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82-711: Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( c.  1386 – 13 December 1466), known mononymously as Donatello ( English: / ˌ d ɒ n ə ˈ t ɛ l oʊ / ; Italian: [donaˈtɛllo] ), was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period . Born in Florence , he studied classical sculpture and used his knowledge to develop an Early Renaissance style of sculpture. He spent time in other cities, where he worked on commissions and taught others; his periods in Rome, Padua , and Siena introduced to other parts of Italy

164-594: A Latinized version (where "u" become "v", and "j" becomes "i") of his family surname , "Arouet, l[e] j[eune]" ("Arouet, the young"); it reversed the syllables of the name of the town his father came from, Airvault; and it has implications of speed and daring through similarity to French expressions such as voltige , volte-face and volatile . "Arouet" would not have served the purpose, given that name's associations with " roué " and with an expression that meant "for thrashing". The 19th-century French author Marie-Henri Beyle (1783–1842) used many pen names , most famously

246-661: A combination of two personal names typically given by a Buddhist monk. There are no inherited family names; instead, Bhutanese differentiate themselves with nicknames or prefixes. In the Near East 's Arab world, the Syrian poet Ali Ahmad Said Esber (born 1930) at age 17 adopted the mononym pseudonym, Adunis , sometimes also spelled "Adonis". A perennial contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, he has been described as

328-545: A connection with the powerful Buonaccorso Pitti , whose diary records a fight in Pisa in 1380 in which Niccolò intervened, giving Pitti's opponent a fatal blow. Vasari's claim that Donatello was raised and educated in the house of the prominent Martelli family is probably baseless, and given for literary, even political reasons. They were certainly later keen patrons of Donatello, and also commissioned work from Vasari himself. Donatello's first appearance in any documentary records

410-546: A highly important architect, while Donatello began his career in sculpture. Donatello is recorded as working as an apprentice, and for the last few months on a salary, in the studio of Lorenzo Ghiberti in 1404–1407, apparently working on the workshop's main project, the bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery , and from 1406 on he began stone carving at the cathedral for the Porta della Mandorla on its north side,

492-519: A large project that was still some years from completion. He was paid in November 1406 for a figure of a prophet on the door, most probably the one for the left pinnacle (now in the Museo dell' Opera del Duomo , the cathedral museum). Giovanni d'Ambrogio , whose work, according to Kreytenberg, "provided a decisive impetus for the emergence of Renaissance sculpture", has been described by Manfred Wundram as

574-661: A lifetime. In European and American histories, prominent Native Americans are usually mononymous, using a name that was frequently garbled and simplified in translation. For example, the Aztec emperor whose name was preserved in Nahuatl documents as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin was called "Montezuma" in subsequent histories. In current histories he is often named Moctezuma II , using the European custom of assigning regnal numbers to hereditary heads of state. Some French authors have shown

656-536: A long time. Another type of work for sculptors was coats of arms and other heraldic pieces for the outsides of the palazzi of the great families of the city, of which Donatello made a number. Donatello also restored antique sculptures for the Palazzo Medici . The breakup of the partnership with Michelozzo seems to have been partly precipitated by Donatello's delays in doing his part in the commission for an exterior pulpit for Prato Cathedral ; highlights in

738-509: A peasant, at which Donatello challenged him to do something better; he then produced the Brunelleschi Crucifix . At the time Brunelleschi's more classical figure was probably considered to have won the contest, but modern tastes may dispute this. Donatello became famous for his reliefs , especially his development of a very "low" or shallow relief style, called stiacciato (literally "flattened-out"), where all parts of

820-624: A person may select a single name from their polynym or adopt a mononym as a chosen name, pen name , stage name , or regnal name . A popular nickname may effectively become a mononym, in some cases adopted legally. For some historical figures, a mononym is the only name that is still known today. The word mononym comes from English mono- ("one", "single") and -onym ("name", "word"), ultimately from Greek mónos (μόνος, "single"), and ónoma (ὄνομα, "name"). The structure of persons' names has varied across time and geography. In some societies, individuals have been mononymous, receiving only

902-467: A preference for mononyms. In the 17th century, the dramatist and actor Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622–73) took the mononym stage name Molière. In the 18th century, François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778) adopted the mononym Voltaire , for both literary and personal use, in 1718 after his imprisonment in Paris' Bastille , to mark a break with his past. The new name combined several features. It was an anagram for

