Brunelleschi and Donatello are outstanding masters of the early Renaissance. Donatello sculptures and biography of Donatello works
Since the time of Italian sculpture has not known a master of such scale, inner strength and such plastic power and richness of artistic language.
The harmony of Donatello's statues is of a different order than that of his contemporaries - and Nanni di Banco - if Gothic trends are still noticeable in Donatello's early works, then later the sculptor came to create new classical forms, combining antique and modern.
Donatello was born in or near Florence between 1382 and 1387, most likely in 1386. He came from a fairly wealthy family. Donatello's father, the offspring of the old Bardi family, was an artisan - a wool comber, but lost his fortune and died quite early. From his youth, the sculptor had to earn a living himself. After the death of his father, Donatello lived with his mother in a small, modest house; Donato did not attend school as a child and understood Latin rather poorly.
For the first time, the name of Donatello is mentioned in documents in 1401 - at that time he worked as a jeweler in Pistoia - presumably, at first Donatello studied in a jewelry workshop, but it is not known whose student he was, as well as in the workshop of the painter and sculptor Bicci di Lorenzo, using the patronage of a wealthy Florentine banker Martelli. In 1403, the name Donatello is already found in the workshop of Ghiberti, where he worked until 1407, helping to make relief models for the second doors of the Florentine baptistery. On November 25, 1406, the name of Donatello is mentioned in documents related to the construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. In 1407, Donatello left Ghiberti and began work in workshops, working on the decoration of the Florence Cathedral.
Already around 1414, Donatello decisively breaks with the traditions of the Ghiberti workshop and embarks on the path of independent development, Donatello radically changes his artistic method, abandoning the Gothic traditions of his teacher, and practically becomes the founder of a new type of sculpture. Proximity to Brunelleschi, whom Donatello could have met no later than 1403, when he worked on the statue of David for the buttress of the Florence Cathedral, should have contributed a lot to this. Brunelleschi was probably the first to introduce Donatello to new humanistic ideas and to the manner of working all "antica, which was then in vogue.
Very little is known about Donatello as a person. None of his letters, not one of his direct statements, has survived. Everything that is known about him comes from later sources, and is not always reliable. There are only a few old reports - for example, his friend Matteo degli Organi testifies in 1434 that Donatello was "a man who was content with any modest food and was generally unpretentious." Giovanni Medici wrote that Donatello had no other position than that which his own hands gave him. When Cosimo Medici gave Donatello a beautiful dress, the sculptor put it on once or twice and did not wear it again, so as not to “seem to be a sissy” ( Vespasiano da Bisticci*).
In the light of these testimonies of contemporaries, the story of Vasari, which appears already in the treatise, looks not so implausible. Pomponio Gaurico* "On Sculpture" (1504). “He was an exceedingly generous, amiable man, and treated his friends better than himself; he never attached any value to money and kept it in a basket hanging from the ceiling with a rope, from where each of his students and friends could draw as needed, without telling him anything about it.
His personality aroused the respect of the Florentines, which is eloquently evidenced by the plot of a street performance, in which a messenger arrived with an invitation to the court of the “King of Nineveh” himself to fulfill important orders, to which Donatello refused, as he had to finish the statue for the Florentine market and couldn't do anything else. The testimony of Ludovico Gonzaga, who unsuccessfully tried to persuade the master to move to Mantua, has been preserved: “His brains are arranged in such a way that if he does not want to come, then all hopes must be abandoned.”
Donatello's character was not easy, he often delayed the completion of orders, often refused to fulfill his obligations when they were not to his liking, and did not attach much importance to the social status of the customer. Such freedom of behavior was possible in republican Florence, but already in the 16th century it was rather an exception, since the artists became dependent on the Medici court.
As little as about Donatello the man is known about his creative practice. Not one of his drawings, not one of his models has survived to our time. Meanwhile, Vasari had his drawings in his collection, and Pomponio Gaurico reports that Donatello claimed that the basis of the sculpture is a drawing - at this stage, a motif is fixed, which receives further refinement in a small model made of clay or wax. Such models, according to Paolo Giovio*, Donatello redid it several times until he found the right solution. Unfortunately, no such model has survived.
The master made the statues mostly himself, entrusting only minor details to his students, in the execution of large monumental orders he widely used the work of assistants, statues and reliefs from bronze, he usually ordered skilled bell makers to cast, although he himself was well acquainted with the technique of casting from bronze. Finishing the surface of bronze statues and reliefs Donatello himself carried out - without excessive thoroughness, smoothing, leaving them with a kind of "incompleteness", moving away from jewelry traditions, taking into account the distance from which the statue will be viewed and the impression that this statue will make, installed on the intended her place. According to Vasari, Donatello "worked as much with his hands as with calculation", in contrast to the masters, whose "works end and seem beautiful in the room in which they are made, but then being taken out from there and placed in another place, with another illuminated or at a higher height, they take on a completely different look and give an impression just the opposite of what they produced in their original place.
