Herod's Feast by Donatello description. Compositional innovations of the Quattrocento

(Dance of Salome)

(Matthew, 14:6 – 9; Mark, 6:21 – 26)

(21) An opportune day came when Herod, on the occasion of his birthday, gave a feast to their nobles, captains of thousands and elders of Galilee, -

(22) the daughter of Herodias entered, danced and pleased Herod and those who were reclining with him; the king said to the girl: ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you; (23) And he swore to her: whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you, even up to half of my kingdom. (24) She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask?” She answered: the heads of John the Baptist. (25) And she immediately went with haste to king and asked, saying: I want you to give me the head now on a platterJohn the Baptist. (26) The king was saddened, but for the sake of the oath and those who reclined with he didn't want to refuse her.

(Mark 6:21-26)

The subject, popular both in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, had its own characteristics of pictorial interpretation in each era. Thus, in medieval art, Salome, the daughter of Herodias (the evangelists, by the way, do not name her name, but it is found in Josephus in the work “Antiquities of the Jews,” 18, 5:4), could be depicted not only dancing, but also performing acrobatic stunts . During the Renaissance, she appears dancing half-naked (in fact, as researchers note, she could perform her dance completely naked). According to tradition, Salome is portrayed as young (Mark calls her a maiden), although in reality by this time she was not a young girl, but a woman who had already managed to be widowed.

Spinello Aretino. Herod's Feast (1385). Budapest. Art Museum

This plot, like the Marriage at Cana and the Feast in the House of Levi, gave artists a reason to depict a crowded and magnificent feast (Filippo Lippi) with frequent participants in the feast - musicians (Giotto; unfortunately, the walls of the chapel in XVIII century were whitewashed; after clearing the frescoes in XIX century, they were so rewritten that at present it is not possible to restore their Giottian coloring; Donatello).

Filippo Lippi. Herod's feast (1452-1464). Prato. Cathedral.

In such cases, we get an idea of ​​many contemporary musical instruments of the artist (in Giotto and Donatello, for example, the musician plays the Fidel) and traditional ensembles of that time.

Literally every moment of the bloody feast described by the evangelists, like everything connected with Herod the Great (see. MASSACRE OF THE INFANTS IN BETHLEHEM) and Antipas (see the scenes of the Passion Cycle), - is reflected in painting: the dance of Salome; Salome receiving instruction from her mother (Herodias); presentation of the head of John the Baptist to Herod (Salome carries the head of John on a platter).

Sometimes one picture depicts several scenes that unfold sequentially in time, for example, the scene of the beheading of John the Baptist and the next one - Salome’s presentation of the head to Herodias (Lippi). This is how Spinello Aretino connected them. This painting is part of the left wing of the altar of the Olivetan monastery of Santa Maria Nuova in Rome. The artist resurrects Herod's palace before us and objectively presents the events. The feast is a prehistory, the story itself is depicted in the next room, where the beheading of John the Baptist has already taken place: blood splashes from the saint’s body, and Salome carries the saint’s head to her mother and Herod (it would be more correct - and this is how it is often depicted - to Herodias alone). The idealized beautiful head of John the Baptist, like a halo, frames the dish (for other images of the execution of John the Baptist, see DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST).

EXAMPLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS:

Giotto. Herod's Feast (1320s). Florence. Church of Santa Croce. Peruzzi Chapel.

Spinello Aretino. Herod's Feast (1385). Budapest. Art Museum

Donatello. Herod's Feast (c. 1425). Sienna. Baptistery. Relief of the font.

Filippo Lippi. Herod's feast (1452-1464). Prato. Cathedral.

Andrea del Sarto. Herod's Feast (1515-1526). Florence. Skaltsi Monastery.

Paolo Veronese.

© Alexander MAYKAPAR

Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi or as it is more familiar and convenient for everyone -
Donatello (Donatello ) was a sculptor from Florence (circa 1386-1466).
Being an outstanding master of the culture of the early Italian Renaissance, he was also the founder of the art of Classicism of the Florentine school.

Donatello received his training in the workshop of L. Ghiberti. The proto-Renaissance school of A. Pisano had a huge influence on his work. Judging by the first works of the sculptor, their execution is close to the Gothic style. As M. Dvorak skillfully noted: Donatello’s “artistic cradle” (as well as F. Brunelleschi) was the construction workshop of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

Let's move on to the first period, which lasted until 1443. In him Donatello was busy working on decorating the cathedral and church of Orsanmichele in Florence. There is a possibility that around 1406-1408 he made two figures of young prophets, which were located above the northern portal of the cathedral. Later, this portal also received decoration in the form of marble relief of Nanni di Banco(one of the most talented sculptors who worked with Donatello at an early stage of his work). Next, Donatello completed the marble statue David with the head of Goliath, which was intended for one of the buttresses of the cathedral. Remarkably, this statue was the first nude work in Italian art that was not associated with a wall. The technique of a separate arrangement of the figure (similar to the ancient ones) was developed in the work of Donatello. This work of the sculptor is already filled with those characteristic features for the mature period of his work: the desire for homogeneity of the elements of classical and gothic art.