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984-494: A relatively new medium for him. Ghiberti had been involved from 1417 for a project for the font at the Siena Baptistery ; it seems to have been his idea to have six bronze, rather than marble, reliefs, and these were allocated to him, Jacopo della Quercia , and a local father and son team. By 1423 Ghiberti had not even started work, and one relief, The Feast of Herod was given to Donatello instead (the overall subject

1066-472: A single name. Alulim , first king of Sumer , is one of the earliest names known; Narmer , an ancient Egyptian pharaoh , is another. In addition, Biblical names like Adam , Eve , Moses , or Abraham , were typically mononymous, as were names in the surrounding cultures of the Fertile Crescent . Ancient Greek names like Heracles , Homer , Plato , Socrates , and Aristotle , also follow

1148-493: A sword or lance; the client would have been able to supply these pieces in bronze. The gilt-bronze Saint Louis of Toulouse dates to some years later, 1423–25. It is now in the museum of the Basilica di Santa Croce , having been replaced in 1460 by the bronze Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Verrocchio . It is technically very unusual, as it was built up from a number of sections cast and gilded separately, necessitated by

1230-412: A tightly-stretched unified skin-plane which is scarcely broken in surface relief to suggest a deep, though not limitless, space". The relief does not provide a "completely coherent system of perspective" (nor did any Italian work for some five or six years after), but the arcaded hall on the right represents a partial scheme of perspective. His next major development in this direction was in bronze, still

1312-767: A tradition of single names. In modern times, in countries that have long been part of the East Asian cultural sphere (Japan, the Koreas, Vietnam, and China), mononyms are rare. An exception pertains to the Emperor of Japan . Mononyms are common in Indonesia , especially in Javanese names . Single names still also occur in Tibet . Most Afghans also have no surname. In Bhutan , most people use either only one name or

1394-619: A variant of these traditionally called spiritelli (" imps " or "sprites"). Putti were not new in Italian sculpture, but were given a rather unusual prominence by Donatello. Some early examples are three out of a group of six freestanding bronze spiritelli on the cover for the font of the Siena Baptistery (1429), standing over his earlier relief of the Feast of Herod discussed above. One dances and two play musical instruments. They have been said to be "the first true free-standing figurines of

1476-545: A variety of depths and sizes, and in different materials. Around 1425 Donatello entered into a formal partnership with Michelozzo , who is mainly remembered as an architect, but was also a sculptor, especially of smaller-scale works in metal. He had trained with the mint making dies for coins, where he still had a salaried position. Michelozzo was the younger by about ten years, and they had probably known each other for years. Michelozzo wanted to extract himself from an arrangement with Ghiberti, and Donatello had too much work, and

1558-437: Is now in the cathedral museum. This was placed with the base about 3 metres from the ground, and Donatello adjusts his composition with this in mind; since 2015 it and other cathedral sculptures have been displayed at their original heights. In 1415 the cathedral authorities decided to revive and complete medieval projects, and add eight lifesize marble figures for the niches of the higher levels of Giotto's Campanile adjoining

1640-521: Is presented to two figures, one presumably Herodias. It does not represent a full one-point perspective scheme, as there are two vanishing points , perhaps intended to create subliminal impressions of tension and disharmony in the viewer, reflecting the grisly subject. Other stiacciato reliefs include The Assumption of the Virgin in the wall-tomb in Sant'Angelo a Nilo , Naples, (1426-1428, see below),

1722-420: Is shallower than the others, but Donatello turns this to his advantage, pushing the figure forward into space, and with the "anxious look" on the face suggesting alertness or prontezza , "the quality above all others singled out for praise in the successive Renaissance eulogies of the work". Holes and the shape of a hand suggest that the figure was originally fitted with a wreath or helmet on his head, and carried

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1804-444: Is the biography of Brunelleschi by Antonio Manetti (1423–1497), who knew both men, but it was written after their deaths in the 1470s. Vasari just repeats a shorter version of Manetti's account, according to which both men were able to support themselves by jobs for Roman goldsmiths , which probably represented important training for Donatello. Perhaps they were also able to sell excavated sculptures. Brunelleschi subsequently became