Unlike the classical direction of Florentine plastics, in which many of his contemporaries worked, Donatello's creations are made with realism and liveliness, with greater freedom and courage. Donatello solved the tasks of the new realistic art by means of statuary plastics and relief. The statue is the central problem of his early work. Somewhat later (c. 1420), Donatello began to develop the problem of a perspective-built, multifaceted relief, which later occupied him all his life. The work of this master develops along these two lines.
And another important and eternal problem is the relationship between Donatello and antiquity and the role of antiquity in his work. The people of the Renaissance were inclined to consider Donatello as "the great imitator of the ancients" - something like the ubiquitous Vasari looked at things. The works of Donatello, in his opinion, "were considered more similar to the outstanding creations of the ancient Greeks and Romans than anything that was ever done by anyone." This connection of Donatello with the ancient heritage was strongly emphasized in the literature of the 19th century, while M. Reymond and V. Bode* did not focus on the fundamental dissimilarity of Donatello with the ancient masters. Recognizing that Donatello persistently sought out antique samples and, as far as possible, carefully used them, Bode at the same time noted: "... it is unlikely that anyone else, in all his perception, was as far from antiquity as he was."
Indeed, Donatello treated the ancient heritage so arbitrarily and knew how to subordinate ancient borrowings to his own ideas so successfully that they completely dissolved in them. In his eyes, the ancient motif was almost synonymous with the realistic motif - he was especially persistent in his search for it when he was faced with the task of depicting a figure in motion or contrapposte*. The ideal forms of ancient classics touched him little. But everything that had expression in ancient art, such as, for example, roman portrait I-III centuries AD * Roman historical relief ( Trajan's column*), Roman provincial sarcophagi, Roman architectural ornament, he was keenly interested in, and he was not afraid to draw individual motives from these sources. But what is remarkable is that not a single ancient monument is known to date that Donatello would accurately copy. There are no direct borrowings from ancient sources in his early works, which open a new era. There is not a single statue (except for the so-called Atisa Amorino)
and not a single relief on an ancient theme, which received such great importance from sculptors in the second half of the 15th-16th centuries. Christian themes completely dominate, in which antique echoes do not sound so often (in the late period they almost completely disappear).
Allegorical figure of a boy (Atis) 1430 Donatello. Bronze. National Bargello Museum.
The first indisputable of the works of Donatello that have come down to us is his "David"- now in the Bargello Museum. This statue was made for buttress* Florentine Cathedral in 1408-1409, but then, probably because of its insufficient size for such a remote location, it was transferred by order of the signoria in 1416 to the Palazzo Vecchio, where the statue was finalized by the master. Then the scroll in David's hands was replaced by a sling, which received an inscription calling for civil deeds: "Those who bravely fight for their homeland, the gods will grant help even against the most terrible opponents." The statue was placed near the wall of the Palazzo Vecchio and served as a symbol of the independence of Florence.
David. 1409 Donatello.
The head of David is decorated with a wreath of leaves. amaranth* - ancient emblem of the unfading glory of the brave. This detail was undoubtedly suggested to Donatello by some connoisseur of ancient literature, most likely his friend. Niccolo Niccoli* - thus decorated the statues of Achilles, Jason, Hercules. Otherwise, the statue is still largely connected with the traditions of medieval Gothic art - the Gothic curve of the figure, graceful limbs, a thin, pretty face devoid of character, somewhat reminiscent of the type of ancient Bacchus. But in the rich plastic life of the body with the extensive use of contrapposto (the right shoulder and leg pushed forward, the head turned in the opposite direction, the left leg set back), the desire of the master to freely deploy the figure in space is already felt. Very successful and new is the motif of a naked left leg, effectively framed by falling folds of draperies.
Traditionally, David was portrayed as a wise king of advanced years - with a scroll of laws in his hands, or a psalmist - with a lyre. The image of the young David the victor was associated with the memory of the deliverance of Florence from the Milan threat and the victorious war with the Neapolitan king. In Donatello's interpretation, David is shown as a young warrior celebrating his victory over the giant Goliath. This statue is the first in the work of Donatello from a series of statues of a heroic theme.
In the years 1408-1415, for the facade of the cathedral in Florence, various sculptors created statues of the four Evangelists - John the Evangelist, patron of the woolen workshop, the work of Donatello, St. Luke - the work of Nanni di Banco, St. Mark - Nicolo Lamberti, St. Matthew - Chuffagni (1410-1415), now they are in the museum of the Cathedral in Florence. When the building commission distributed orders for these statues in 1408, the young Donatello got a beam of Carr marble, high and wide, but of small depth - not exceeding half a meter - sufficient for Gothic sculpture, but clearly small for a more realistic depiction of a seated person, and therefore sculpture , is essentially high relief*. Donatello solved the problem by choosing a position for the figure with an oblique turn of the legs, opposite to the turn of the head, at the same time introducing a latent tension in the passively sitting figure. The seated apostle is a strong, powerful old man, with powerful hands, full of restrained dignity and nobility. A massive head, a courageous, strong face, framed by large, as if flowing strands of hair and beard, a piercing gaze, heavy hands accustomed to work give John impressiveness and power, reminiscent of Michelangelo's "Moses", who was called "the son of this father", such the image of the seated "John" Donatello is considered the inspirer and ingenious predecessor of the masterpiece of the Renaissance.
