes, cutting out the line of the cornea and dot of the pupil.
Saint John the Baptist Self-researched
A bronze statue commissioned by the cloth merchant's guild (Arte di Calimala). The first life-sized bronze cast in the Renaissance and the first bronze statue of its size to be cast in a single piece for several hundred years in Italy. The artist's use of unnaturalistic but elegant curves in the hair and drapery of the saint show the influence of the International Gothic style prevalent in Italy at the time the work was created. The statue marks an important technical achievement in bronze casting and helped establish Ghiberti's reputation, leading to his famous commission for the Baptistery doors.
Christ and Saint Thomas
Bronze sculpture group at Orsanmichele.