1886-440: Is unknown. After the final result in late 1402, or early 1403, they seem to have left for Rome together, staying until at least the next year, to study the artistic and architectural remains left by Ancient Rome , then very abundant, though for the most part still buried. They were very early in this effectively archaeological pursuit, which included measuring remains, and hiring labourers to excavate. The main source for this period

1968-648: Is unpromising; in January 1401, at the age of about 15, he was accused in Pistoia , 25 miles from Florence and then controlled by it, of hitting a German with a stick, drawing blood. He was probably there with his father, who had an official job in Pistoia at the time, while Buonaccorso Pitti was the Captain, or governor. While there Donatello appears to have befriended, and perhaps worked with, Filippo Brunelleschi , who

2050-513: The Virgin and Child , mostly for homes, had long been a staple for Italian painters, and becoming affordable ever lower down the income scale. Now sculptors were producing them as reliefs, in a variety of materials, and with the cheaper terracotta or plaster ones often painted. The attribution of the large numbers of such images is often difficult, especially as the style of Donatello and contemporaries such as Ghiberti continued to be used for them for

2132-483: The International Gothic style he learned from Lorenzo Ghiberti , with classically informed pieces, and further on a number of stark, even brutal pieces. The sensuous eroticism of his most famous work, the bronze David , is very rarely seen in other pieces. All accounts describe Donatello as amiable and well-liked, but rather poor at the business side of his career. Like (not only) Michelangelo in

2214-654: The Madonna of the Clouds and Pazzi Madonna , both c. 1425−1430 and domestic pieces respectively with and without a carved background, The Ascension with Christ Giving the Keys to Saint Peter (1428–30), for an unknown location but in the Medici collection by the end of the century, and a small Virgin and Child (perhaps 1426, probably by his workshop). At all times Donatello and his workshop made more conventional reliefs, at

2296-457: The Tomb of Antipope John XXIII in the Florence Baptistery ; the executors were Giovanni de' Medici and Medici supporters. Donatello made the recumbent bronze figure of the deceased, and Michelozzo, with assistants, the several figures in stone. The tomb, elegantly integrating a variety of elements into a narrow vertical space, in a classicizing style, made a great impact and "became the model for

2378-434: The linen -weavers guild. Viewing the finished statue at ground level, the weavers did not like it. Donatello got them to put it in its niche and cover it up while he worked to improve it. After two weeks under cover, he showed it in position, without having done any work on it, and they happily accepted it. It has a contrapposto pose, with the robe on the leg bearing the weight in straight "vertical drapery folds resembling

2460-637: The republic , who placed in the seat of government, the Palazzo Vecchio . It was "one of the early cases in monumental sculpture where he is portrayed as a youth", rather than the King of Israel, and "teeters between the Gothic and Renaissance worlds". In 1409–1411 he executed the colossal seated figure of Saint John the Evangelist , which occupied a niche of the old cathedral façade until 1588, and

2542-404: The "true mentor of Donatello". By early 1408 Donatello had acquired sufficient reputation to be given the commission for a life-size prophet for the cathedral, to be paired with another by Nanni di Banco , a brilliant sculptor of Donatello's age, who seems to have been both a rival and friend. In the end they were not placed as intended, probably because they appeared too small from far below, and

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2624-401: The 17th and 18th centuries, most Italian castrato singers used mononyms as stage names (e.g. Caffarelli , Farinelli ). The German writer, mining engineer, and philosopher Georg Friedrich Philipp Freiherr von Hardenberg (1772–1801) became famous as Novalis . The 18th-century Italian painter Bernardo Bellotto , who is now ranked as an important and original painter in his own right, traded on

2706-453: The 18th century; it was known as the "White Colossus" or homo magnus et albus ("Large White Man"). Another large-scale sculptural project in the city was the completion of the statues for the niches around the outside of the rectangular Orsanmichele , a building owned by the guilds of Florence , which was in the process of turning itself from a grain market to a church on the ground floor, still with offices above. There were 14 niches around

2788-463: The Donatello appears to be lost. From now on he received a series of commissions for full-size statues for prominent public locations. These are now among his most famous works, but after about 1425 he produced few sculptures of this type. His marble David may date from around this time, or slightly later, perhaps 1412. He was commissioned to rework it in 1416, the cathedral surrendering it to

2870-465: The Florence cantoria frieze (see below), they are not believed to have actually been carved by him. The Prato authorities were unhappy, and the ten years it had taken to get them finished seems to have strained relations with Michelozzo, and the partnership was not renewed in 1434. The two remained on amicable terms, and were to collaborate later. The pulpit reliefs are now replaced by replicas, with