David / Donatello

David

Next are the statues of seated evangelists: John and Mark (facade of Orsanmichele) 1411-1413. Around 1417, Donatello created for Orsanmichele one of the most famous statues of St. George, which was later moved to Bargello. It is made in the form of a young knight, who acts as the first portrait statue of Donatello.

Later, statues of prophets were realized, which received even greater individualization. They were identified as the decoration of the campanile, among the figures that are of the highest degree in their internal tension and depth: John the Baptist, Jeremiah, Zuccone(or otherwise the Bald Prophet).

If we talk about the works that defined the early period, then we should definitely highlight the bronze statue of Saint Louis. Its current location is the Santa Croce Museum. Three picturesque reliefs also owe to this period of Donatello’s work, namely: bas-relief of the Ascension of Our Lady, Saint George and the Dragon on the pedestal of a marble statue of St. George (sent to Naples for the tomb of Cardinal Brancacci) and bronze relief of Herod's Banquet(intended for the font of the Siena Baptistery).

Annunciation / Donatello

Annunciation

Second period of creative path Donatello dates back to about 1434, following the creation of a tabernacle for the old cathedral of St. Peter and the completion of a number of other orders. The master returns to Florence from Rome, where he works on some artistic projects in which classical tendencies prevailed.
In 1440, Donatello completed work on the singing platform of the Florence Cathedral and the pulpit of the Cathedral in Prato. The year 1430 is characterized by the classic, restrained relief of the Annunciation for the church of Santa Croce, Cupid from the Bargello. The famous bronze free-standing statue also belongs to the most classical period of Donatello’s work. david statue , which was made for the Palazzo Medici and is currently located in the Bargello. Also a large-scale work of the master’s second period are the bronze doors of the old sacristy of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence, dating from 1434-1443.
Let's move on to the third period. So, in 1443, Donatello received an invitation to Padua, where he lived for ten years. Almost immediately after his arrival, the sculptor begins working on an equestrian statue of the condottiere and diplomat Erasmo de Narni (nickname Gattamelata). This Gattamelata statue(1447-1453) - the first free-standing equestrian monument that was created in Europe since antiquity. But do not forget that the main work of the sculptor in Padua is the high sculptural altar for the church of San Antonio, dating back to 1446-1450. First bronze Madonna statues and the saints were under a canopy supporting columns, which were placed on a high pedestal and decorated with reliefs. The altar was made in a certain form, which greatly influenced the appearance of the picturesque altar images of Mantegna, Giovanni and Crivelli Bellini.

Choristers' pulpit for the Florence Cathedral Maria del Fiore / Donatello

Choristers' pulpit for the Florence Cathedral Maria del Fiore

The composition was made up of Madonna and Child statues, Crucifixions(now located high above the altar of St. Francis) and a number of other figures, the original order of which was later changed. In the process of working on this ensemble, the sculptor repeatedly turned to his students, of whom there were a great many, for help. The laws of perspective were reflected in multi-figure bronze reliefs with scenes of the miracles of St. Anthony, and with the help of Donatello the low relief received the illusion of depth of space.

The fourth period. The works that came to life after the master’s return (around 1454) have roughness in the surface of the material, giving the impression of being not fully processed. Undoubtedly statues of Saint Magdalene from the Florence Baptistery and John the Baptist from the Siena Cathedral are genuine works of art that are not limited by the norm. They are a manifestation of the highest degree of drama.

Equestrian statue of Erasmo di Narni / Donatello

The bronze sculptural group of Judith and Holofernes (1456-1457) was originally part of the composition of the fountain (garden of the Palazzo Medici), and is currently located in Piazza della Signoria. Judith is imperturbable, her image is close to the style of the late Gothic statues of the Madonna. The relaxation of her victim greatly shocks the observer, even though the action depicted here does not seem convincing.

The works belonging to Donatello's late style are magnificent: bronze reliefs of two pulpits for the church of San Lorenzo (1460s), which were completed by his students after his death; the furious scenes of the Passion of Christ are among the most piercing in their dramatic works in all Christian art.

Donatello is an Italian sculptor who is a representative of the early Renaissance, the Florentine school. We will talk about his life and works in this article. The biography of this author is unknown in detail, so it is possible to present it only briefly.

Brief biographical information about the sculptor Donatello

The future sculptor Donatello was born in Florence in 1386, in the family of Nicollo di Betto Bardi, a wealthy wool carder. He trained from 1403-1407 in the workshop of a man named Lorenzo Ghiberti. Here he mastered, in particular, the technique. The work of this sculptor was greatly influenced by his acquaintance with another great man - Filippo Brunelleschi. Ghiberti and Brunneleschi remained the master's closest friends for life.

He said that the sculptor Donatello was a very generous person, very kind, treated his friends very well, and never attached importance to money. His students and friends took from him as much as they needed.

Early period of creativity

The activity of this sculptor in the early period, in the 1410s, was associated with municipal orders, which he was given to decorate various public buildings in Florence. For the building of Or San Michele (its facade), Donatello makes statues of St. George (period from 1415 to 1417) and St. Mark (from 1411 to 1413). In 1415 he completed the statue of St. John the Evangelista, who decorated the Florence Cathedral.

