15th Century Art in Italy

Question 1

Sacrifice of Isaac

Answer 1

Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti
In 1401, the building supervisors of the baptistery of Florence Cathedral decided to commission a new pair of bronze doors, funded by the powerful wool merchants’ guild. Instead of choosing a well-established sculptor with a strong reputation, a competition was announced for the commission. Two competition panels have survived, those submitted by the presumed finalists—Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti, both young artists in their early twenties

Question 2

DOME OF FLORENCE CATHEDRAL
(SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE)

Answer 2

1420–1436; lantern completed 1471
Filippo Brunelleschi’s Dome of the Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore) is one of the greatest architectural achievements of the Renaissance. The dome is celebrated not only for its sheer size but also for the engineering ingenuity it represented, and it stands as a symbol of Florence’s wealth, ambition, and artistic achievements during this period.

Question 3

TRINITY WITH THE VIRGIN, ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, AND DONORS

Answer 3

Masaccio 1425 - 1427
The fresco depicts a Holy Trinity—God the Father, Christ on the cross, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove—set against a classical architectural backdrop. The Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist are positioned on either side of Christ, gazing at the scene. At the bottom of the composition are two donors, kneeling in prayer, who commissioned the painting. The donors are shown life-size, further emphasizing the work’s realism and connection to the living world.

Christ is shown crucified on the cross at the center of the composition. Above Him, God the Father is portrayed as an elderly figure, holding the Son and supporting the cross. Below, the dove represents the Holy Spirit. This structure reflects the traditional Christian iconography of the Holy Trinity, but it is rendered in a new, dramatic way that emphasizes both divinity and humanity

Question 4

Donatello David

Answer 4

1446
Probably in 1443, Donatello traveled to Padua to execute one of the first life-size bronze equestrian portraits of the Renaissance—anEQUESTRIAN STATUE

Horsemanship was more than a necessary skill for thecondottieri. The horse, a beast of enormous strength, symbolized animal passions, and skilled horsemanship demonstrated physical and intellectual control—self-control, as well as control of the animal—the triumph of “mind over matter.”

Question 5

NATIVITY AND ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS

Answer 5

Domenico Ghirlandaio
1485
The altarpiece depicts the Nativity of Christ, a familiar Biblical scene where the infant Jesus is placed in the manger, and the Adoration of the Shepherds, who come to worship the newborn child. This composition was common in Renaissance religious art, but Ghirlandaio’s treatment of it was particularly noteworthy for its naturalism and attention to detail