2952-641: The Florentine Arte della Lana , the wool workers guild, which probably provided a good income. Donatello's actual surname was therefore Bardi , but if he was related to the well known Bardi family of bankers, it seems to have been rather distantly. The banker Bardis were still wealthy and powerful, despite the default of Edward III of England in 1345 having caused the failure of their bank. After Contessina de' Bardi married Cosimo de' Medici around 1415, any connection he had might still have been useful to Donatello. However, Donatello's father did have

3034-514: The Quattrocento wall-tomb whenever an elaborate or particular impressive expression was wanted" with variations found well into the next century. After his death in 1427, the partnership took on the funerary monument of Cardinal Rainaldo Brancacci , a Medici ally, at the church of Sant'Angelo a Nilo in Naples . The work was done at Pisa on the coast, and the pieces shipped south. A donkey

3116-540: The Renaissance" and were enormously influential, expressing "what was at the heart of the Renaissance—the classical reborn into the Christian". His most famous work in this genre is his relief frieze for the cantoria or singing gallery of Florence Cathedral. There are two of these galleries rather high on the walls of the nave. Luca della Robbia had been given the commission for the first in 1431, and Donatello for

3198-454: The best. An attempt was made to get the two to share the commission, but amid bitter recriminations that lasted for years, this failed and Ghiberti was given the whole commission. Ghiberti himself on the other hand (and the only contemporary voice) claimed in his Commentarii that the vote went unanimously for him, including the competing artists. Any part played by the adolescent Donatello, presumably assisting Brunelleschi with his trial piece,

3280-592: The bronze David has a hole under his chin, and a patch on his thigh. Donatello certainly made drawings, probably especially for reliefs. In the case of his stained glass designs and perhaps other works these were his whole contribution. Vasari claimed to have several in his collection, which he praised highly: "I have both nude and draped figures, various animals which astound anyone who sees them, and other beautiful things..". But very few, if any, surviving drawings are now accepted as probably by his own hand, and these are strong and lively sketches with figures, such as

3362-440: The cathedral buildings was to remain a concern for the rest of the century; Michelangelo's David was intended for such a place, but proved too heavy to raise and support. Donatello, with Brunelleschi, proposed a large but lightweight solution, and made a prophet Joshua with a brick core, then a modelled layer of clay or terracotta, all painted white. This was put in place on the cathedral some time after 1415, and remained until

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3444-512: The cathedral, as well as complete a row on the cathedral facade (in which Donatello was not involved). All the figures for the campanile series were removed in 1940, to be replaced by replicas with the originals moved to the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. They were placed very high, and so were seen from a distance, at a sharp angle, factors which needed allowing for in the compositions, and made "fine detail virtually useless for visual effect"; Since 2015

3526-541: The city's economy. The commission began in 1428, but Donatello did not begin work on his allotted areas for years, despite relentless chasing by the Prato authorities, and finally Cosimo de' Medici . Donatello's reliefs of dancing children for the pulpit, "a veritable bacchanalian dance of half-nude putti, pagan in spirit, passionate in its wonderful rhythmic movement", were finally delivered in 1438, and it seems that though designed by Donatello, perhaps using his first idea for

3608-618: The clan) – the nomen and cognomen were almost always hereditary. Mononyms in other ancient cultures include Hannibal , the Celtic queen Boudica , and the Numidian king Jugurtha . During the early Middle Ages , mononymity slowly declined, with northern and eastern Europe keeping the tradition longer than the south. The Dutch Renaissance scholar and theologian Erasmus is a late example of mononymity; though sometimes referred to as "Desiderius Erasmus" or "Erasmus of Rotterdam", he

3690-643: The classicising architectural framework. This "first clearly defines the Early Renaissance wall-tabernacle type" and was very influential. There was also the old-fashioned tomb slab for the cleric Giovanni Crivelli in Santa Maria in Aracoeli , which might well not be attributed to Donatello if he had not signed it. It is not clear whether a workshop was opened in Rome, or if these were carved in Florence and shipped down. It has been speculated that