In this statue of his, Donatello takes a decisive step forward. Strictly speaking, this is the first truly Renaissance statue in which a new idea of man found expression. Starting with this piece, Donatello enters a new period of his work and creates masterpieces that open a new era in art.
In the trecento era, sculptures were incorporeal images, but here Donatello endows John with a realistic, earthly character.
John the Evangelist. 1410-11 Donatello.
At an early stage of creativity, Donatello tried himself in different directions. Probably around 1412-1413 (or 1415-1425) he carved in wood crucifixion, now kept in the Florentine church of Santa Croce.
It bears a resemblance to the relief of his teacher Ghiberti, similar in theme, on the second doors of the Florentine baptistery. Christ is depicted with a strong muscular body, but the face is not expressive enough for Donatello. Researchers have not yet come to a consensus about the authorship of Donatello and the time of creation of the wooden Crucifixion, although most tend to believe that it contains features characteristic of the early Donatello.
This work by Donatello is mentioned twice in the sources of the 16th century, and Vasari also gives an anecdote (by the way, not particularly reliable) - that the sculptor showed the work to his close friend Filippo Brunelleschi immediately after completion, but he gave a mediocre assessment of the wooden "Crucifixion", its too plausible appearance : Peasant on the cross.
crucifixion. 1412-13 Donatello.
Wood. Church of Santa Croce, Florence.
In 1412 Donatello was admitted to the guild Saint Luke* - the guild of painters, as a painter, sculptor and goldsmith. In the early period of his life, Donatello performed almost exclusively public orders (for communes, workshops, churches) - he created statues for squares and facades - for a wide view, which fully corresponded to the needs of "civil humanism". Later, Donatello performed private commissions. His fame grew rapidly and everything that came out of his hands invariably surprised his contemporaries - including a peculiar spirit of rebellion.
In 1411-1412 Donatello performed statue of Saint Mark for a niche on the south side of the building of the Orsanmichele church, which still adorns the niche intended for it. According to documentary evidence, it was created by the master almost simultaneously with the statue of the seated John the Evangelist (1408-1415), but artistically it is much superior to the statue for the Duomo.
The statue of Mark was commissioned by the foremen of the flax spinning workshop, which is probably why Donatello worked out the draperies of clothes so carefully, depicting them in a variety of forms, and also hoisted the statue of the Evangelist on a flat pillow. Despite the fact that the statue is in a niche, it immediately attracted the attention of contemporaries, Donatello expressed the individual character of the character with great skill.
The figure of Mark is unusually proportional, stable and monumental, perhaps for the first time after the ancient masters, the problem of a stable setting of the figure was solved. The entire weight of the slightly curved body rests on the right leg, the left leg, slightly bent at the knee, is slightly set back, the left hand holding the book simultaneously holds the cloak, which lies in free folds, outlining the relief of the leg, all the long ancient robe is completely subordinate to the figure, emphasizing his position is calm, full of dignity. Everything in this figure is weighty and material - the heaviness of the body, and the muscular arms, and the plasticity of the fabric of clothing. Michelangelo said of the statue of Mark that he “never saw a statue so like a decent man; if that was St. Mark, you can trust his writings.”
Evangelist Mark. 1411 Donatello.
Marble. Church of Orsanmichele, Florence.
For the church of Orsanmichele, Donatello created a gilded bronze statue commissioned by the Guelph party, now kept in the museum at the church of Santa Croce, Florence.
Saint Louis of Toulouse, descended from the Anjou clan, renounced the Neapolitan crown, having taken tonsure in the Franciscan monastic order, in 1297 he was consecrated to the archbishop of Toulouse, at the age of 23 he died.
The whole figure of the saint is wrapped in a wide cloak over a simple Franciscan cassock, only the hands and toes shod in sandals are visible from under the robe. With his right hand, the saint blesses, and with his left he presses a staff to himself - also a creation of a sculptor unique for its time. The head of the staff is decorated with figurines of ancient putti - naked boys placed between Corinthian pilasters. The head of Louis is crowned with a heavy archbishop's mitre.
In 1460, the Guelph party resold the outer niche of the Orsanmichele church to the guild of merchants, not wanting to see the statue of their patron saint surrounded by the patron saints of the artisan guilds. The statue of Saint Louis was transferred to the Santa Croce Museum, where it is still kept. The statue was badly damaged during a flood in 1966.
Starting with the statue of St. Louis, realistic tendencies intensify in the work of Donatello, reaching another peak in the statues of the prophets of the Florentine campanile.
Saint Louis of Toulouse. 1413 Donatello.
Bronze. Museum of the Church of Santa Croce, Florence.