In the same year, the construction commission commissioned Donatello to make statues of the prophets to decorate the campanile. The master worked on their creation for almost two decades (from 1416 to 1435). Five figures are in the cathedral museum. "David" and the statues of the prophets (approximately 1430-1432) are in many ways still associated with the late Gothic tradition that existed at that time. The figures are subordinated to an abstract decorative rhythm, the faces are perfectly uniformly interpreted, the bodies are covered with heavy robes. But already in these creations, Donatello tries to convey the new ideal of his era - the heroic individual personality. The sculptor created works of various themes, in which this ideal is manifested. This is especially noticeable in the image of St. Mark (1412), St. George (1415), as well as Habakkuk and Jeremiah (years of creation - 1423-1426). Gradually, the forms acquire clarity, the volumes become solid, the typical is replaced by portraiture, and the folds of the clothes wrap the body naturally, echoing its movement and bends.

Tomb of John XXIII

The sculptor Donatello creates the tomb together with Michelozzo between 1425 and 1427. It became the classic model used for later tombs dating back to the Renaissance. The long-term collaboration of these two sculptors begins with this work.

Casting figures from bronze

At the beginning of the 1420s, Donatello turned to casting figures in bronze. In this material, his first work is a statue of Louis of Toulouse, which was commissioned from him in 1422 to decorate a niche in Or San Michele. This is one of the most remarkable monuments, which reflected the understanding of holiness as a personal achievement that dominated the Renaissance.

David statue

The pinnacle of this master’s work in bronze technique is created around 1430-1432. It is designed, unlike medieval sculpture, to go around in a circle. Another innovation was the theme of nudity, which Donatello addressed. The sculptor depicted David naked, and not in robes, as was customary before, for the first time since the Middle Ages so realistically and on such a large scale.

Other works by Donatello dating from the 1410s to the early 1420s include a lion carved from sandstone, the emblem of Florence, a wooden crucifix for the Church of Santa Croce, a bronze reliquary for the Church of Ognisanti, a bronze figurine housed in the National Museum of Florence under called "Attis Amorino", which is apparently an image of the ancient deity of fertility, Priapus.

Works in relief technique

Donatello's experiments in relief techniques were also revolutionary. The desire for a realistic depiction of illusory space leads the sculptor to create a flattened relief, where the impression of depth is produced through the gradation of volumes. The use of direct perspective techniques enhances the spatial illusion. By “drawing” with a chisel, the sculptor is likened to an artist painting a picture. Let us note here such works as “The Battle of George with the Dragon”, “Pazzi Madonna”, “Herod’s Feast”, “The Ascension of Mary” and others. The architectural background in the pictorial reliefs of this master is depicted using the rules of direct perspective. He managed to create several spatial zones in which the characters are located.

Trip to Rome, second Florentine period

The sculptor Donatello was in Rome from August 1432 to May 1433. Here he, together with Brunelleschi, measures the city’s monuments and studies ancient sculpture. Local residents, according to legend, considered the two friends treasure hunters. Roman impressions are reflected in such works as the tabernacle, made for the Chapel del Sacramento by order of Eugene IV (pope), the Annunciation (otherwise known as the Cavalcanti Altar, see photo below), the singing platform of one of the Florentine cathedrals, as well as the external pulpit, made for the cathedral in Prato (created 1434-1438).

Donatello achieves true classicism in the relief "Herod's Feast", created upon his return from a trip to Rome.

Around 1440, the sculptor creates bronze doors, as well as eight medallions for the Florentine Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo (period from 1435 to 1443). In the four reliefs sculpted from knock, amazing freedom was achieved in the depiction of interiors, buildings and human figures.

Paduan period

Donatello goes to Padua in 1443. This is where the next stage of his creativity begins. He performs the equestrian statue of Erasmo de Narni (Gattamelata statue). Donatello cast it in 1447, and this work was installed a little later - in 1453. The image was the monument to Marcus Aurelius. With the help of the diagonal, which is formed by the sword and the rod of Gattamelata (nickname of Erasmo), as well as the position of the hands, the sculptor Donatello combined the figures of the horse and rider into a solid silhouette. The sculptures he created during this period are truly magnificent. In addition to the above, he performs the altar of St. Anthony of Padua, as well as four reliefs depicting scenes from his life, which are considered the pinnacle of this master’s work in pictorial relief.

Even when Donatello depicts real movement, as in the two statues of St. in Florence (in Casa Martelli and in the Bargello), he confines himself to the most modest. In both cases, St. John is represented as walking, and every last toe participates in this movement. A new secret was wrested from nature.

A distinctive feature of Donatello's skill is that this sculptor depicted energy, strength, comeliness and grace with equal skill. For example, a bas-relief of a marble balcony carved in 1434 in the Cathedral of Prato depicts half-naked geniuses and children playing musical instruments and dancing with wreaths of flowers. Their movements are extremely lively, playful and varied. The same can be said about other marble bas-reliefs made for the Florence Cathedral.