3772-552: The difficulty of fire-gilding a whole over-life size figure. The collaboration with Michelozzo may have begun with this piece, and 1423 marks the beginning of Donatello's documented work in bronze, with three recorded commissions that year: the Saint Louis , a reliquary bust of Saint Rossore , and the relief for the Siena Baptistery discussed below. Michelozzo had great experience with bronze, and no doubt helped with

3854-686: The emperor and his family have no surname, only a given name, such as Hirohito , which in practice in Japanese is rarely used: out of respect and as a measure of politeness, Japanese prefer to say "the Emperor" or "the Crown Prince". Roman Catholic popes have traditionally adopted a single, regnal name upon their election . John Paul I broke with this tradition – adopting a double name honoring his two predecessors – and his successor John Paul II followed suit, but Benedict XVI reverted to

3936-583: The flutes of a Doric column." Like most of the Orsanmichele statues, this has been moved to the museum inside, and replaced by a replica. About 1415 to 1417 he completed the marble Saint George for the Confraternity of the Cuirass -makers or armourers; the important relief on the base is discussed below, and was slightly later. Because of a staircase on the other side of the wall, the niche

4018-518: The greatest living poet of the Arab world. In the West, mononymity, as well as its use by royals in conjunction with titles, has been primarily used or given to famous people such as prominent writers, artists , entertainers , musicians and athletes . The comedian and illusionist Teller , the silent half of the duo Penn & Teller , legally changed his original polynym, Raymond Joseph Teller, to

4100-460: The imposition of Western-style names, one of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was for all provinces and territories to waive fees to allow Indigenous people to legally assume traditional names, including mononyms. In Ontario , for example, it is now legally possible to change to a single name or register one at birth, for members of Indigenous nations which have

4182-451: The mononym "Teller" and possesses a United States passport issued in that single name. While some have chosen their own mononym, others have mononyms chosen for them by the public. Oprah Winfrey , American talk show host, is usually referred to by only her first name, Oprah. Elvis Presley , American singer, is usually referred to by only his first name, Elvis. Western computer systems do not always support monynyms, most still requiring

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4264-470: The mononym Stendhal, adapted from the name of the little Prussian town of Stendal , birthplace of the German art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann , whom Stendhal admired. Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, 1820–1910) was an early French photographer. In the 20th century, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873–1954, author of Gigi , 1945), used her actual surname as her mononym pen name, Colette. In

4346-644: The mononymous pseudonym Witkacy, a conflation of his surname ( Witkiewicz ) and middle name ( Ignacy ). Monarchs and other royalty , for example Napoleon , have traditionally availed themselves of the privilege of using a mononym, modified when necessary by an ordinal or epithet (e.g., Queen Elizabeth II or Charles the Great ). This is not always the case: King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has two names. While many European royals have formally sported long chains of names, in practice they have tended to use only one or two and not to use surnames . In Japan,

4428-537: The mononymous pseudonym of his uncle and teacher, Antonio Canal ( Canaletto ), in those countries—Poland and Germany—where his famous uncle was not active, calling himself likewise "Canaletto". Bellotto remains commonly known as "Canaletto" in those countries to this day. The 19th-century Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820–87), better known by his mononymous pen name Multatuli (from the Latin multa tuli , "I have suffered [or borne ] many things"), became famous for

4510-401: The museum's new displays show this and other statues for the cathedral at the intended original heights. Donatello was responsible for six of the eight campanile figures, in two cases working with the younger Nanni di Bartolo ( il Rosso ). The commissions and starts stretched between 1414 and 1423, and while most were completed by 1421, the last of his statues was not finished until 1435. This

4592-565: The name. A departure from this custom occurred, for example, among the Romans , who by the Republican period and throughout the Imperial period used multiple names : a male citizen's name comprised three parts (this was mostly typical of the upper class, while others would usually have only two names): praenomen (given name), nomen (clan name) and cognomen (family line within

4674-523: The next century, he tended to accept more commissions than he could handle, and many works were either completed some years late, handed to other sculptors to finish, or never produced. Again like Michelangelo, he enjoyed steady support and patronage from the Medici family . All sources agree that he carved stone and modelled clay or wax for bronzes very quickly and confidently, and art historians feel able to distinguish his hand from that of others, even within

4756-588: The original in the Bargello Museum. Before about 1410 he made the painted wooden crucifix now in Santa Croce , which features in a famous story in Vasari. It portrays a very realistic Christ in a moment of agony, eyes, and mouth partially opened, the body contracted in an ungraceful posture. According to the story, Donatello proudly showed it to Brunelleschi, who complained it made Christ look like

