Donatello and Brunelleschi were the first to systematically study ancient ruins for inspiration. Donatello funded this time of artistic exploration by working as a goldsmith. In his influential account of Renaissance Florence, Lives of the Artists , Giorgio Vasari specifically highlights the friendship between Brunelleschi and Donatello.
Although some historians now doubt the attribution of dates, Vasari tells the story of Donatello carving a wooden crucifix for the Santa Croce church now dated to c. The lifelike and moving work depicted Christ as a real rather than idealized figure, with an emotionality and expression in direct opposition to the customary flat iconography of the time.
This was revolutionary and would become a key characteristic of Early Renaissance artists. This led Brunelleschi to say that Donatello had carved a peasant. In an attempt to do better, he carved his own wooden crucifix now dated to c. How are we to dine when you have dropped all the things? If you want anything, take it. To you it is given to do Christs, and to me peasants. The first clear historical reference to Donatello is found in , when he received a payment for a work of sculpture.
Between and , Donatello also assisted Ghiberti with statues for the north door of the Florence Baptistery. He was then commissioned to execute the large-scale figure of Saint John the Evangelist , which he worked on between and , a work which significantly marked the transition in art from the late Gothic to the Early Renaissance.
After the success of this work, Donatello began to receive more significant commissions, including two important sculptures for the guild church of Orsanmichele, which had been a noted part of his childhood.
He became known as the first sculptor during this period to utilize the new concepts and techniques derived from the Early Renaissance period's incorporation of mathematics, science, and architecture into art including one point perspective, anatomical accuracy, and even created a signature form of bas-relief for his carvings to emphasize depth and three-dimensionality.
He also collaborated with other artists, including Michelozzo with whom he worked on a funerary monument, once again in Florence's Baptistery. There are many artists when it comes to Florentine Art. One noted artist of that era was none other than Donatello Though he was not as popular an artist as Michelangelo, he was noted for his marvelous details in terms of sculptures and statues.
His works mainly comprise of low relief statues, usually from wood of bronze. Though his artworks seemed insignificant, the main points of his work were the details he emphasized in these small art marvels.
Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi was known to the art world as Donatello and was born around circa in Florence, Italy. He was one of the forerunners of Florentine Art, which also paved way for the age of Renaissance Art. His specialty was more in sculptures and statuettes than painting. His works were also noted to have the concept of perspectival illusionism when it came to his shallow relief. He was the child of a member of the then guild of Wool Combers in Florence.
There were no known commentaries on his private life, though it was said that he had no regret saying that he was in fact a homosexual. And strangely enough, there was not a mention about his sexuality and preferences discovered in the archives of Florence.
His early works may have started with working closely with the said sculptor, whose work then was the construction of the prophets along the northern portion of the Florentine Baptistery, which he then received salary from November until the first few months of the year AD. This work also marked a foundation to the age of Gothic Mannerism, which also paved for the concept of realism and portrayal of human expressions.
By those times, open hands and a cloth silhouetting the legs became more realistic whereas the construction of the face, shoulders and bust were still at an ideal state. Afterwards, he set off working about a sculpture of another evangelist, Saint Mark for the Orsanmichele church by the year until He was able to finish the image of Saint George intended for the Cuirass-makers Confraternity by There are accounts by some historians that Donatello and Brunelleschi struck up a friendship around and traveled to Rome to study classical art.
Details of the trip are not well known, but it is believed that the two artists gained valuable knowledge excavating the ruins of classical Rome. The experience gave Donatello a deep understanding of ornamentation and classic forms, important knowledge that would eventually change the face of 15th-century Italian art.
By , Donatello was back in Florence at the workshops of the cathedral. That year, he completed the life-sized marble sculpture, David. The figure follows a Gothic style, popular at the time, with long graceful lines and an expressionless face. The work reflects the influences of sculptors of the time.
Originally, the sculpture was intended for placement in the cathedral. Instead, however, it was set up in the Palazzo Vecchio the town hall as an inspiring symbol of defiance of authority to Florentines, who were engaged in a struggle with the king of Naples at the time. Rapidly maturing in his art, Donatello soon began to develop a style all his own, with figures much more dramatic and emotional. Between and , he sculpted the marble figure St. In , Donatello completed the marble statue of a seated St.
John the Evangelist for the cathedral in Florence. Both works show a decisive move away from the Gothic style and toward a more classical technique. He was also reportedly abrasive and demanding, insisting on retaining artistic license to an extent that some potential clients found unmanageable. Donatello was supported by some of the most powerful men of Italy, friends with other contemporary artists, and usually employed around four assistants at any given time.
Yet for all that, very little is known about his private life beyond the knowledge of his difficult personality. One theory to explain this is the idea that he was homosexual.
He never married, had simple tastes, and kept to himself, and it may be that he remained secretive about his private life due to a sexuality that was considered unacceptable in that era. Though proponents of this theory point to some of his artwork, his lack of partner, and quips by Angelo Poliziano, no solid evidence confirms this theory or indicates any of his possible partners.
He is also believed to have been agnostic, an irony considering how many of his commissions were for the Catholic Church. When Donatello died on December 13th, he was partway through his work on a pair of pulpits in bronze reliefs for San Lorenzo church in Florence. She received her BA in History and Philosophy from Hope College and has continued researching and writing on topics of ancient history from the Assyrian Empire to the Roman Empire and everything in between.
She enjoys dabbling in historical fiction, but generally finds the actual true individuals of history and their stories more fascinating than any fictional invention. Her other passion is horses, and in her spare time she enjoys starting young horses under saddle and volunteer training for the local horse rescue.
Donatello: 10 Facts About The Integral Forefather Of The Renaissance With his command of multiple mediums and his expertise in classical antiquity, Donatello became an integral forefather of the Renaissance.
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