The Resurrection

The Resurrection, amongst the most iconic scenes in the entire Christian religion, is captured here by Lorenzo Ghiberti for his series of panels that together completed the world-famous North Doors of the Florence Baptistery

Lorenzo Ghiberti, one of the finest and most famous sculptors in the Renaissance, received a commission for a major project that was to raise his reputation to new levels within the Republic of Florence. It would lead to his Gates of Paradise, a follow-up project for the same donor, the Florence Baptistery. This artist was all about quality, taking decades to complete each of these two masterpieces, even with the support of highly skilled assistants.

When earning the prestigious award of this project, Ghiberti requested a long list of demands that other artists would perhaps be too meekish to ask for. His materials were paid for, his assistants' wages were paid directly by the donor and his own artistic choices were backed - whatever the cost.

The Resurrection is an incredibly powerful scene that has inspired countless artists from before the Renaissance through to the Baroque era and several art movements after that. The main focus of art historians has been on the Renaissance with regards religious art and therefore most of the documented artworks related to Christian themes are indeed from that period.

Several notable artists actually revisited this powerful theme on several occasions in their ouevre, including the likes of Tintoretto, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Andrea Mantegna, Matthias Grünewald, Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli (The Resurrection) and Titian.