A kind of apogee of the creative quest of the young Donatello is his statue of St. George, commissioned by the gunsmith shop for Orsanmichele (now stored in the Bargello). In "George" Donatello most fully embodied the new civic ideal. The hero stands unshakable like a rock - there is no such force in the world that can move him from his place, he is ready to repel any onslaught. Vasari gave the following description of this statue: “... her head expresses the beauty of youth, courage and valor in weapons, a proud and formidable impulse, and in everything an amazing movement that animates the stone from the inside. And, of course, in no single sculpture can one find so much life, in no single marble - so much spirituality, as nature and art put into this work by the hands of Donato. At one time, George had a helmet on his head, in his right hand he held a sword or a spear, with his left, leaning on a shield with the emblem of Florence, pressed a scabbard to his chest. These attributes were undoubtedly suggested to the master by the foremen of the gunsmiths' workshop, who wanted to see their patron endowed with everything that they themselves made. Probably, in its present form, when its plastic qualities appear with greater relief, the statue only won.
It may seem that Donatello portrayed George in a strict frontal pose, but this impression is deceptive. In fact, the figure is full of movement, but restrained. Donatello very subtly uses contraposto to enliven the figure. The right shoulder and right arm are slightly set back, the head is slightly turned in the opposite direction, the left shoulder is extended, the body is given a kind of rotational movement, the right leg, unlike the left, does not go beyond the plinth, but is moved somewhat deeper from it. Such an interpretation deprives the figure of any static character, which Vasari already noted. Donatello treats the front side of the statue in such a way (and it is designed to be viewed from a frontal point of view) that it is perceived as a kind of relief. Not a single part (including the obliquely set shield) protrudes from the plane, the arms are pressed to the body, the cloak tied in a knot tightly covers the body. This leads to an easy visibility of the statue, which can be easily captured at a glance, which is greatly facilitated by a clear, carefully thought-out composition of the figure. The statue of George very peculiarly combines the isolation of the marble block, the selected relief of the front aspect and the saturation of movement. This is what makes the statue such a unique work of art. Here Donatello created one of the happiest and most cheerful images of Renaissance art, close in general spirit to what Alberti later clearly formulated: “the serenity and calmness of a joyful soul, free and content with itself”
Although the statue of George stands in a previously made Gothic niche, it does not conflict with it, since the vertical lines are very pronounced in the statue (the straight position of the entire figure, the crosshairs of the shield, neck, nose). Despite this, the viewer still clearly feels that the statue is cramped in the niche space allotted to it, that its inherent excess of energy needs a wider field of action.
Saint George. 1416 Donatello.
Marble. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence.
Saint George. Detail. 1416 Donatello.
Marble. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence.
Among the early works of the master also belongs to the statue of the lion "Marzocco", the symbol of Florence (1418-1420)
Marzocco. 1419 Donatello.
Stone. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence.
In the following decade, Donatello worked on the statues of the prophets (1415-1436) for the Campanile (bell tower) of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, which were installed in its niches. The prophet Jeremiah (1427–1426, Cathedral Museum, Florence), the prophet Habakkuk (1427–1435, Cathedral Museum, Florence) amaze with the uniqueness of the image, the power of drama, monumental grandeur and expression.
Prophet Habakkuk. 1427-36 Donatello. Cathedral Museum, Florence.
Prophet Habakkuk. Fragment. 1427-36 Donatello.
Cathedral Museum, Florence.
Prophet Jeremiah. 1427-36 Donatello. Cathedral Museum, Florence.
Don't forget the tomb Baldassare Cossa, Antipope John XXIII* (1425-1427) - an odious character accused of all mortal sins - Donatello works on this tombstone together with Michelozzo di Bartolomeo.
The headstone is divided into three tiers. The lower tier is decorated with garlands and images of virtues. The middle one is a sarcophagus with the figure of the deceased at the top. Upper - under the folded drapery, there is a breast image of Mary with the baby. The tombstone adjacent to the wall and located between two columns, decorated with elements of classical architecture (pilasters, cornices, consoles) is a luxurious architectural structure. This type of tombstone, which appeared in the 13th century, became widespread in the 15th century.
Tomb of John XXIII 1435 Donatello.
, Baptistery, Florence.
Tomb of John XXIII. Detail. 1435 Donatello.
, Baptistery, Florence.
In 1422, the head of the early Christian martyr Saint Rossore was transported from Pisa to Florence, it was planned to make a new precious reliquary in the form of a bust, which the monks of the order humiliates* ordered Donatello in bronze with gilding. Payment for it was made in 1427 and 1430. The casting was made in 1427 by Giovanni di Jacopo. The bust was designed to consist of several parts - in order to be subjected to fiery gilding after melting. In the middle of the XVI century, the reliquary was transferred to Pisa in the church of San Stefano. It is possible that Donatello borrowed some details from the previous reliquary, but in general he created a new image of the Saint, using the lessons of studying the Roman sculptural portrait.
Saint Rossore Donatello.
Saint Rossore Reliquary. Detail. 1425-27 Donatello.
Bronze. National Museum of San Matteo, Pisa.
In 1430 Donatello created "David"- the first nude statue in Italian Renaissance sculpture. Depicting his youthful body, Donatello undoubtedly proceeded from antique samples, but reworked them in the spirit of his time. The biblical shepherd, the winner of the giant Goliath, is one of the favorite images of the Renaissance. Donatello's merit is not that he depicts a naked male body, but in the unusualness of this body itself. His bronze David does not look like a harsh biblical hero, but only a weak teenager. Neither before nor after Donatello did anyone portray David like this. Thoughtful and calm David in a shepherd's hat, shading his face, tramples Goliath's head with his foot and seems to be unaware of the feat he has accomplished. Unlike Gothic, the statue from the very beginning was designed for a circular view, it was intended to decorate the fountain in the courtyard of the Medici Palace.
