Editing Donatello (section)

===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>