A central dome dominates this space, while greyish-green stone articulates its perfect geometry. Filippo Brunelleschi, Pazzi Chapel by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
City-states vied for the best artists. After Ghiberti dragged his feet, Siena invited Donatello to finish the job. Donatello, Feast of Herod by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
His nudity references classical antiquity, but David embodies the ideals and concerns of 15th-century Florence. Donatello, David by Dr. Heather Graham
Brunelleschi’s panel may be scarier, but Ghiberti’s is more emotionally complex. In both, an angel saves the day. Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti, Sacrifice of ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
In the five centuries since they were installed, Andrea della Robbia's sculptures of children have become a widely recognized symbol of the Innocenti hospital and of childhood itself Andrea della Robbia’s bambini at the Ospedale ... by Dr. Rachel Boyd
A soldier saint in Renaissance Florence. Donatello, Saint George by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
When the citizens of Florence looked up at St. Mark, they saw a mirror of their own dignity—and of ancient nobility. Donatello, St. Mark by Dr. David Boffa
Romanesque, Gothic, or ancient Greek? Whether you divide this façade by styles or squares, its stones come alive. Alberti, Façade of Santa Maria Novella, Florence by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
These gilded bronze doors are a masterpiece of clarity and illusionism. Space coheres, and figures move with ease. Lorenzo Ghiberti, Gates of Paradise, East Doors ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Capturing figures in thought, stonemasons understood what it meant to be human—just like the ancient Romans. Nanni di Banco, Four Crowned Saints by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
This difficult sculpture is an exercise in contrasts: frailty and power, pure spirituality and anatomical accuracy. Donatello, Mary Magdalene by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
The secrets of large-scale casting were lost for a thousand years, but bronze horses were no sweat for Donatello. Donatello, Equestrian Monument of Gattamelata by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Squaring the circle? At this burial site, pendentives unite the dome of heaven and the gravity of earth. Brunelleschi, Old Sacristy, San Lorenzo, Florence by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Renaissance Florence, or ancient Rome? This church remade the classical. It’s energetic and dense, but also severe. Filippo Brunelleschi, Santo Spirito, Florence by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
This marble relief is as flat as Tuscan bread, yet its atmospheric space recedes into depth. Extraordinary. Donatello, Madonna of the Clouds by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
From granary to—church? Once open to the city, this building and its niches blend the spiritual with the everyday. Orsanmichele and Donatello’s Saint Mark, Florence by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Down and out, but still afloat. This huge, hollow dome stays put thanks to its skeletal ribs and “girdle.” Filippo Brunelleschi, Dome of the Cathedral of ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Three ancient Roman forms combine to bring the grandeur of classical architecture into a Christian context. Leon Battista Alberti, Sant’Andrea in Mantua by Dr. Heather Horton
This domestic building references ancient Roman architecture—and the nearby Medici palace. Leon Battista Alberti, Palazzo Rucellai by Christine Zappella