David. 1430 Donatello.
David. Fragment. 1430 Donatello.
Bronze. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence.
David. Fragment. 1430 Donatello.
Bronze. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence.
In a terracotta and painted bust Niccolo da Uzano* (c. 1432) Donatello creates the first sculptural portrait of the Renaissance. Turning to Roman portrait sculptures, the author depicted his hero, a banker and a prominent political figure in Florence, in antique clothes as a Roman citizen.
Bust of Niccolo da Uzzano 1430s Donatello.
Terracotta. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence.
A trip to Rome with Brunelleschi greatly expanded the artistic possibilities of Donatello, his work was enriched with new images and techniques, which affected the influence of antiquity. A new period has begun in the master's work. In 1433 he completed the marble pulpit of the Florentine cathedral. The entire field of the pulpit is occupied by a jubilant round dance of dancers putti* - something like antique cupids and at the same time medieval angels in the form of naked boys, sometimes winged, depicted in motion. This is a favorite motif in the sculpture of the Italian Renaissance, which then spread in the art of the 17th-18th centuries. 
Department. 1439 Donatello.
Marble. Cathedral Museum, Florence.
Department. Fragment. 1439 Donatello.
Marble. Cathedral Museum, Florence.
For almost ten years, Donatello worked in Padua, the homeland of the deeply revered in the Catholic Church Saint Anthony of Padua*. For the city's cathedral, dedicated to St. Anthony, Donatello completed in 1446-1450 a huge sculptural altar with many statues and reliefs. The central place under the canopy was occupied by the statue of the Madonna and Child, on both sides of which there were six statues of saints. At the end of the XVI century. the altar was demolished. Only a part of it has survived to this day, and now it is difficult to imagine how it looked originally. The four extant altar reliefs depicting the miraculous deeds of St. Anthony allow us to appreciate the unusual techniques used by the master. This is a type of flat, as if flattened relief. Crowded scenes are presented in a single movement in a real life setting. Huge city buildings and arcades serve as a background for them. Due to the transfer of perspective, there is an impression of the depth of space, as in paintings.
Madonna and Child with Saints Francis and Anthony. 1448 Donatello.
Mule miracle.* 1447-50 Donatello.
Bronze. Church of St. Anthony, Padua.
Miracle with a newborn. 1447-50 Donatello.
Bronze. Church of St. Anthony, Padua.
At the same time, Donatello made an equestrian statue of a condottiere in Padua Erasmo de Narni*, a native of Padua, who was in the service of the Republic of Venice. The Italians called him Gattamelata (Cunning Cat). This is one of the first Renaissance equestrian monuments. Calm dignity is poured into the whole appearance of Gattamelata, dressed in Roman armor, with his head bare in the Roman manner, which is a magnificent example of portrait art. An almost eight-meter statue on a high pedestal is equally expressive from all sides. The monument is placed parallel to the facade of the Cathedral of Sant'Antonio, which allows you to see it either against the blue sky, or in spectacular comparison with the powerful forms of domes.
Equestrian statue of Gattamelata 1447-50s Donatello.
Equestrian statue of Gattamelata Detail. 1447-50s Donatello.
Bronze, Piazza del Santo, Padua.
In the last years spent in Florence, Donatello experienced a spiritual crisis, his images became more and more dramatic. He created a complex and expressive group "Judith and Holofernes"(1456-1457); statue "Mary Magdalene"(1454-1455) in the form of a decrepit old woman, an emaciated hermit in an animal skin; reliefs, tragic in mood, for the church of San Lorenzo, completed by his students.
Judith and Holofernes. 1455-60 Donatello.
Judith and Holofernes. Detail. 1455-60 Donatello.
Bronze, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.
Christ before Pilate and Caiaphas. 1460 Donatello.
Garden of Gethsemane. 1465 Donatello.
Bronze. Church of San Lorenzo, Florence.
Descent from the cross. 1465 Donatello.
Bronze. Church of San Lorenzo, Florence.
Mary Magdalene 1457 Donatello.
Mary Magdalene Detail. 1457 Donatello.
Wood. Cathedral Museum, Florence.
Donatello was tireless - one might well say "workaholic" - he worked in many cities - in Florence, Pisa, Siena, Prato, Rome, Padua, Ferrara, Modena, Venice. His works delighted his contemporaries, despite a certain uncompromising nature of the master - he did not pursue external prettiness, which the public always and at all times loves, did not seek to polish his statues excessively, being afraid to deprive them of the freshness of the first plan, and continued to do as he saw fit. .
Donatello spent the last years of his life in Florence, working until old age; died in 1466 and was buried with great honors in the church of San Lorenzo, decorated with his work.
