Barbedienne Foundry French, second half 19th century After Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455)

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface. The bronze was recently professionally cleaned by a conservator, Felix Thornton-Jones. A later layer of polish was removed, revealing the original rich brown patina. There are some patches of wear to the patina, where the golden colour of the bronze has come through the brown patina - mostly to the outer frame and decorative border outside the doors. The whole ensemble is made in sections and stable original joints are slightly visible. There is minor warping at some joints. There are a few possible areas of restoration to the patina, such as to the upper edge of the sky at the Sacrifice of Isaac scene. There is a drill hole to the centre edge of the left door. Screws are visible to the outer frame and to the interior frame at the sides beside the doors (there are some holes for missing screws). There is a little very minor pitting in the bronze. There are a few minor nicks and scratches.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These imposing copies of Lorenzo Ghiberti's celebrated Baptistery Doors retain much of the original's astonishing naturalism and virtuosity. Wealthy collectors in the 19th century created a demand for reproductions of the Renaissance portal, resulting in the prestigious Barbedienne Foundry producing large-scale bronze reductions of the doors between 1855 and 1911. The sale of the present, very rare, example follows that of another pair at Hotel Drouot, Paris, on 12 March 2014, which achieved a price of €337,500.

Collectively comprising one of the most celebrated artworks of Quattrocento Florence, Ghiberti’s reliefs adorning the gates to the Florence Baptistery assured the artist’s reputation into posterity. Ghiberti ably showcased his diversity of talents; as a painter through his reliefs' compositional complexity, as a goldsmith through their precise detail, and as a sculptor through their wondrous interaction with light and shade.

After being declared victor of the competition for the Baptistery’s north doors held by the Arte di Calimala in 1401 alongside Brunelleschi, Ghiberti would complete the commission without his rival, leaving him with a free hand to express his own classicising style. The success of the resulting panels prompted his patrons to commission a second set of doors in 1425, consisting of ten Old Testament panels - destined for the Baptistery’s east side - from which the present work is taken.

The present cast dates from a period of renewed acclaim for Ghiberti's reliefs. When the Pre-Raphaelites formed in the 1840s, Ghiberti was among three sculptors added to the 'list of immortal thinkers and workers' by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. He was joined by the Greek sculptor Phidias and Michelangelo, responsible for immortalising Ghiberti’s Gates to Paradise:

“When Michelangelo the panels saw
Amaz’d he stood; after long wonder thus
The solemn silence broke: ‘O Work divine!
O door worthy of heaven!’"

RELATED LITERATURE:
L. Goldscheider, Ghiberti, London, 1949; G. Vasari, The Lives of the Painters, Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 1, London, 1996, pp. 289-307; F. Rionnet, Les Bronzes Barbedienne: l'oeuvre d'une dynastie de fondeurs (1834-1954), Paris, 2016, p. 229, no. 169