154. Lorenzo Maitani,
Last Judgement, cathedral façade,
Orvieto (Italy), 1310-1330.

Marble. In situ.

 

 

At first, it was Italian architecture that harkened back to classical models. It was later followed by sculpture, which searched for a closer tie to nature. Both arts fought with the Gothic spirit far into the fifteenth century. Classified by the building masters as “barbaric”, they considered Gothic architecture to be “bungling” and juxtaposed it with their new art that they derived from Antiquity. The hesitant sculptors permitted the building masters to go ahead: for example, when architect and sculptor, Filippo Brunelleschi went to Rome to excavate, study and measure the ruins of ancient buildings, goldsmith and sculptor Donatello accompanied him only to assist with the work.

 

It was the sculptures that were recovered in this and other excavations that brought about the rising enthusiasm of sculptors. Towards the end of the fifteenth century this enthusiasm for antiques had become so pronounced that Michelangelo buried one of his works in the ground, so that when it was dug up shortly thereafter it would look like, and be offered as, a “real antique”.