I will choose the prophet Habakkuk as the "hero of the evening" - he stands out from the rest both in appearance and facial expression and even the folds of his clothes have their own restless meaning and their own strict rhythm. An amazing figure that causes some awe - I want to involuntarily lower my eyes and at the same time take a closer look - in Avvakum there is no benevolence, there is no peace - on the contrary, there is a constant inner fire - even the dangerous, constant harsh implacability of a person who knows the future - knows what is hidden from others - from someone for a while, from someone forever. - das_gift
Unfortunately, the notes to this text did not fit in this post, and you never want to cut notes, they are starting points, dotted and closing lines - so it’s necessary to make them a separate post.
Description of the creative path of the famous sculptor.
Biography
Florentine master Donatello(full name - Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi) - one of the key figures in the creation of Italian Renaissance sculpture. He inspired many contemporaries and left a significant mark on the art of the early Renaissance. Donatello is on a par with Filippo Brunelleschi, Tommaso Masaccio and Alberti - major creators of the same era.
Donatello created sculptures from bronze, stone and wood. Deep knowledge and skill with these materials allowed him to bring life to his work, combining realism with strong feelings. The master's works are full of energy and thought. The sculptor is the author of many famous sculptures in the history of art, but one of his most famous works is the nude figure of David.
David (1408–1409)
Bronze statue of David (1430–1440)
As his reputation grew, Donatello received more and more new orders, among which was the bronze statue of David for the palace of Casimo Medici. This sculpture demonstrates a departure from the traditional canons of Christian art: the femininity of the protagonist is surprising, as well as the degree of his nakedness (it was one of the first such explicit works created in the Renaissance). Although David is depicted with the dead head of the defeated Goliath at his feet, the slender and feminine figure of the young man makes one doubt that he could deliver a mortal blow to such a strong opponent.
David. 1440.
Career
The starting point in the creative path of the master can be considered his arrival in the studio of Lorenzo Ghiberti, where Donatello helped in the creation of several statues before moving on to independent work. The sculptor also collaborated with the famous Jacopo della Quercia.
Allegory of Eros
In 1411, the sculptor creates a statue of St. Mark, and a few years later - a statue of St. George, which is one of the first examples of the use of central perspective in sculpture. These works were executed in bas-relief. The advantage of this method is that it allows the master to view the composition from different points of view without distorting the objects. Later, Donatello creates five statues for Giotto's campaign, Herod's Feast (c. 1427), Pazzi Madonna (c. 1420) and other iconic works.
recession
The next generation of Renaissance sculptors created marble sculptures, against which the style of Donatello gradually began to fade. But the master continued to receive income, working until the end of his life. The famous sculptor died in 1466 and was buried in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, next to the Medici.
Donatello worked in Florence, Siena, Rome, Padua. However, the huge fame did not change his simple way of life. It was said that the selfless Donatello hung a purse with money near the door of his workshop, and his friends and students took from the purse as much as they needed. On the one hand, Donatello longed for the truth of life in art. On the other hand, he gave his works the features of sublime heroism. These qualities appeared already in the early works of the master - statues of saints intended for the outer niches of the facades of the Church of Or San Michele in Florence, and the Old Testament prophets of the Florentine campanile. were in niches, but they immediately attracted attention with the harsh expressiveness and inner strength of the images. Especially famous is "St. George" (1416) - a young warrior with a shield in his hand. He has a focused, deep look; he stands firmly on the ground, legs wide apart. In the statues of the prophets, Donatello especially emphasized their characteristic features, sometimes coarse, unadorned, even ugly, but alive and natural. Donatello's prophets Jeremiah and Habakkuk are whole and spiritually rich natures. Their strong figures are hidden by heavy folds of cloaks. Life furrowed Avvakum's faded face with deep wrinkles, he became completely bald, for which he was nicknamed Zuccone (Pumpkin) in Florence.
In 1430, Donatello created David, the first nude statue in Italian Renaissance sculpture. The statue was intended for a fountain in the courtyard of the Medici Palace. The biblical shepherd, the winner of the giant Goliath, is one of the favorite images of the Renaissance. Depicting his youthful body, Donatello undoubtedly proceeded from antique samples, but reworked them in the spirit of his time. Thoughtful and calm David in a shepherd's hat, shading his face, tramples Goliath's head with his foot and seems to be unaware of the feat he has accomplished. A trip to Rome with Brunelleschi greatly expanded the artistic possibilities of Donatello, his work was enriched with new images and techniques, which affected the influence of antiquity. A new period has begun in the master's work. In 1433 he completed the marble pulpit of the Florence Cathedral. The entire field of the department is occupied by a jubilant round dance of dancing putti - something like ancient cupids and at the same time medieval angels in the form of naked boys, sometimes winged, depicted in motion. This is a favorite motif in the sculpture of the Italian Renaissance, which then spread in the art of the 17th-18th centuries. For almost ten years, Donatello worked in Padua, an old university city, one of the centers of humanistic culture, the birthplace of St. Anthony of Padua, deeply revered in the Catholic Church. For the city's cathedral, dedicated to St. Anthony, Donatello completed in 1446-1450 a huge sculptural altar with many statues and reliefs. The central place under the canopy was occupied by the statue of the Madonna and Child, on both sides of which there were six statues of saints. At the end of the XVI century. the altar was demolished. Only a part of it has survived to this day, and now it is difficult to imagine how it looked originally. Four altar reliefs that have come down to us, depicting the miraculous deeds of St. Anthony, allow us to appreciate the unusual techniques used by the master. This is a type of flat, as if flattened relief. Crowded scenes are presented in a single movement in a real life setting. Huge city buildings and arcades serve as a background for them. Due to the transfer of perspective, there is an impression of the depth of space, as in paintings. At the same time, Donatello completed in Padua an equestrian statue of the condottiere Erasmo de Narni, a native of Padua, who was in the service of the Venetian Republic. The Italians called him Gattamelata (Cunning Cat). This is one of the first Renaissance equestrian monuments. Calm dignity is poured into the whole appearance of Gattamelata, dressed in Roman armor, with his head bare in the Roman manner, which is a magnificent example of portrait art. An almost eight-meter statue on a high pedestal is equally expressive from all sides. The monument is placed parallel to the facade of the Cathedral of Sant'Antonio, which allows you to see it either against the blue sky, or in spectacular comparison with the powerful forms of domes.
