Donatello

Donatello (Donato di NiccolÐ"І di Betto Bardi), was born around 1386, in Florence. Because of poor record keeping, his exact date of birth is unknown. The son of a NiccolÐ"І di Betto Bardi, a Florentine wool comber, Donatello led a simple life; never married, and never took part in the "indulgences" of life. It is not known exactly how his career began, but it is likely that he learned stone carving from a sculptor working for the cathedral of Florence around 1400. Some time between 1404 and 1407 he became a member of the workshop of famous sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti. Around the age of 17, he assisted Ghiberti in constructing and decorating the bronze doors of the baptistery of San Giovanni, in Florence. (Kren: 1) Later, Donatello became an associate of Filippo Brunelleschi. Donatello's first acclaimed work was an Annunciation carved in stone for the church of San Croce in Florence. He also made a crucifix of wood for the same church, which was carved with patience. When it was done, he showed it to Brunelleschi who said that the person on the cross looked more like a peasant, and not Jesus Christ. Donatello, who was expecting more praise than criticism replied, "If it were as easy to do a thing as to judge it, my Christ would not look like a peasant; but take some wood yourself and make one." (Vasari: 6) Brunelleschi, without another word, returned home, and after many months of work, produced his own crucifix. One morning he invited Donatello to eat with him. Donatello found Brunelleschi's crucifix and thought it was so perfect that he dropped the food he was carrying in his hands. Donatello said to Brunelleschi, "To you it is given to do Christ's, and to me peasants." (Vasari: 6) It was this experience that formed Donatello into the perfectionist that he was. It is believed that Donatello accompanied Brunelleschi on a visit to Rome in order to study the monuments of antiquity. Donatello was a master of sculpture in both marble and bronze, and generally thought of as the founder of modern sculpture.

Patrons often found Donatello hard to deal with, since he demanded a measure of artistic freedom. Many of Donatello's friends verified that he was a connoisseur of ancient art. The inscriptions on his works are some of the earliest examples of the revival of classical Roman lettering. (Kren: 2) He had a more detailed and wide-ranging knowledge of ancient sculpture than any other artist of his day. He is said to have been much kinder to his friends than himself. He didn't care too much about money, and kept what money he did have hanging from a basket from his ceiling.

Donatello's career can be divided into three periods. The first period comprised the years before 1425, when his work is marked by the influence of Gothic sculpture but also shows classical and realistic tendencies. Among his sculpture of this period are the statues St. Mark, St. George, John the Evangelist, and Joshua.

The second period (1425-43) is generally characterized by a reliance on the models and principles of the sculpture of ancient times. By 1423, Donatello had mastered the art of sculpting in bronze. Around 1430, he was commissioned to create a bronze statue of David, his most famous work during this period. It is unknown who commissioned the statue, but a possibility is the Medici, patrons of many of his works. The David was the first large scale, free-standing nude statue of the Renaissance. From 1430 to 1433 Donatello spent time in Rome, where he created a number of works, notably the ciborium in the sacristy of the Basilica of Saint Peter, decorated with the reliefs Worshiping Angels and Burial of Christ. Donatello developed his own style of relief known as schiacciato, which means "flattened out." (Encarta:1) This technique involved extremely shallow carving and utilized light and shadow to create the full pictorial scene.

In his third and final period, Donatello broke away from his classical influence and emphasized realism and the portrayal of character. Notable examples of this period are Miracles of St. Anthony and Gattamelata. He traveled to Padua to create the first bronze statue of a horse since ancient times. Gattamelata was the nickname of Erasmo da Narni, a recently deceased Venician,