Donato di Niccolò Bardi
Renaissance Artist "Donatello"
Biography
-Donato di Niccolò Bardi, spent most of live in florence
-he moved to Padua in 1443, then later came back to live out he rest of his life in Florence.
-apprenticed to Ghiberti in 1403
-training in the shop of Ghiberti, with Nanni di Banco on the Porta della Mandorla of the Cathedral of Florence
-For nine years Donatello and Michelozzo formed a partnership to execute three large tomb projects
-influential in the development of a "Paduan" school of painting
-last twelve years his style became even more intense, frenzied and expressive, and he continued to experiment with new techniques of bronze casting.
-created works in bronze and stone
-made sculptures
- Around 1430, Cosimo de' Medici, the foremost art patron of his era, commissioned from Donatello the bronze David
Donatello's ideals are most closely linked to naturalism and classicism
-Naturalism because he depicts many people in his art and show them being the most important thing in the art. He also showed in his art, people’s feelings and habits
-Classicism because he sculpts his art in stone and uses the same style people used in modern days. He also sculpts biblical characters which, most art in the classical times were made of religious figures or ideas.
Saint Mark
In the Sculpture Depicted Below Info
This piece is located in the nation museum of Bargello in Florence, Italy
The sculpture was very controversial and risqué during the time. The David depicts a man, who was thought to be made from a female model, with a feather gracing up his leg. During the time many people were being persecuted and killed for being homosexual. The sculpture adds an idea of homosexuality and displeased people during the renaissance
This free standing sculpture is after a biblical character named David. He is in a story from the bible called David and Goliath. Donatello depicts David as a fairly feminine, naked man, with long hair, and a hat. David is also holding a sword and has a feather going up his leg. This piece is made from a bronze casting.
My Thoughts
I think this sculpture represents Humanism. This shows humanism because it emphasizes the importance of humans and how they act. It also explains a view on how humans should be able to live. The David expresses humans in their sexuality aspect of their life.
This piece is so interesting because it shows ideas that would be shamed upon by the church. Prior to Donatello being commissioned by the Medici for his art, most of his art was made for the church. I would think that his beginnings in the church would influence his style to be formal.
People can read about the David on PBS website. PBS is a news site which explains the art and time when it was created http://www.pbs.org/empires/medici/renaissance/donatello.html
David
Works Cited
"Donatello." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 2
Dec. 2015.
"Donatello." International Dictionary of Art and Artists. Gale, 1990. Biography in Context. Web. 2
Dec. 2015.
Donatello. David. n.d. bronze sculpture. Museo nazionale del Bargello, Florence, Italy.
Donatello. Saint Mark. 1413. stone sculpture. Museo di Orsanmichele, Florence, Italy.