LORENZO GHIBERTIEDUCATION AND TRAININGLorenzo Ghiberti was born as Lorenzo di Bartolo in 1378 in Florence, Italy. His mother's second husband, Bartolo di Michele, trained Lorenzo as a goldsmith. Ghiberti also received training as a painter. According to his autobiography, he left Florence in 1400 to work with a painter in the city of Pesaro for its ruler, Sigismondo Malatesta. His training as a goldsmith helped him create his greatest work, "The Gates of Paradise." ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS The great Ghiberti's turning point came when he returned to Florence in 1401 after learning that a competition was underway for the commission of a pair of bronze doors for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral. He beat out Filippo Brunelleschi and Jacopo delllaQuercia, as well as four other artists, to win the commission. It took him more than 20 years to make the doors, but during this time he trained students and also focused on other works of art. His students include Donatello and Paolo Uccello. Each door contains 14 scenes framed in quatrefoils from the life of Christ, the evangelists and the church fathers. He also created another set of doors for the Baptistery. These bronze doors had 5 panels on each side, containing scenes from the Old Testament. They were nicknamed “The Gates of Paradise” by Michelangelo and were Ghiberti's greatest work. Ghiberti also created a larger-than-life statue of the patron saint of the Arte dei Mercani di Calimala (the merchant bankers' guild). He made two large bronze figures for Or San Michele, created designs for the cathedral's stained glass windows, and wrote two books, as well as making other things. IMPACT AND INFLUENCE ON CIVILIZATION Ghiberti influenced the Renaissance in many ways. His work and writings formed the basis for much of the style and goals of the subsequent High Renaissance. He was actively involved with other artists and was interested in their works. He influenced and trained artists in his workshop. Some of his students included Donatello, Paulo Uccello, Michelozzo and Benozzo Gozzoli. Many artists noticed his style. His works show a development towards naturalistic movement, volume, perspective and greater idealization of the subject, which influenced artists to be creative. Ghiberti was a highly respected gentleman and a leading figure in Florentine society. He was rich and generous to everyone, and never turned away a painter or person who needed help in any way. Title: Gate of Paradise Object: Religious architecture; it contained scenes from the Old Testament.FEATURES OF THE RENAISSANCEThe “Gates of Paradise” are Lorenzo Ghiberti's greatest work.