Michelle Hoell Professor Kranz Humanities 2 16 Nov. 2001 Donatello is known
as the most important sculptor of the Early Renaissance. The author, John
Pope-Hennessy noted him as “one of the greatest artists who ever lived”
(Pope-Hennessy p.11).
Donatello was a modest person who was very dedicated to his works. Because of
his great dedication, he was able to create so much art in so many different
varieties (Poeschke p.5). Donatello’s origins, his accomplishments, and his
impact are important aspects to appreciate the sculptor, Donatello. Donatello
was born on 1386 in Florence, Italy by the name Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi.
(library p.1).
His father, Niccolo di Betto Bardi, was a wool comber. It is thought that he
learned his career from one of the stone sculptors for the Cathedral of Florence
around 1400 (britannica p.3). He assisted Filippo Brunelleschi, with whom he may
have visited Rome and studied monuments of antiquity there (Blood p.1).
Donatello started sculpting at the age of twenty. Donatello created masterpieces
with stone, clay, bronze, or gold (Poeschke p.376). He is said to have worked in
Lorenzo Ghiberti's shop and also had a shop of his own in Florence.
Later in life he studied Roman Ruins and became a humanist. Donatello died on
December 13, 1466 at the age of eighty. He never married and had no children
(Blood p.1). Donatello’s works can be separated into three periods. The first
period is comprised of works done before the year 1425. During the first period,
Donatello was greatly influenced by the Gothic style, yet classical and
realistic influences were also Hoell 2 present.
During this time Donatello identified himself as a realist. Most of his weeks
of this period were spent in Florence (Blood p.2). One of the works completed
during the first period is the marble David was one of Donatello’s earliest
works, which was completed around 1412 (britannica p.2). On February 20, 1408,
Donatello was commissioned to make one of the buttresses, which were going to be
placed on the choir of the Duomo in Florence.
A total of twelve buttresses were supposed to be made by several different
sculptors but the task was never completed. When Donatello finally completed his
work, it was criticized of being too small to be placed in its location, which
was eighteen meters high. The David ended up in the Duomo workshops for a few
years. Then, in July 1416, it was moved to the Palazzo Vecchio. Donatello was
then paid five extra florins to make some alterations to the statue.
