Donatello

If anecdotes by Angelo Poliziano in his ‘Detti piacevoli’ or studies of his magnum opus bronze sculpture of David are to be believed, Donatello was a homosexual. It is assumed that his friends were aware of his sexual orientation and tolerated the same. However, there are no strong proofs that testify the same.

He died of unknown reasons on December 13, 1466, in Florence. He was buried in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, next to Cosimo de' Medici.

Posthumously, an unfinished work was completed by his student Bertoldo di Giovanni.

Donatello was born as Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi in 1386 in Florence, Italy to Niccolo di Betto Bardi. His father was a member of the Florentine Wool Combers Guild.

Young Donatello attained his early education from the Martelli’s, an influential and wealthy Florentine family. His stint with art and sculpture started early, as he received his artistic training in a goldsmith's workshop. He gained knowledge about metallurgy and fabrication of metals and other substances.

In 1403, he apprenticed at the studio of Lorenzo Ghiberti, learning the nuances of Gothic sculpting. Later, he assisted Ghiberti who was commissioned to create bronze doors for the Florentine Baptistery.

He befriended Filippo Brunelleschi. The two then undertook a tour of Rome from 1404 to 1407, excavating the ruins to study classical art. It was during the trip that Donatello developed an understanding of ornamentation and classical forms. The tour casted a deep influence on both Brunelleschi and Donatello, thereby changing the face of Italian art in the 15th century.

Returning to Florentine in 1408, he took to working at the workshops of Cathedral in Florence. He assisted Ghiberti for the statues of prophets that were likely to be erected at the north door of the Cathedral.

By 1408, he completed the life-size marble sculpture of David. It was amongst the earliest works of Donatello and thus lacked the emotional touch and innovativeness that formed a vital part of his latter works. The sculpture, originally intended for the cathedral, was moved to Palazzo Vecchio in 1416 as a mark of Florentine Republic.

From 1409 to 1411, he worked on the colossal seated figure of Saint John the Evangelist. The sculpture marked the shift in Donatello’s gothic work infusing realism and naturalism. The sculpture was first seated at the old cathedral façade. It now occupies a seat at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.

Donatello’s art style soon matured, as his figures boasted of becoming more dramatic and emotional. From 1411 to 1413, he worked on a statue of St. Mark for the guild church of Orsanmichele. Thereafter, he started working on the sculpture of Saint George for the Confraternity of the Cuirass-makers which he completed in 1417

From 1423, he started working on the Saint Louis of Toulouse for the Orsanmichele, which is today placed in the Museum of the Basilica di Santa Croce. Originally, he also sculpted the framework for the work.

Donatello was famous for creating colossal sculptures that were lifelike and filled with deep emotions. His greatest work was the bronze statue of David. It was by far the most classical of his works. The most interesting aspect of the sculpture was its free-standing nature. It was so brilliantly proportioned and poised that it stood independently, without any architectural setting. David depicted the allegory of civic virtues winning over brutality and irrationality.