Donatello

Donatello - David Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

He has been apprenticed to a goldsmith, probably to the step-father of Ghiberti, and, when he accompanied Brunelleschi to Rome, he supported himself by his trade, while he made an exhaustive study of every place of antique sculpture that he could find, at the same time exhuming fragments of capitals and bas-reliefs; and he managed to take back with him an invaluable collection.

But while imbued with the severity of classical models, Donatello was intensely original in his work, especially in his power of conveying expression and in his treatment of hair. His Magdalen in the Duomo and his Crucifix in Santa Croce, both carved in wood, are of an early date.

After his return from Rome, he was engaged on three statues for Orsanmichele, St. Peter, St. Mark and St. George, the latter being a veritable masterpiece, as is also the Zuccone, the bald-headed prophet who, with three other prophetic figures, adorned the Baptistery side of the Campanile. This statue is known to have been its creator’s favorite, and he was wont to swear: "By the faith that I bear to my Zuccone." It is now in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence.

Two other statues of prophets in the Duomo are interesting as being portraits of Giannozzo Manetti and Poggio Bracciolini. The two galleries of Donatello and Luca della Robbia, completed in 1440 reveal another faculty of the former artist—his power of judging of the effect of distance which he possessed in a remarkable degree, and which makes the work in question far more effective and striking than that of della Robbia.

In 1451, Donatello went to Padua and made the famous equestrian statue of Gattamelata, and also did bronze reliefs and statues for the Basilica of San Antonio which are said to have greatly influenced the Paduan school of art.

Donatello’s character was no less interesting than his work. Never was any man more indifferent to material things; riches, food, clothes, comfort, seemed to mean nothing to him. His money he kept in a basket in order that anyone might come in and take what he wanted; his name was a by-word for generosity. Cosimo de' Medici was rather his friend than his patron, for it was difficult for such a man to have a patron. Cosimo made him a present of a farm thinking that the proceeds of it would insure him against poverty, but, after a short time, the sculptor returned the gift, saying he did not wish to be burdened with it; his friend then took the wiser course of allotting him a sum of money to be paid weekly by the bank, sufficient to maintain him and four apprentices.

Donatello Zuccone

As regards clothing, Cosimo finding that he was too shabbily dressed, had a complete suit of red made for him, and sent it on the morning of a festival; but Donatello wore it only once or twice, and then returned it. It was too fine for him. After this, Cosimo wisely replaced his worn-out things bit by bit, in such a manner the recipient never realized that he was wearing anything new.

Donatello's finest statues, the bronze David and the Judith and Holofernes, were wrought for Cosimo, and there are also some fine medallions of his in the court of the Medici Palace (now Palazzo Medici Riccardi).

In his last years he worked entirely in San Lorenzo; the bronze doors of the Sacristy are his, and much work within the Sacristy; also the two pulpits were designed and partly carried out by him.

Donatello outlived Cosimo two years and by his own request was buried in the same vault with him: it was an ideal friendship. Donatello’s funeral was attended by a vast concourse of Florentines and by all the artists in the city, all of whom had been his friends and many his pupils, and there could have been few who had not benefited by his generosity.