In the last years spent in Florence, Donatello experienced a spiritual crisis, his images became more and more dramatic. He created a complex and expressive group "Judith and Holofernes" (1456-1457); a statue of "Mary Magdalene" (1454-1455) in the form of a decrepit old woman, an emaciated hermit in an animal skin; reliefs, tragic in mood, for the church of San Lorenzo, completed by his students. Donatello died on December 13, 1466 in Florence.
The Italian sculptor of the Early Renaissance, Donatello was the founder of the individualized sculptural portrait.
His full name is Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi.
From the biography
Sculptural portrait of Donatello in the Uffizi (Florence)
The future sculptor was born in Florence around 1386 and died there and was buried in 1466.
His father was a simple wool comber, but he was able to notice his son's abilities. He gave it to the workshop of the painter and sculptor Bicci di Lorenzo, where he received an art education. At the end of his studies, Donatello even visited Rome (1404-1407) with the architect Brunelleschi, where they improved with Lorenzo Ghiberti, a famous Italian sculptor, jeweler, art historian of the Early Renaissance.
Creativity Donatello
One of the first works of Donatello was a high relief depicting the Annunciation.
Donatello "Annunciation"
Donatello "The Annunciation" (circa 1428-1433). Church of Santa Croce (Florence)
Here is what Giorgio Vasari writes about this work: “He glorified his name by creating the Annunciation from sandstone, which is placed in Santa Croce, on the altar of the Cavalcanti Chapel. Around him he painted a flower pattern... and above, six babies, arranged in pairs, with flower garlands, embrace each other, as if afraid of a dizzying height.
He showed great talent and skill in the figure of the Virgin, frightened by the sudden appearance of an angel, she bows gracefully, timidly and respectfully greeting the angel. Meekness and gratitude for the unexpected Gift are reflected in her face.
Before the trip to Rome, Donatello was dominated by the realistic direction of creativity. Having studied the classical examples of sculpture, he took Greco-Roman plastic into his creative arsenal. Thus, Donatello worked in two styles: realistic and classical.
The realistic style includes, for example, statue of Mary Magdalene(circa 1454), whom he depicts as a thin old woman with long hair. The statue is located in the Florentine Baptist.
But still, the best works of the sculptor are those in which he searched for his own path in accordance with his inner ideals. For example, a bronze statue of David.
Donatello "David"
Donatello "David" (circa 1440). Height 1.58 m. Bargello National Museum (Florence)
This sculpture is the first depiction of a free-standing nude figure since antiquity. According to Vasari, the statue of David was commissioned by Cosimo de' Medici. But this information cannot be considered reliable. The author of the pedestal was Desiderio da Settignano.
David is a biblical character, a psalmist. Donatello does not depict him in accordance with the traditional images of biblical heroes. This is one of three sculptural portraits made by Donatello. And in each of them, David appears in a special way.
Fragment
Bronze David is almost a boy with a youthful body and long hair. He is completely naked: he only wears a shepherd's hat and sandals with greaves (a piece of armor that protects the front of the leg from knee to ankle). The hero's posture is free, the weight of the body is transferred to the right leg, and with his left he tramples the head of the Goliath he defeated.
Fragment
In his left hand he holds a stone from a sling - an instrument of victory. There is triumph on his face: he defeated Goliath (a huge Philistine warrior). But when looking at him, it is difficult to imagine that he is able to cope with the giant - therefore, the event reveals the power of Divine intervention. Therefore, the statue depicting a weak youth standing over a defeated enemy speaks of the invisible presence of God in this scene.
Donatello. Statue of the Apostle Mark
Donatello. Evangelist Mark (1411). Marble. Church of Orsanmichele (Florence)
In 1411-1412. Donatello made a statue of St. Mark for a niche on the south side of the Orsanmichele church building, which to this day adorns the niche intended for it. The statue of Mark was commissioned by the foremen of the flax spinning workshop, which is probably why Donatello worked out the draperies of clothes so carefully, depicting them in a variety of forms. The statue immediately attracted the attention of contemporaries, because. Donatello expressed the individual character of the character with great skill. The figure of Mark is proportional, stable and monumental. The left hand, holding the book, simultaneously holds the cloak, which falls in loose folds, outlining the relief of the leg. The figure is full of dignity. Everything about this figure matters. Michelangelo said of the statue of Mark that he “never saw a statue so like a decent man; if that was St. Mark, you can trust his writings.”