Donatello does not work much in the last years of his stay in Padua. Apparently he is seriously ill. The sculptor returned to Florence in 1453 and continued to live here until his death (in 1466), with the exception of a short trip in 1457 to Siena.

Late Florentine period

Donatello's later work raises many questions. This sculptor did not create many interesting works in his late period of creativity. Sometimes they talk about the decline of his skill, as well as a return to some Gothic techniques. Donatello's sculpture from the 1450s to the early 1460s is represented by a statue of Mary Magdalene (1455, see photo below), made of wood, a group of "Judith and Holofernes", a statue of John the Baptist, reliefs on the themes of the Resurrection and Passion of Christ two pulpits in the Church of San Lorenzo. These works are dominated by the tragic theme that Donatello develops. The sculptor adhered to naturalism in his execution, which bordered on spiritual breakdown. A number of compositions were completed after the master's death by his students - Bertoldo and Bellago.

The sculptor died in 1466. He was buried in the church of San Lorenzo, which was decorated with his works, with great honors. This is how Donatello's career ends. The sculptor, whose biography and works were presented in this article, played a significant role in world architecture. Let us note what it consisted of.

The significance of this master's work

Donatello was a key figure in the history of Renaissance plastic arts. It was he who first began to systematically study the mechanism of movement of the human body, depicted complex mass action, began to interpret clothing in connection with the plasticity of the body and movement, set the task of expressing an individual portrait in sculpture, and focused on conveying the mental life of the characters. He perfected bronze casting and marble modeling. The three-plane relief developed by him indicated the path for the further development of sculpture, as well as painting.

[full name Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi; Italian Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi] (c. 1386, Florence - 12/13/1466, ibid.), Italian sculptor. Renaissance, which contributed to the development of early Renaissance art and the formation of the individual style of individual artists (Andrea Verrocchio and Michelangelo). Worked in the cities of Center. and Sev. Italy. The versatility of D.'s interests allowed him to realize his ideas in various genres (a multi-figure altar, a tombstone, medallions for the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, cardboard for a stained-glass window “The Coronation of Our Lady”, a design of decoration for the celebration of the coronation of Emperor Sigismund (1433, the figure is in Florence Academy)), materials and techniques. D. carried out engineering work during the siege of Lucca (1430). Contemporaries called D. “the great imitator of the ancients.” His creative biography and the origins of the style are clarified by inventories of property for taxation, cadastres, account books, registers and certificates of payments and civil status (Libman. 1962. P. 100. Note 1), notes by Giovanni Cinelli-Calvoli, comments by Antonio di Tuccio Manetti in the biography of Filippo Brunelleschi, as well as information contained in the preface to “Three Books on Painting” by L. B. Alberti and in the biographies of artists and sculptors in the work of B. Fazio (see: Baxandall. 1971. P. 164-167 ), in the “Diary of Poliziano” (A. Polizianos Tagebuch: 1477-1479 / Hrsg. A. Wesselski. Jena, 1929) and in other works and lit. comments of the XV-XVI centuries.

D. was first mentioned in 1404 as one of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s assistants in the preparatory work for the casting of the north. Gate of the Florence Baptistery. His first independent work was the sculpture of the prophet from the phial of Porta della Mandorla (1407) in Orsanmichele. Lacking stability and weight, the fancifully draped figure with a scroll unfolding upward, like the statue of David (1408-1415, National Museum, Florence; apparently associated with the memory of the deliverance of Florence from the Milanese threat and the victory over the Neapolitan cor. Ladislao Durazzo), experienced the influence of works of late Gothic (works by G. Pisano and Tino da Camaino in Siena, Pisa, Prato, Pistoe). Dr. The source of D.'s style was the work of Nanni di Banco, who collaborated with him on the Porta della Mandorla, and Filippo Brunelleschi, who attracted him to the design of the dome of the Florence Cathedral. The work of the Sienese Jacopo della Quercia is closely connected with D.'s quest, whose works are distinguished by their plastic richness and figurative power (reliefs of the portal of the Cathedral of San Petronio in Bologna, 1425-1438).

In 1412 D. was admitted to the guild of St. Luke as a "sculptor and goldsmith" and was involved in the construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. According to E. Panofsky, D., having realized his artistic intentions, “devalued this outstanding public undertaking.” Thus, the stylistic concept of the statue of St. John the Evangelist (1408-1415, Cathedral Museum, Florence) contradicted the tradition of the “international style”; in accordance with the style, approx. 50 sculptures. The energetic integrity of the image, reflecting the humanistic ideal, was achieved not only by means of plasticity, but also by spatial design: the figure of the Ap., placed in a shallow niche at a considerable height. John the Evangelist, as if sitting on an inclined surface, in profile is perceived as a bas-relief (since the back of the statue is cut off), but at the same time it has a monumental quality. To the sculpture of the ap. John the Theologian is close to the image of the apostle. Brand (1411-1413), intended for an external niche c. Orsanmichele. The persuasiveness of the character endowed with spiritual power is achieved thanks to the proportionality of the proportions and the tectonic nature of the figure. Michelangelo, according to the historiographer, said that if ap. Mark was like that, then he “could believe what he wrote.” The statue of St., commissioned by the gunsmith shop for the same church. George (1415-1417, National Museum, Florence) is endowed with “an amazing movement that animates the stone from the inside” (Vasari. 1963. P. 191): the desire for classical clarity and generalization of forms is combined in it with the stable tradition of late Gothic. In the statue and relief on its base “The Battle of St. George with the Dragon" (the first example of the use of linear perspective in sculpture) D. tried to recreate the organic unity of the world and the hero in it.

