Shrine of St Zenobius
Shrine
1432-1443 (sculpted), ca. 1895 (cast)
1432-1443 (sculpted), ca. 1895 (cast)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is the plaster cast of the Shrine of St. Zenobius after the bronze original by Lorenzo Ghiberti made between 1432 and 1443. The original is located beneath the altar in the Chapel of St. Zenobius in the Cathedral, Florence, where Ghiberti also made the famous door, the Gates of Paradise.
The original shrine was made to hold the relics of St Zenobius. He was Bishop of Florence in the 5th century and one of the city’s patron saints.
The scenes on the sides show the saint performing miracles. The delicate shallow relief of the design makes this 19th-century plaster copy especially fragile, even though it looks sturdy. It is painted to imitate the original bronze.
Ghiberti (1378-1455) was a most celebrated bronze-caster, sculptor, goldsmith, draughtsman, architect and writer and the first representative of the universial Renaissance artist. His art reached its most brilliant expression in the Gates of Paradise. No other contemporary artist had so deep an influence on the art and sculpture of later times. Ghiberti’s writings, I commentarii, which also include his autobiography, established him as the first modern historian of the fine arts.
The original shrine was made to hold the relics of St Zenobius. He was Bishop of Florence in the 5th century and one of the city’s patron saints.
The scenes on the sides show the saint performing miracles. The delicate shallow relief of the design makes this 19th-century plaster copy especially fragile, even though it looks sturdy. It is painted to imitate the original bronze.
Ghiberti (1378-1455) was a most celebrated bronze-caster, sculptor, goldsmith, draughtsman, architect and writer and the first representative of the universial Renaissance artist. His art reached its most brilliant expression in the Gates of Paradise. No other contemporary artist had so deep an influence on the art and sculpture of later times. Ghiberti’s writings, I commentarii, which also include his autobiography, established him as the first modern historian of the fine arts.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Title | Shrine of St Zenobius (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster cast painted |
| Brief description | Plaster Cast, painted plaster, of the Shrine of St. Zenobius, after the bronze original beneath the altar in the Chapel of St. Zenobius in the Cathedral, Florence, by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Florence, 1432-43, cast by Oronzio Lelli, Florence, ca. 1895 |
| Physical description | Plaster Cast of the Shrine of St. Zenobius after the bronze original beneath the altar in the Chapel of St. Zenobius in the Cathedral, Florence. This shrine was made to hold the relics of the saint, as described in the inscription on the shrine: 'CAPVT BEATI ZENOBII FLORENTINI EPISCOPI IN CVIVS HONOREM HEC ARCA INSIGNI ORNATV FAVRICATA FVIT'. On the front St. Zenobius is depicted, restoring a child of the Strozzi family to life. On the sides St. Zenobius is depicted rescuing a child from under the wheels of a cart, and restoring the messenger of St.Ambrose to life. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'CAPVT BEATI ZENOBII FLORENTINI EPISCOPI IN CVIVS HONOREM HEC ARCA INSIGNI ORNATV FAVRICATA FVIT' (Inscribed) |
| Gallery label | The original shrine was made to hold the relics of St Zenobius. He was Bishop of Florence in the 5th century and one of the city’s patron saints. The scenes on the sides show the saint performing miracles. The delicate shallow relief of the design makes this 19th-century plaster copy especially fragile, even though it looks sturdy. It is painted to imitate the original bronze. (2014) |
| Object history | Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1895 for £26 8s 4d. |
| Historical context | St Zenobius, bishop of Florence during the fifth century, is one of the principal Florentine patron saints. This shrine was made to hold the relics of the saint, as described in the inscription on the shrine: CAPVT BEATI ZENOBII FLORENTINI EPISCOPI IN CVIVS HONOREM HEC ARCA INSIGNI ORNATV FAVRICATA FVIT. On the front: St Zenobius restores a child of the Strozzi family to life. On the sides: St Zenobius rescues a child from under the wheels of a cart. St Zenobius restores to life the messenger of St Ambrose. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is the plaster cast of the Shrine of St. Zenobius after the bronze original by Lorenzo Ghiberti made between 1432 and 1443. The original is located beneath the altar in the Chapel of St. Zenobius in the Cathedral, Florence, where Ghiberti also made the famous door, the Gates of Paradise. The original shrine was made to hold the relics of St Zenobius. He was Bishop of Florence in the 5th century and one of the city’s patron saints. The scenes on the sides show the saint performing miracles. The delicate shallow relief of the design makes this 19th-century plaster copy especially fragile, even though it looks sturdy. It is painted to imitate the original bronze. Ghiberti (1378-1455) was a most celebrated bronze-caster, sculptor, goldsmith, draughtsman, architect and writer and the first representative of the universial Renaissance artist. His art reached its most brilliant expression in the Gates of Paradise. No other contemporary artist had so deep an influence on the art and sculpture of later times. Ghiberti’s writings, I commentarii, which also include his autobiography, established him as the first modern historian of the fine arts. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | REPRO.1895-60 |
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| Record created | July 14, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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