Gates – Haiku 2022 #Thursday Doors

Posted bySuzette BenjaminPosted inPoetry, Thursday Doors
Original doors – “Gates of Paradise” at the Museum de Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore – Image credit: George M. Groutas / flickr

gilded testament

replica to paradise

sculptured gates

****

These are the original bronze doors of ten raised perspective sculptured panels detailing Old Testament stories completed in 1452 by Lorenzo Ghiberti. They were installed as Florences’s Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore’s baptistry’s east doors.

Trivia: But, since 1990, visitors to the Duomo’s baptistry have been treated to a copy of these doors on its building’s facade (see image below). The original doors (called “The Gates of Paradise” by Michaelangelo) endured many travails from floods, over-polishing, and weather corrosion. Therefore, in 1990 the doors were removed, thoroughly restored, and set on permanent display under glass in the Duomo’s museum.

Extra trivia: The original sculptor, Lorenzo Ghiberti, immortalized his own image in one of the figures in this masterpiece.

Below:- a closeup of the relief from one of the original doors’ panels depicting The Queen of Sheba‘s visit to King Solomon.

Gates of paradise door – single relief – The Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon – Image credit: Sailko / Wikimedia CC 3.0

Below is the copy of the doors in situ at The Baptistry, Piazza del Duomo:

Radomil/CC BY 3.0

Written for #Thursday Doors – Dan Antion @nofacilities

Published by Suzette Benjamin

Positive thinker, inspirational, writer, faith

47 thoughts on “Gates – Haiku 2022 #Thursday Doors”

  3. Magnificent works set in splendour,
    preserved in the art of securement and safekeeping.

    Concisely, your haiku beautifully portrays the history of guardianship.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yes, so brilliant a work of art. Unimagined splendor themselves windows to creativity.
      And so true…”guardianship” is exactly the truth.

      Thank you for your gracious support.
      Blessings beyond.measure to you. And peace.

      Like

      Reply

      1. And yet this ambiguous mind of the preserver, craftsmen and artist in this powerful centre of the world (Rome) stirs so much mixed feelings about their bias commitment to the world of art and preservation of precious works, considering the defacement of artifacts by these very same powers. The contradictions are so glaring in this regard, also the disrespect shown for one art form over another.
        Seeding guardianship in many parts of the world for the presevation of the arts and their architecture, shedding our inconsistencies and paranoid, instilling pride in our heritage is slow and riddled in conflict.

        “Windows to Creativity” , sums it up for me.

        Consistent sharing deserves gracious support.
        Blessings and Peace to you too.
        Thank you.

        Liked by 1 person

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