In the master’s sculptures for the bell tower of the Cathedral in Florence - the prophets Jeremiah (c. 1423-1425), Habakkuk (1427-1435), the group “Sacrifice of Abraham” - Renaissance imagery is combined with natural accuracy, sharpness of linear design and expressiveness of form, akin to the art of sowing . masters, as well as with the convincing verisimilitude characteristic of antiquity. The energetic plasticity of volumes, the naturalness and at the same time angular intensity of poses, the distinctiveness (possibly portraiture) of the characters contributed to the creation of such vivid images that the Florentines found their “prototypes” among their fellow citizens: in the prophet. Jeremiah saw Francesco di Tommaso Soderini, in the prophet. Avvakum (so-called Zuccone) - Giovanni di Barduccio Kerichini, in the prophet. Josiah - Poggio Bracciolini.

Relief composition “Transfer of keys to Ap. Peter" (1430, Victoria and Albert Museum, London), which served as the predella of the original altar of the Brancacci Chapel (Einem. 1967), consecrated in the name of St. Peter. Peter's, is in tune with the chapel's decor program, which emphasizes the idea of ​​the greatness of Florence (“Florentine empire” is one of the myths that determined state policy and fed public consciousness in the 15th century). The relief is seen as a political allegory associated with the personality of Pope Martin V, who in the eyes of his contemporaries personified “libertas Ecclesiae,” who called for crusades against the Hussites and tried to restore the power of papal power. D.'s work echoes Masaccio's fresco in the chapel.

For the pulpit on the facade of the cathedral in Prato, D. (together with Michelozzi Michelozzo) completed 7 compositions (1428-1438), including a picturesque interpretation of space, which distinguished the reliefs for the font of the Siena Baptistery, created by Ghiberti and Jacopo della Quercia in 1417-1434 ., was replaced by architectural-plastic.

Despite the fact that the 30s. XV century in Florence were marked by interest in the Flemish people. traditions (Panofsky. 1971), the works of D., who visited Rome (1431-1433), reflect the influence of ancient art. The small bronze statue of David (1st half of the 30s of the 15th century, National Museum, Florence), which adorned the fountain in the courtyard of the Palazzo Medici, has a closed silhouette, marked by a balance of ascending and descending rhythms. Generalized plasticity reveals the anatomical structure and movement of the body as one walks around the sculpture. This sculpture, probably created under the influence of the ancient statue of Hermes (Palazzo Vecchio) (Libman. 1962. P. 104), embodies the ancient ideal of the naked body, testifies to the independence of the genre of sculpture from architecture and is perceived as a symbol of civil liberties and valor. The synthesis of antiquity and Christianity, the transition from myth to historical time are characteristic of the figurative structure of reliefs depicting the Mother of God (type Madonna dell "umiltà - Madonna Caressing (the so-called Pazzi Madonna, 1422), reminiscent of the profiles of maenads on classical cameos, as well as in " Annunciation" of the Cavalcanti altar (1st half of the 30s of the 15th century, Santa Croce, Florence) and for the reliefs of the parapet of the pulpit for choristers (1433-1438, Cathedral Museum, Florence). Sculpture D., known as Cupid-Attis (1st half of the 30s of the 15th century, commissioned by Agnolo Doni; National Museum, Florence), can be regarded as an allegory of Time, correlating with the text of Heraclitus, cited by St. Hippolytus in the “Refutatio” " - a work available in the West since the Council of Florence (1439) (Janson. 1957. P. 143).

In Siena, D. executed a series of reliefs for the baptistery, showing an impeccable mastery of perspective (for example, “Herod’s Feast”, 1427, - simpler in composition than “Herod’s Feast”, 1441, Vicar Museum in Lille). In Rome, among other things, D. made the tombstone of Giovanni Crivelli, Archbishop. Aquileia (1433, image half erased), installed in c. Santa Maria in Aracheli. In Florence he performed stucco work in the sacristy of the c. San Lorenzo (1433-1443, 4 medallions in the vault sails with scenes about the evangelists, bronze gates). The backgrounds of scenes of simple composition with images of apostles, martyrs, confessors are plastically and aesthetically neutral, close to the ancient understanding of space (Panofsky. 1971. P. 10-11).