4838-404: The outside, and each of the main guilds was responsible for one, normally choosing their patron saint. The location had the advantage that the niches were much lower than on the cathedral, with the feet of the statues some three metres above ground level. Nevertheless, according to a story in Vasari, Donatello had trouble with his first statue for Orsanmichele, a marble St. Mark (1411–1413) for

4920-499: The pattern, with epithets (similar to second names) only used subsequently by historians to distinguish between individuals with the same name, as in the case of Zeno the Stoic and Zeno of Elea ; likewise, patronymics or other biographic details (such as city of origin, or another place name or occupation the individual was associated with) were used to specify whom one was talking about, but these details were not considered part of

5002-417: The rather weathered originals displayed inside the cathedral. A factor in the delay was probably Donatello's travelling, which increased from about 1430, after a long period of steady work and residence in Florence after his return from Rome in about 1404. In 1430 he worked with Brunelleschi at Lucca on the construction of a defensive dyke and wall, and later in the year visited Pisa, Lucca again and finished

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5084-616: The relief are low. This contrasted with the developing technique of other sculptors who included very high and low relief in the same composition, with Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise" doors (1424-1451) for the Florence Baptistery a leading example. Donatello's "first milestone" in the technique is his marble Saint George Freeing the Princess on the base of his Saint George for Orsanmichele. The figures project slightly forward, but "by skilful overlaps are brought back into

5166-446: The round, he developed a new, very shallow, type of bas-relief for small works, and a good deal of his output was architectural reliefs for pulpits , altars and tombs, as well as Madonna and Child s for homes. Broad, overlapping, phases can be seen in his style, beginning with the development of expressiveness and classical monumentality in statues, then developing energy and charm, mostly in smaller works. Early on he veered away from

5248-495: The same work. Italian Renaissance sculptors nearly always used assistants, with the master often giving parts of a piece over to them, but Donatello, who would perhaps not have been good at managing a large workshop like that of Ghiberti, seems to have had at most times a relatively small number of experienced assistants, some of whom became significant masters in their own right. The technical quality of his work can vary, especially in bronze pieces, where casting faults may occur; even

5330-491: The same year, and he seems to have died in modest circumstances, although this may not have been of concern to him; "he was very happy in his old age" according to Vasari. Donatello was born in Florence, probably in 1386, based on his own later statement in his catasto tax declaration; he claimed to be 41 years old in July 1427. He was the son of Niccolò di Betto Bardi, who was a "wool-stretcher" ( tiratore di lana ) and member of

5412-493: The satirical novel, Max Havelaar (1860), in which he denounced the abuses of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia ). The 20th-century British author Hector Hugh Munro (1870–1916) became known by his pen name , Saki. In 20th-century Poland, the theater-of-the-absurd playwright , novelist, painter , photographer, and philosopher Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885–1939) after 1925 often used

5494-493: The second in 1433, with his contract promising 20% higher payment if his were more beautiful than della Robbia's. Mononym A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains common in modern societies such as in Afghanistan , Bhutan , Indonesia (especially by the Javanese ), Myanmar , Mongolia , Tibet , and South India . In other cases,

5576-452: The start of Florentine Renaissance sculpture. Seven sculptors were invited to submit trial panels, for which they were paid; Vasari's Life of Brunelleschi wrongly claims that Donatello was one of them, but they were all more experienced figures. Following Vasari and Brunelleschi's biographer Antonio Manetti , the unexpected result declared by the 34 judges was that the entries by two young Florentines, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, were

5658-568: The technical aspects, and Donatello took to the medium very quickly. In 1418 the Signoria commissioned a large and imposing figure of Florence's heraldic lion, the Marzocco for the entrance to a new apartment at Santa Maria Novella built for a rare visit by the pope; in the event he did not finish it in time. It was later placed in the Piazza della Signoria , where there is now a replica, with

5740-452: The techniques he had developed in the course of a long and productive career. His David was the first freestanding nude male sculpture since antiquity; like much of his work it was commissioned by the Medici family . He worked with stone, bronze, wood, clay, stucco , and wax, and used glass in inventive ways. He had several assistants, with four perhaps being a typical number. Although his best-known works are mostly statues executed in

