Donatello was a leading Renaissance sculptor in Florence who drew inspiration from classical antiquity. His statue of Saint Mark for the city's Orsanmichele church marked a radical departure from medieval representations of saints. Depicting Saint Mark in a natural, weight-bearing pose and engaged with the world, it embodied the humanist ideals of civic virtue and the dignity of man. Donatello's later bronze David, commissioned by Cosimo de' Medici, celebrated the human body and human potential through its contrapposto pose and nudity inspired by classical Greek art. It became a symbol of Florence's civic pride and liberties.

1. Renaissance Sculpture
Donatello and the Allure of Antiquity

2. Donatello, Saint Mark, Or San Michele,
Florence, c. 1411-1413
The leading sculptor in Renaissance Florence was Donatello, who studied with Ghiberti
(the winner of the Baptistry door competition)

3. One of Donatello’s most famous statues was a statue of Saint Mark, carved for the
Church of Orsanmichele in Florence

4. Along with the Duomo and the Palazzo Vecchio, Orsanmichele was one of the most
important buildings in Florence
The Duomo
The Palazzo
Vecchio (municipal
town hall)
Orsanmichele

5. It served as the headquarters for the city’s leading merchant guilds, so it was an
important symbol of commercial prosperity and civic pride

6. Back in Giotto’s day (the 1300s), each of the Gothic style niches (or tabernacles) had
been assigned to the city’s leading merchant guilds to be filled with a statue of their
patron saint

7. The niches remained empty for quite some time – but when Florence came under attack
from the Duke of Milan, the guilds sprang into action, and the niches were filled with 14
life-size statues in rapid succession

8. Guild of Wool Merchants, Saint Stephen, 1427-28
Ghiberti
Guild of Merchants, Saint John the Baptists, 1416
Ghiberti
Ghiberti completed three statues for the building

9. Guild of Stone and Wood
Masters, Four Crowned Saints,
1414-1417
Nanni di Banco
Nanni di Banco completed the Four Crowned Martyrs for the Guild of Stone
and Wood Masters, whose trade is represented in the relief decorating the
base
Stonemasons
Sculptors

10. Watch the Smarthistory video for a discussion

11. Donatello’s Saint Mark was commissioned by the linen draper’s guild

12. The pillow that he
stands on is made
of linen

13. The statue marks a radical departure from the Medieval representation of
saints, as seen in these figures from Chartres Cathedral, dating to the 12th
century

14. Medieval saints were intended to be “other-wordly”

15. Carved from the columns they decorate, they are tall and slender, and
appear to be weightless

16. There is no sense of body beneath the drapery, and their feet seem to
dangle, defying the laws of gravity

17. Even their facial expressions seem to indicate that they are not “of this
world”

18. Saint Mark, in contrast, seems to be entirely a part of our world

19. Weight bearing
leg
Relaxed leg
Shoulders &
hips twist in
opposite
directions
He is standing in the contraposto pose, which he learned from Greek
Classical sculpture

20. The contraposto pose is more natural and relaxed, making the figure seem
alive, as if he could step out of his niche and into our world

21. Instead of floating, his feet are firmly planted on the pillow, which registers
the pull of gravity

22. And the drapery also registers gravity, falling heavily around his limbs, and
giving a believable sense of a physical body underneath

23. Donatello probably learned how to sculpt drapery convincingly by studying
Roman statues such as this one

24. Compared to the slender, weightless figures that decorated Gothic
cathedrals, Donatello’s statue has become fully human — a physical being
who belongs to our world, rather than a heavenly apparition

25. Marks character and personality is also very different from Medieval saints

26. Gothic statues appear “saintly” in character, reflecting the Medieval ideal of
the “contemplative life” which advocated prayer as a path to salvation

27. Serene and calm, they seem to be lost in spiritual contemplation

28. Saint Mark,on the other hand, seems fully engaged with the world around
him

29. He gazes outward, rather than inward, as if ready to address the citizens on
the street

30. Far from being “saintly,” he exemplifies the new ideal of the “active life” that
was embraced by Florentine Humanists, who believed that good deeds
were equally valid as a path to salvation

31. He embodies the human virtues of intelligence, strength, and courage,
rather than the saintly virtues of pious devotion to god

32. A true “man of action,” Donatello’s Saint Mark was an inspirational role
model for Florentine citizens in their moment of crisis
Pray to
God to
help you!
Fight for
your
freedom!

33. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
Donatello’s bronze statue of David was commissioned by Cosimo de
Medici, a wealthy banker and Humanist

34. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
Like the Humanists who re-discovered classical learning, Donatello’s statue
was inspired by classical art

35. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
We see the contraposto pose once again, indicating the influence of
Classical art
Weight bearing
leg
Relaxed leg
Shoulders &
hips twist in
opposite
directions

36. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
The bronze medium, and accurate rendering of anatomy also reflects close
study of classical sculpture, as does the figure’s nudity

37. The Greeks commonly showed their figures nude to celebrate the beauty of
the human body, and this practice was revived during the Renaissance

38. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
In fact, Donatello’s statue was the first nude statue to be produced in
Europe since classical times

39. That’s, like,
almost one
thousand
years Why were
there no
nude statues
for such a
long time?

40. Expulsion of Adam and Eve, Hunterian Psalter, c. 1170
In the Middle Ages the body was considered shameful
Nude figures were rarely represented in church decorations, unless it was
to show the shame of sin

41. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
But Donatello’s statue wasn’t made for a church

42. It was made for the courtyard of the Medici Palace

43. The church wasn’t ready for the “full monty” just yet!

44. So here we can see how the shift in patronage from the church to private
individuals allowed for the exploration of subjects and approaches that
would have previously been considered inappropriate

45. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
Who was David, and why did Cosimo de Medici choose this particular
subject?

46. The story of David comes from the Old Testament of the bible

47. David was a young shepherd who killed the giant Goliath with a sling shot,
then chopped off his head with a sword

48. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
Can you tell the moment in the story depicted?
The statue’s details provide some clues

49. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
He holds the rock in in his left hand, and the sword in the other
The rock
The sword

50. And the severed head of the giant rests beneath his foot

51. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
So Donatello has chosen to depict the moment after the great battle with
the giant

52. It is a moment of calm, where the young boy contemplates the meaning of
his victory

53. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
His relaxed pose exudes self-confidence and pride

54. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
And his nudity celebrates the dignity and beauty of the human form,
rejecting Medieval ideas about the body as a vessel of sin

55. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
This celebration of the human body is coming from Greek art

56. The Greeks believed the human body was beautiful, because humans
resembled the gods
Greek gods were
depicted as “perfect
men” indicated they saw
no distinction between
gods and men

57. He embodies what Manetti called
“the dignity and excellence of man”
Renaissance artists embraced this Humanist celebration of the body as
beautiful

58. He embodies what Manetti called
“the dignity and excellence of man”
Rather than expressing shame, David’s physical beauty was an outward
expression of his inner virtue and courage

59. Andrea del Castagno, David,
c. 1450, National Gallery of
Art
David was a popular subject in 15th century Florence

60. Andrea del Verrocchio, David,
c. 1473-1475, Bargello,
This statue by Verrochio was commissioned by for the Florentine Town Hall

61. Donatello, David, 1409, Bargello,
Florence
Donatello had completed another statue of David for the Palazzo Vecchio in
1409 (before he had learned the contraposto pose)

62. Andrea del Castagno, David,
c. 1450, National Gallery of
Art
David had become a symbol of Florence because its citizens identified with
his story

63. Andrea del Castagno, David,
c. 1450, National Gallery of
Art
Like David, they too were threatened by a power larger than themselves
(the Duke of Milan); and like David, they too were saved by God (when the
Duke miraculously died)

64. David and Goliath, French
Hebrew Manuscript, late
13th c.
In the bible David was a religious symbol: he stood for the power of faith

65. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
But in the Renaissance he also became a symbol of civic pride,
representing Florentine political liberties

66. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
He stood for freedom, and the power of “right” over “might”

67. Donatello, David, c. 1440-
1460. Bronze, 5’ 2 ¼” high
Cosimo’s inscription for the statue was rousing call to action:
“The victor is whoever defends the
fatherland. God crushes the wrath of an
enormous foe. Behold - a boy overcame
a great tyrant! Conquer, O citizens!
Kingdoms fall through luxury, cities rise
through virtues. Behold the neck of
pride, severed by the hand of humility”

68. Later in the century the Medici were expelled and their palace was
confiscated

69. Donatello’s statue was moved to the Palazzo della Signoria, in front of the
Florentine Town Hall

70. As we will see, not all Florentine’s approved of this public display of full
frontal nudity

71. The fanatical monk Savanarola will lead a campaign against the
progressive values of the Renaissance later in the century

72. But Florence’s troubles were not over, and in the next century another
David would be called upon to protect the city’s freedoms

73. This time, it would take a giant to do the job

74. Humanist
Values
Individualism
Classical
learning
Secularism
The inherent
dignity and
beauty of
human being
Civic virtue
and
patriotism
Which Humanist values are reflected in Donatello’s Saint Mark?

75. Humanist
Values
Individualism
Classical
learning
Secularism
The inherent
dignity and
beauty of
human being
Civic virtue
and
patriotism
Which Humanist values are reflected in Donatello’s David?