His stay in Padua (1443-1453) was associated with D.'s work in the Cathedral of San Antonio (Il Santo; 1447-1450) and the creation of an equestrian monument (1443-1453) to the condottiere Erasmo da Narni, nicknamed Gattamelata. Perhaps D. had connections with someone influential in Padua in the 15th century. Franciscan Order and was invited by the board of trustees of the Minorite Cathedral of San Antonio, for which he created a large, free-standing altar (1485-1552; dismantled in the 17th century, there is a brief description of it by Michele Sanmicheli). Its most reliable reconstruction was created by analogy with the main altar c. San Zeno Maggiore in Verona, designed by Andrea Mantegna (1456-1460), and the altarpiece of the Padua church. Eremitani (1452-1453; work of a student of D. Giovanni da Pisa), which used the principles of antique architectural framing of the Cavalcanti altar. For the altar of Il Santo, 7 figures were cast: the Virgin and Child according to the Maesta type and the upcoming saints. The figure of the Mother of God on the throne is made in the form of a single block. With the Baby in her arms, She seems to overcome the weight of the robe, but is perceived as easily separating from the massive throne. Her head is crowned with a crown depicting cherubs. The innovative concept of the altar established itself as a model in painting (the so-called sacra conversatione by G. Bellini, V. Carpaccio, Giorgione, Perugino, Fra Bartolomeo, Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, etc.); all in. In Italy, this type of image replaced the Gothic polyptych.

The gilded bronze reliefs of the predella of the altar depict the acts of St. Anthony of Padua, described in the book of Secco Polentone kept in the cathedral: “The Miracle of the Donkey”, “The Miracle of the Talking Baby”, “The Miraculous Healing of a Disobedient Son”, “The Heart of a Miser”. Multi-figure scenes with detailed elaboration of individual poses, gestures and movements contain a detailed depiction of the plots. The ancient motifs of individual episodes are identifiable. Thus, the scene “Miraculous Healing of a Disobedient Son” is reminiscent of “The Torment of Pentheus” (the sarcophagus of Pentheus in the Pisan Camposanto; see: Panofsky. 1998. P. 281).

Achieving the illusion of continuous development of the composition through the choice of a low horizon line (“The Miracle of the Donkey”) and the dynamics of movements of groups of characters in their opposition (“The Miser’s Heart”), D. anticipated the quest of 16th-century artists. So, masters Sev. Italy often borrowed these artistic techniques from D. (Bernardo Rossellino, Desiderio da Settignano, Luca della Robbia).

D.'s stay in Padua contributed to the emergence of a school of bronze casting there (N. Pizzolo, B. Bellani, A. Riccio, etc.).

Simultaneously with the start of work in Il Santo (1443), D. began the execution of a monument (cenotaph) to the condottiere Gattamelata, paid for by the Venetian Republic. Instead of tradition. for the posthumous monuments of the wall tomb (the tomb of Baldassare Cossa, antipope John XXIII, 1425-1427; together with Michelozzo - the Florentine Baptistery), D. cast an equestrian statue in bronze, raised on a 9-meter plinth. Perhaps the sources of inspiration were the statue of Marcus Aurelius (2nd century) in Rome, the funerary equestrian monuments of the North. Italy (for example, the monument to P. Savelli in the Venetian church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari). The picturesque prototype of the equestrian statue is considered to be the painting of P. Uccello, with the image of the condottiere J. Hawkwood (1436, Santa Maria del Fiore), which replaced the work of A. Gaudi and G. d'Arrigo. The monumental and severe simplicity of the compositionally flawless group is achieved by the generalization of forms, combined with careful elaboration of details and portraiture of the rider's face. D.'s sculpture influenced the painting of Andrea del Castagno. The monument to Gattamelata became the prototype for the fresco "Monument to Niccolò da Tolentino" (1456), "David" (1430-1432) was reflected in the image of "Farinata" ( 1450-1455), and “St. George” (1407) - in the figure of “Pippo Spano” (1450-1455), later the equestrian monument of B. Colleoni by Andrea Verrocchio (Piazza Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice).

The sculptural group “Judith and Holofernes” with Bacchic scenes on a pedestal (c. 1457-1460; in front of the Palazzo Vecchio), which served as the top of a fountain in the garden of the Palazzo Medici, caused criticism due to its artistic execution, but D., according to G. Vasari, considered it one of his best works. In the stern and passionate image of Judith they see the personification of Temperance and Chastity, or Humility, which defeated Pride, in Holofernes - Intemperance and Adultery (here they also see a political implication: the fiend of vice means Alphonse of Aragon, Corr. of Naples).

In 1460, D. began creating reliefs on the theme “The Passion of Christ” for 2 bronze pulpits (2.8 × 2.92 m) of the central nave of the Florentine church. San Lorenzo (completed by students D.-B. Bellano and G. di Bertoldo; 1461-1466, installed in 1515). Solved in high relief, unusual for D., 6 compositions of the south. The pulpits are made on the theme of the mystical transfigurations of Jesus Christ.

On 5 reliefs of the north. The department presents subjects, the choice and placement of which are far from traditional: “Christ before Caiaphas”, “Christ before Pilate”, “The Descent from the Cross”, “The Entombment”, “The Descent into Hell”, “The Ascension”. Made using the low-relief technique, they are marked by picturesque softness and freedom of interpretation. Compositions full of impulsive movement are likened to “plastic visions”. The creation of this illusionistic effect is facilitated by the gradual flattening of the relief towards the center and the introduction of figures flanking the central scenes (“Entombment”); Such a compositional feature began to be used in the 16th century, as well as another discovery by D. - “cuts” of figures with the edge of the frame, giving the compositions incompleteness (for example, thieves on crosses in the scene “Descent from the Cross”). Gestures and plastic poses, revealing strong emotional impulses from silent despair to fury (“Crucifixion”), express the essence of the story.

