Donatello

Donato di Niccol di Betto Bardi, commonly known as Donatello, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor whose works were created to be seen from every available angle. After receiving training at a goldsmith's studio, he entered an apprenticeship with the illustrious Lorenzo Ghiberti and began working with metal and sculpting. Donatello, considered an inventive sculptor of his day, is credited with creating the first free-standing statue seen since antiquity, known as David (c. 1440 - 1443).

Donatello went on to become considered the most prominent sculptor to restore classical statues. Donatello employed a sort of linear perspective to make realistic and incredibly emotional sculptures that could exhibit precise representations of anguish and suffering by utilizing a style that demonstrated a unique break from Gothic approaches.

As Renaissance painters strived for a deeper engagement into the humanities component of painting, his works helped establish new aesthetics of line in the art world.

His unique technique of creating incredibly lifelike and passionate works enabled him to become one of the most prominent artists in 15th century Italy, as his artworks led to his being regarded as the Renaissance's forefather. Donatello looked to the surviving works of antiquity to inspire his own sculptures, which helped popularize the Renaissance style, by exhibiting his interest in both classical sculpture and linear perspective within his artworks.

Donatello used realistic proportion, emotionality, and expression within his figures, whether they were mythic, historical, or real humans, as one of the first artists to reintroduce the nude through his sculptures. His sculptures appeared to be so vibrant and expressive that they tempted visitors to stroll around them and investigate multiple perspectives of the piece, demonstrating the importance of perspective.

In essence, his paintings gave a genuine sense of reality that had previously been lacking in idealized works and images.

Donatella, who lived in Rome, Florence, and Padua throughout his life, was instrumental in spreading these new notions of perspective to other Renaissance painters and artists. The realism that he was able to achieve in his sculptures signified a complete departure from the stiff and unnatural statues that were typical during the Middle Ages. Donatella continued to sculpt until his death at the age of 79, leaving his last unfinished sculpture.

Lifespan: 1386 – 1466

Nationality: Italian

Art Movements: Early Renaissance

Most Famous Artworks

• St. George (1415 – 1417)
• David (c.1440 – 1443)
• Penitent Magdalene (1455)