Augustine

Augustine was inspiration for this bronze panel which came towards the end of Lorenzo Ghiberti's series that took over two decades complete

Despite the help of a band of studio assistants, many of whom were skilled enough to forge their own paths in later years, Ghiberti's almost obsessive attention to detail and desire for perfection delayed the completion of the twin doors for several years. A forgiving donor, who was entirely convinced by their choice for this commission, allowed several extensions of the delivery date in order to give him all the time needed to complete this project.

Their faith was repaid and more. Many consider this amongst the highlights of the entire Renaissance, whilst those at the time considered it so stunning and technically impressive that the studio of Lorenzo Ghiberti was kept busy for the rest of his career. Indeed, it also led to the major achievement of his career, again for the Florence Baptistery, namely the Gates of Paradise.

Augustine generally refers to Saint Augustine of Hippo who was from what we now refer to as Algeria. His life is celebrated by most denominations of Christianity but his life, as with many respected individuals from this period, was actually mentioned in the scripture of several different religions and strands of those particular faiths.