For D.'s later works (wooden statue for the Florentine baptistery "Mary Magdalene", ca. 1456, Cathedral Museum, Florence; bronze sculpture of St. John the Baptist, 1457, Cathedral, Siena), revealing themes of detachment from the world, repentance, outcast old age is characterized by a heightened dramatism of the artist’s worldview, which is associated with the vicissitudes of his biography and the turning point in the art of Italy.

Source: Cinelli Calvoli G. Della biblioteca volante. Firenze etc., 1677-1739. 23 Pt. in 6 vol.; Vasari J. Lives of the most famous painters, sculptors and architects / Translation: A. I. Venediktov, A. G. Gabrichevsky. M., 1963. T. 2. P. 187-208.

Lit.: Venturi A. Storia dell" arte italiana. Mil., 1908. Vol. 6: La Sculpura del Quattrocento; Morisani O. Studi su Donatello. Venezia, 1952; Janson H. W. The Sculpture of Donatello. Princeton, 1957. 2 vol.; Pope -Hennessy J. W. An Introd. to Italian Sculpture. L.; N. Y., 1958. Pt. 2: Italian Renaissance Sculpture; idem. Donatello. Firenze, 1985; Libman M. Ya. On the iconography of the statue of Donatello // Art. 1959 No. 9. pp. 72-75; aka Donatello. M., 1962; Seymour Ch. Sculpture in Italy: 1400 to 1500. Baltimore, 1966; Einem H., von. Masaccios "Zingsgroschen". Köln, 1967; Baxandall M. Giotto and the Orators: Humanist Observers of Painting in Italy and the Discovery of Pictorial Composition, 1350-1450. Oxf., 1971. P. 164-167; Panofsky E. The Early Netherlandish Painting. N. Y., 1971. 2 vols. .; aka [Panofsky E.]. Renaissance and “renaissances” in the art of the West / Translated by: A. G. Gabrichevsky. M., 1998. P. 146-151; Dvorak M. History of Italian art in the Renaissance: Course of lectures / Translated, commentary: I. E. Babanov. M., 1978. T. 1. P. 66-119. Il. 44-80; Parronchi A. Donatello e il potere. Firenze; Bologna, 1980; Smirnova I. A . Art of Italy con. XIII - XV centuries M., 1987.

T. Yu. Oblitsova

Donatello (full name Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi) is an Italian Renaissance sculptor, representative of the Florentine school. Years of life - 1386-1466.

Donatello, as the great artist and sculptor of the Florentine Renaissance is commonly called, was born in the vicinity of Florence in 1386. His father, the wealthy wool carder Niccolo di Betto Bardi, could have educated his son. But the head of the family died when the boy was not yet fifteen years old.

At first, Donatello, forced to earn a living by his own labor, was apprenticed to a jeweler and worked as an apprentice in a small town in the suburbs of Florence. Beginning in 1403, for four years, the future great sculptor worked in the foundry of Bicci di Lorenzo, mastering the technique of bronze casting, which marked the beginning of his brilliant biography.

The young man's tuition was paid for by a wealthy patron and philanthropist, the Florentine banker Martelli, who was fond of high art. Lorenzo Ghiberti became the teacher of Donatello and his peer Filippo Brunelleschi, who later became a famous architect. These two remained the sculptor’s best friends for life, and their paths crossed more than once after graduation.

Creation

In 1404, both aspiring sculptors, Brunelleschi and Donatello, went to Rome to complete their studies. Soon after returning to Florence, the young sculptor creates his first works - a high relief depicting the Annunciation and the first statue of David in marble. This sculpture still has strong echoes of Gothic traditions, but it is valuable because it is considered the first reliable work of the sculptor that has survived to this day.

Statue of Donatello "Marble David" and bas-relief "Annunciation"

In subsequent years, the sculptor worked on orders from the city, creating sculptures and bas-reliefs for various public buildings and religious buildings. Thus, for the facade of the Orsanmichele Church, built with donations from parishioners as a token of gratitude for deliverance from the plague, Donatello created sculptural images of a seated John the Evangelist and a standing Saint Mark.

In 1415-1416, the sculptor worked on a statue of St. George, intended for the same cathedral. In the figure of St. George the Victorious one can already clearly discern distinct features of realism, graceful proportions of the figure, a clear celebration of the beauty of the human body in the proud posture and face of the young man shining with courage. These features of Donatello's work are associated with his passion for ancient art and the skill of ancient Greek and Roman masters.

Statue of Donatello "St. George"

Traditionally, it was customary to depict George on horseback, with a spear in his hands, most often at the moment when a brave warrior pierces the dragon or snake with which he was fighting. Donatello depicts the young and beautiful saint in a moment of calm and awareness of his own victory, standing, leaning on his shield and confidently looking forward.

