Donatello

Lore & Background

Donatello was born in Florence, probably in 1386, the son of Niccolò di Betto Bardi, a wool-stretcher. His first documentary appearance is in January 1401, when he was accused in Pistoia of hitting a German with a stick. He appears to have befriended and perhaps worked with Filippo Brunelleschi there. Both returned to Florence in early 1401, and after the Baptistery doors competition, they left for Rome together to study ancient remains, supporting themselves through jobs for Roman goldsmiths. Donatello later worked as an apprentice in Lorenzo Ghiberti's studio from 1404–1407, and from 1406 began stone carving at the cathedral.

Reader's Guide

Donatello's significance lies in his role as a pioneer of Early Renaissance sculpture, breaking from the International Gothic style he learned from Ghiberti. His bronze David, commissioned by the Medici family, is celebrated as the first freestanding nude male statue since antiquity, displaying sensuous eroticism rarely seen in his other works. He developed a very shallow bas-relief technique for small works and produced numerous architectural reliefs. His career included periods in Rome, Padua, and Siena, where he introduced his techniques to other parts of Italy. Despite his amiable nature, he was poor at business, often accepting more commissions than he could handle, and died in modest circumstances. His technical quality varied, especially in bronze, where casting faults sometimes occurred.

Did You Know?

• Donatello's bronze David has a hole under his chin and a patch on his thigh from casting faults.
• He kept a bucket of money hanging from his workshop ceiling for anyone to take if needed.
• His 1427 tax return showed a much lower income than Ghiberti's for the same year.
• Very few surviving drawings are now accepted as probably by his own hand, though the French government attributes three to him.