The Works of Ghiberti and Brunelleschi

Your Name

Your Professor 's Name

Your Class

Current Date

Passion versus Grace

The Rivalry between Two Artistic Geniuses of the Low Renaissance

The artistic climate of Florence before the onset of what we now call the Renaissance was gloomy . Artistic breakthroughs of the early Trecento , via artists like Giotto di Bondone and Cimabue had gone for naught (Walker 6 ) as the city was engulfed with the plague and hopelessly engaged in struggles with rival cities . The Florentine economy was in a sad state and the pride of the

Florentines echoed this state of affairs . Construction of the great cathedral of Florence had begun in 1296 yet a century later , it was still unfinished . For a city that had always delighted in being one of the richest and greatest cities of Europe , the incomplete structure stood as a constant reminder of the poor economic , cultural and artistic state of Florence in the 14th century

It was into this climate that both Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti were born . Each of them was destined to become an artistic genius and each would , in his own way , put Florence back into the position of being the artistic center of Europe . However , the artistic temperaments of these men - one who exhibited passion and vehemence in his art and one whose art encompassed a calm grace and elegance - would always be at odds , creating a rivalry that reflected the political atmosphere of their time . To better understand these men and their rivalry , one must examine what was happening in Florence when these two gifted artists were born because it would become the canvas on which each man would paint ' his legacy

Florence - in fact , all of what is now Italy - was in constant political turmoil . Intense rivalry was the norm , whether it appeared in wars and subjugation of cities or between the nobles and the working class between guilds and craftsmen or between imperialists and those who supported Papal party . Furthermore , to complicate the situation of late 14th century Florence , the Bianchi , a religious group that got its name from the white linen cloth that they wore as a sign of repentance and regeneration , made an appearance (Brucker 204 ) The Bianchi movement originated in northern Italy and gained importance , as well as many followers , as these pilgrims made their way south to Florence . The Bianchi brought a spirit of brotherhood to the city of Florence , but unfortunately , it also brought the plague , which took hold in Florence and devastated the city . The population of Florence which had been around sixty thousand was greatly reduced as the plague claimed the lives of at least twelve thousand Florentines (Walker 3 ) Coupled with this destructive menace was a bout with famine in the area which only added to the city 's problems . Its faltering economy was forced into an almost complete depression

The steep downward economic spiral of this once-flourishing city gave renewed strength to the warring factions who had their sights set on taking over Florence...