Indian Sculpture and Painting, Illustrated by Typical Masterpieces, with an Explanation of their Motives and Ideals c9.24

c9.24

The Italian master has achieved a technical triumph which won for him the rapturous applause of the *virtuosi* of his day, yet by the use of perspective and an excessive number of planes of relief, in the attempt to produce the illusion of pictorial effects, he has sacrificed breadth and dignity and overstepped the limitations of the plastic art. In spite of its extraordinary technical qualities the main impression given by Ghiberti’s masterpiece is that the artist was more concerned in exhibiting his skill to his fellow-citizens than in producing the most perfect and reverent rendering of the sacred subject.