Editing Donatello (section)

==Early statues for Florence==
[[File:Donatello, san giovanni evangelista, 1409-1415, 01.JPG|thumb|''[[Saint John the Evangelist]]'' for the cathedral, 1409–1411, displayed on the reconstruction of the old façade at original height in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo]]

===Cathedral===
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.<ref>Seymour, 49-50; Coonin, 28-33.</ref> In the end they were not placed as intended, probably because they appeared too small from far below, and the Donatello appears to be lost.<ref>Seymour, 52; Coonin, 29-30.</ref>

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 [[David (Donatello, bronze)|marble ''David'']] may date from around this time, or slightly later, perhaps 1412.<ref>Seymour, 67. The cathedral records payment in 1412, but this may be for a different figure, now lost or altered.</ref>  He was commissioned to rework it in 1416, the cathedral surrendering it to the [[Republic of Florence|republic]], who placed in the seat of government, the [[Palazzo Vecchio]].<ref>Coonin, 60-61; Hartt, 164-165.</ref>  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".<ref>Olson, 48.</ref> 

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 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.<ref>Seymour, 56-57.</ref> <!-- This work marks a decisive step forward from late [[Gothic art|Gothic style]] in the search for naturalism and the rendering of human feelings.<ref>Horst W. Janson, ''The Sculpture of Donatello'', Princeton, 1963, p.</ref>{{page needed|date=April 2023}} The face, the shoulders, and the bust are still idealized, while the hands and the fold of cloth over the legs are more realistic.  -->

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 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";<ref>Seymour, 68–70, 69 quoted.</ref> Since 2015 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.<ref>Seymour, 68.</ref> This 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.<ref>Vasari, 101; Coonin, 120-123.</ref>

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.<ref>Seymour, 68.</ref>

The visibility of statues high on the cathedral buildings was to remain a concern for the rest of the century; [[David (Michelangelo)|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 the 18th century; it was known as the "White Colossus" or ''homo magnus et albus'' ("Large White Man").<ref>Coonin, 34-35; Seymour, 67-68.</ref>

===Orsanmichele===
[[File:Or San Michele Florenz.jpg|thumb|[[Orsanmichele]], with Donatello's ''[[Saint George (Donatello)|Saint George]]'' (today a replica) left of the corner]]

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 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.<ref>Seymour, 58-64, 71-73, and index; Coonin, 41-47.</ref>

[[File:St. Georg, Donatello, 1416-17, Bargello Florenz-03.jpg|thumb|270px|[[Saint George (Donatello)|''St. George'']], for [[Orsanmichele]], now [[Bargello]]]]

Nevertheless, according to a story in Vasari, Donatello had trouble with his first statue for Orsanmichele, a marble ''[[St. Mark (Donatello)|St. Mark]]'' (1411–1413) for 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.<ref>Vasari, 100; Seymour, 59-60.</ref>  It has a [[contrapposto]] pose, with the robe on the leg bearing the weight in straight "vertical drapery folds resembling the flutes of a [[Doric order|Doric]] column."<ref>Olson, 49.</ref>  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 (Donatello)|Saint George]]'' for the [[Confraternity]] of the [[Cuirass]]-makers or armourers; the important relief on the base is discussed below, and was slightly later.<ref>Seymour, 64; Coonan,51-52.</ref> Because of a staircase on the other side of the wall, the niche 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 a sword or lance; the client would have been able to supply these pieces in bronze.<ref>Seymour, 63.</ref>

The [[gilt-bronze]] ''[[Saint Louis of Toulouse (Donatello)|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 ''[[Christ and St. Thomas (Verrocchio)|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 the difficulty of fire-gilding a whole over-life size figure.  The collaboration with Michelozzo may have begun with this piece,<ref>Seymour, 72-73.</ref> and 1423 marks the beginning of Donatello's documented work in bronze, with three recorded commissions that year: the ''Saint Louis'', a [[San Rossore Reliquary|reliquary bust of Saint Rossore]], and the relief for the Siena Baptistery discussed below.<ref>Seymour, 80.</ref>  Michelozzo had great experience with bronze, and no doubt helped with the technical aspects, and Donatello took to the medium very quickly.<ref>Coonin, 84-85.</ref>

===Elsewhere===
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.<ref>Coonin, 61-64.</ref>  It was later placed in the [[Piazza della Signoria]], where there is now a replica, with the original in the [[Bargello]] Museum.

Before about 1410 he made the ''[[Santa Croce Crucifix (sculpture)|painted wooden crucifix]]'' now in [[Santa Croce, Florence|Santa Croce]],<ref>Coonin, 37-38. If it is indeed by him, which has been doubted.</ref> 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 a peasant,<ref>Putting "un contadino in croce", a peasant on the cross.</ref> 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.<ref>Vasari, 97-98; Coonin, 38-41.</ref>


<gallery widths="140" heights="200">
Donatello, David, 1408-9, 1416, Florence, Bargello.jpg|The [[David (Donatello, marble)|"marble ''David''"]], 1408–09 and 1416, Bargello
Donatello, san marco, 1411-13, 02.JPG|[[Saint Mark (Donatello)|''Saint Mark'']], [[Orsanmichele]], 1411–13
Donatello, profeta imberbe, 1416-18, dal lato est del campanile.JPG|The "Beardless Prophet" for the campanile, 1416–18, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Donatello, Bearded Prophet, 1418-20, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence.jpg|''Bearded Prophet'', for the campanile, 1418–20, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Donatello, Jeremiah, 1427-36, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence.jpg|''Jeremiah'', for the campanile, 1423–26, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Donatello, Zuccone, 1426-c27+1435-36, Florence, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.jpg|''Il [[Zuccone]]'', for the campanile, 1426–c. 1427 and 1435–36, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Donatello, san luigi di tolosa, 1423-25, 01.jpg|''[[Saint Louis of Toulouse (Donatello)|Saint Louis of Toulouse]]'' and its (copied) niche for [[Orsanmichele]], 1423–25
Florenz - Bargello 2014-08-09s.jpg|The ''[[Marzocco]]'', 1418–20, Bargello
</gallery>