St John the Baptist
by GHIBERTI, Lorenzo, Bronze, height 254 cm
St John the Baptist on the Orsanmichele, the first monumental bronze figure of modern times, was an extraordinary technical achievement. The figure was cast as a single piece, and the difficulties of casting necessitated laborious polishing and chasing, including incisions in the drapery up to a depth of 50 mm. The statue is distinguished by the extraordinary detail and decorative beauty of the chasing of the hair, beard and goatskin.
The statue was moved inside the museum and was replaced by a copy on the fa�ade.