Donatello. Evangelist John
Donatello. Evangelist John (1410-1411). Marble. Cathedral Museum (Florence)
In 1408-1415. for the facade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, various sculptors created statues of four evangelists: John the Theologian by Donatello, Apostle Luke by Nanni di Banco, Apostle Mark by Nicolo Lamberti, Apostle Matthew by Ciuffagni. Currently, these statues are in the museum of the cathedral in Florence. The seated Apostle John is depicted as a powerful old man with mighty arms, full of restrained dignity and nobility.
Starting with this work, Donatello enters a new period of his work and creates masterpieces that open a new era in art.
Donatello. Statue of Gattamelata (Padua)
In 1444, in Padua, Donatello cast an equestrian statue of a condottiere (leader of military detachments) of the Venetian Republic of Gattamelata from bronze. Currently, this sculpture is located in front of the church of St. Anthony. Since the time of the ancient Romans, not a single similar statue has been cast in Italy.
Donatello resurrected portrait busts that were loved by the Greeks and Romans but forgotten in the Middle Ages. Especially successful were his children's images, they are very individual.
Donatello "Allegorical figure of a boy" (1430). Bronze. Bargello National Museum (Florence)
Donatello "Flying Boy with a Fish"
In the sacristy of the church of St. Lawrence in Florence there are bas-relief medallions depicting the evangelists, as well as scenes from the life of John the Baptist, full of drama.
Together with his student Michelozzo, Michelozzi Donatello created several tombstones in churches.
Donatello spent the last years of his life in Florence, working until old age. He worked in many cities: Florence, Pisa, Siena, Prato, Rome, Padua, Ferrara, Modena, Venice. The master died in 1466 and was buried with great honors in the church of San Lorenzo, decorated with his works.
Church of San Lorenzo (Florence)
His works delighted his contemporaries, despite the certain uncompromising nature of the master - he did not pursue external beauty, did not indulge the tastes of the public, did not seek to over-finish his statues so as not to deprive them of the freshness of the first plan. He always did as he saw fit.
The creativity of such masters is in demand at all times.
Donatello was born in 1386 in Florence, in a rather simple family (his father was engaged in the manufacture of wool and woolen products). His talent as a sculptor and artist showed up early, and he was sent to study in one of the numerous sculpture workshops in Florence. Interestingly, Donatello's fellow student was another "titan of the Renaissance" architect Brunelleschi. Together with him, Donatello went to study in Rome, at the school of the famous master Lorenzo Ghiberti.
The future master of the sculptural portrait was paid for by his patron, the Florentine banker Martelli.
Career
After returning from Rome, Donatello began to work on numerous orders in Florence, coming from aristocrats, bankers, and even from Casimo de' Medici himself. At this time, the master was fond of two styles: classical and realistic, but even the realistic sculptures of Donatello shook the imagination of contemporaries, fans of the classical Greco-Roman school. The works made by the master decorated (and now decorate) many architectural sights of Florence: the Giotto Tower, the Bargello Museum, the Old Palace of Casimo Medici.
In 1444, the master left for Padua, where he worked on decorating the church of St. Anthony. Donatello managed to revive the technique that the ancient Roman masters once owned. We can say that the Padua period is the pinnacle of the master's work.
The master stayed in Padua until 1457, then returned to Florence again. In 1457, he began working on a sculpture of John the Baptist (now it is in the Bargello Museum in Florence). After completing the work, the sculptor began to create bas-reliefs to decorate the church of St. Lawrence. During the same period, Donatello worked on tombstones for the church aristocracy.
Death
Donatello continued to work until old age, had several workshops and several hundred students who, after the death of their teacher, completed projects that he had not completed. The master died in 1466. He was buried in the church of St. Lorenzo, which he once decorated with bas-reliefs.
Other biography options
- Even a brief biography of Donatello is replete with interesting facts. It is known that Donatello worked very hard. He took on any orders, even very insignificant and small ones. The master was not interested in money, he loved to create. Interestingly, he kept all the proceeds in a hanging basket in his workshop. Each disciple of the master could take from there exactly as much as he needed.
- Donatello did not want to let go of Padua. The masters simply “filled up” with orders only so that he would not go anywhere, but he could not live without his beloved Florence.
- The bronze statue of David, the greatest work of the master, which adorned the garden of Casimo Medici, was very bold for its time. Before Donatello, no one could dare to sculpt a completely naked sculpture.
- One of the followers of Donatello was the famous sculptor and artist Verrocchio, who in turn is the teacher of the titan of the Italian Renaissance Leonardo da Vinci.
- It is not known if Donatello had a family. There is practically nothing about the personal life of the master, no information. It is only known that many in Florence loved and respected him, and after his death, the townspeople decided to carefully protect his sculptures and not allow them to be taken out of Florence.
Biography score
New feature! The average rating this biography received. Show rating