5822-461: The three in its collections that the French government still attributes to Donatello himself. A story told both by Vasari and the earlier Pomponio Gaurico says that he kept a bucket containing money hanging on a cord from the ceiling of his workshop, from which those around could take if they needed it. A tax return from 1427, near the peak of his career, shows a much lower income than Ghiberti's for

5904-451: The use of a single name. Surnames were introduced in Turkey only after World War I , by the country's first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk , as part of his Westernization and modernization programs. Some North American Indigenous people continue their nations' traditional naming practices, which may include the use of single names. In Canada , where government policy often included

5986-461: The visits led to meetings between Donatello and Leon Battista Alberti , then in Rome, and perhaps writing his De Statua . There may have been mutual influence, and Donatello seems to have returned from Rome with an interest in a modular system of human proportions. The bronze David uses proportions very close to those Alberti recommends. In the 1430s and 1440s Donatello made many sculptures of young children dancing, as well as putti (cherubs) and

6068-567: The year at Prato , close to and controlled by Florence, were when the city's famous relic, the Girdle of Thomas ( Sacra Cintola ), thought to be the belt the Virgin Mary dropped to Thomas the Apostle as she rose in the air during her Assumption , was displayed to the population from a high pulpit. This took place five times every year, one coinciding with a trade fair that was important for

6150-422: The year in Rome, where he spent much of his time until 1433. Some of this travel was to see antiquities, and political difficulties had greatly reduced the flow of commissions in Florence. Michelozzo was also with Donatello in Rome for some of the time, but the few products there of the visits lead art historians to describe the visits as mainly resulting in studying classical works. It is not clear whether anything

6232-504: Was actually made there, or executed in Florence and shipped down. There was probably a large papal commission in view, but if so, nothing resulted. The main surviving piece is a tabernacle surround for Saint Peter's in marble relief, 228 cm (89.7 in) high, and now in the museum there. The main figurative sections are a stiacciato panel with the Entombment of Christ , and a total of sixteen child-angels at various points in

6314-518: Was christened only as "Erasmus", after the martyr Erasmus of Formiae . Composers in the ars nova and ars subtilior styles of late medieval music were often known mononymously—potentially because their names were sobriquets —such as Borlet , Egardus , Egidius , Grimace , Solage , and Trebor . Naming practices of indigenous peoples of the Americas are highly variable, with one individual often bearing more than one name over

6396-502: Was poor at organizing a workshop, at which Michelozzo seems to have excelled. Both had very good relations with the Medici family and so their powerful supporters. The partnership was very successful, and was renewed until it had lasted for nine years, when a dispute that was mostly the fault of Donatello ended it. The partnership's combination of skills in monumental sculpture and architecture made it well qualified to take on elaborate wall tombs. From 1425 to 1428, they collaborated on

6478-673: Was purchased to help with transport, and in 1426 Donatello had bought a boat to ship marble from Carrara to Pisa. Donatello's personal contribution was probably limited to the Assumption relief discussed above. Finishing in 1429, for the font at the Baptistery of San Giovanni, Siena , apart from the relief of The Feast of Herod (discussed above), he made small bronze statues of Faith and Hope , and three small bronze spiritelli , naked winged putti -like figures, classical in inspiration, and highly influential on later art. Images of

6560-536: Was some ten years older (born in 1377), and although not yet a master goldsmith , working on silver figures for an altar in Pistoia Cathedral . What experience Donatello had to assist him, if that was what he was doing, is unclear. Both Donatello and Brunelleschi returned to Florence in early 1401, in time for Brunelleschi to take part in the famous competition for the Baptistery doors, often seen as

6642-491: Was the life of John the Baptist ). This is placed low, the bottom at about the level of the viewer's knee, and the relief allows for that. The composition has figures in three receding planes defined by the architecture. At left Herod recoils in horror as he is presented with John the Baptist's head on a platter; to the right of centre Salome is still dancing. In a space behind musicians are playing, and beyond them John's head

6724-619: Was the striking Zuccone ("Baldy", or "Pumpkin Head" probably intended as Habakkuk or Jeremiah ), the best known of the series, and reportedly Donatello's favourite. His other statues for the campanile are known as: the Beardless Prophet and Bearded Prophet (both from 1414 to 1420); the Sacrifice of Isaac (with Nanni di Batolo, 1421); il Populano , a prophet not finally finished until 1435. The visibility of statues high on

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