Donatello

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Donatello

• By Patrick Herlihey

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Personal Information

• Lived from 1386-1466
• Born in Florence, Italy
• His full name as it was known when he was alive
  is Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, but he
  signed most of his works and was called by those
  close to him Donatello

• His father was a wool carder named Niccolò di
  Betto Bardi
• He grew up around the construction of the
  Cathedral of Florence, which is what first
  influenced him towards the arts.

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Personal Information
Florence Cathedral
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Education

• Donatello joined the workshop of Lorenzo
  Ghiberti, who was a bronze sculptor that was
  working on the doors of the Florence Cathedral
  when Donatello joined.

• Donatellos artistic style was still very much
  Gothic, however Ghiberti helped Donatello to
  develop his style into the life like Greco-Roman
  style of his great works.

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Education

• Donatello sculpted this crucifix while in the
  workshop of Ghiberti.
• Although still basically Gothic in style,
  Dontatello was accused of crucifying a peasant
  due to the intense realism used on Christs face.
• This crucifix was one of the last great works of
  Donatello in Ghibertis workshop, afterwards he
  went out into the world by himself.

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St. George Killing the Dragon

• This was an extremely masterful work, done in a
  technique called schiacciato.
• He combined rounded figures with aspects such as
  landscape and borders.
• He was refereed to as painting (this work) with
  a chisel
• This was a great contribution to the religion
  based works of the time, telling stories of
  saints, to be displayed in churches.

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World Events

• Italy was in the power of the Roman Catholic
  Church throughout Donatellos entire life.
• Many cities all around Europe spent great sums of
  money into constructing cathedrals and furnishing
  them with great art.

• Most every aspect of life was dominated by the
  Church, you could not produce a piece of art if
  it ran contrary to the Churchs beliefs.

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World Events

• Donatello lived fully within the Age of
  Discovery, which was marked by such world events
  as the opening of Prince Henrys school of
  navigation.

• European trade and exploration was beginning to
  flourish, every European country was sending out
  explorers to attempt to find new lands to
  colonize and trade with.

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Saint Mark

• Constructed in 1411
• Marble
• Height 236 cm
• Orsanmichele, Florence

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The Prophet Jeremiah

• Constructed from 1423-1426
• Marble
• Height 191 cm
• Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence

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Christ and doubting Thomas

• Constructed from 1476-1483
• Bronze
• Height 230 cm
• Orsanmichele, Florence

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Annunciation

• Constructed in 1435
• Gilded pietra Serena
• 218 x 168 cm
• Santa Croce, Florence