In the period from 1416 to 1432, the sculptor worked on orders from the city, creating one after another statues of the prophets. In the early works of the master, late Gothic traditions are still clearly visible: static figures, dense folds of clothing hiding bodies, typical, expressionless facial features.

Donatello "Prophets" statues

With each subsequent statue, Donatello gets closer and closer to the realism of antiquity and the late Renaissance, as if real people appeared through the marble, and not biblical legends and canonical types. Already in the features of St. George, portraiture and individuality slip through, and further works become even more plastic, the figures and poses are more natural, the folds of clothing fit the body, echoing their curves and movements.

Donatello's next masterpiece was the tombstone for the tomb of Pope John XXIII. In collaboration with the architect Bartolommeo di Michelozzo, he created a kind of model for the further design of the burials of leading Catholic clergy. The recumbent figure of the pope belongs to Donatello's carver, and Michelozzo worked on the tomb.

In 1420, the artist returned to the technique of bronze casting, which he had perfectly mastered during his apprenticeship. From 1422 to 1429, Donatello created several bronze masterpieces, which marked the beginning of a whole movement in Renaissance sculptor. He worked on large statues and small figures, including for the Baptistery in Sienna.

The pinnacle of Donatello's creativity using bronze casting technique is considered to be the second statue of David he cast in 1430-1432. The conqueror of Goliath is depicted in the prime of youth and glory. A young man in a shepherd’s hat, completely naked, stands with his foot on the head of the fallen giant. The revolutionary nature of Donatello's masterpiece lies in the fact that David became the first free-standing nude image designed for all-round viewing since antiquity.

David once stood on a column in the courtyard of the Palazzo Medici in Florence, then, after the overthrow of the Medici, he was moved to the courtyard of the Signoria. Donatello's masterpiece became a kind of symbol of Florence's struggle for independence, and today it can be seen in the Bargello Museum.

Bronze statue of Donatello "David"

In addition to statues, the sculptor also worked with bas-reliefs, radically changing existing traditions and techniques. In an effort to give the image realism, Donatello carefully carved out the foreground figures, giving them volume and plasticity, and made the background characters graphic, “flattened.” The master achieved depth to the picturesque reliefs using an architectural technique, bringing the lines to one point on the “horizon”.

In 1432-1433, Donatello again traveled to Rome, where he met his friend, the Roman Brunelleschi, and began to study ancient masterpieces of architecture and sculpture. The result was the master’s subsequent works, in which the classics of antiquity were revealed, expressed in simple lines, realistic figures, portraits, clear faces with clear individual features.

Personal life

Almost nothing is known about the master’s personal life, but historians have preserved the details of the creative biography of Donatello, who is considered the founder of the Renaissance traditions in sculpture.

The skill of the mature Florentine was manifested in the reliefs he created in the 40s: “The Vision of John on the Island of Patmos”, “The Resurrection of Drusiana”, “Release from a Cauldron of Boiling Oil” and “The Ascension to Heaven”.

Relief of Donatello's Ascension into Heaven

In the compositions, instead of calm and static, movement, drama, aggravation of the psychological characteristics of the characters and the depth of the images appeared.

In 1443, Donatello went to Padua, where four years later he cast an equestrian statue of Erasmo de Narni, the Venetian condottiere nicknamed Gattamelata. The rider and horse, standing at the intersection of streets, are combined into a harmonious composition, emphasized by the diagonal formed by the knight’s sword and staff.

Statue of Donatello "Erasmo de Narni"

Upon returning from Padua, where several more wonderful reliefs and a church altar emerged from under the master’s chisel, Donatello no longer worked so hard and productively. Beginning in 1453, he lived in his native Florence and, apparently, was seriously ill. Thoughts about death, illness, suffering, and the futility of earthly existence are reflected in the works of the master of the late period.

Death

Some art historians call the last period of Donatello's work decadent, a return to Gothic traditions, and talk about the predominance of spiritual expression, breakdown, and tragedy to the detriment of the realism of classical sculpture.

Statue of Donatello "Mary Magdalene"

Among the sculptor’s latest works, the bronze group “Judith and Holofernes”, created around 1456, and the wooden statue of Mary Magdalene, complete with dramatic damage, stand out. The saint was always depicted young, in society, grieving over his death or rejoicing at the Ascension of the Lord. Donatello created the image of Mary in her old age, showing her tired and exhausted. Magdalene is a tormented woman, an ascetic recluse, emaciated, thin, with sunken eyes and a sad expression on her face.

The great sculptor died in 1466, leaving his descendants with many magnificent masterpieces.

Works

• tomb of John XXIII;
• marble statue of David;
• bronze statue of David;
• statue of Mark the Evangelist;
• statue of the Evangelist John;
• equestrian statue of Gattamelata;
• bronze dancing Atis;
• Madonna and Child with Saints Francis and Anthony (bronze);
• Mary Magdalene (tree);
• Prophet Habakkuk;
• Saint George;
• Saint Rossore Reliquary;
• Judith and Olfern.