The document summarizes Renaissance sculpture in 3 periods - Early Renaissance from 1400-1500 featuring artists like Ghiberti and Donatello who developed realism and classical styles. The High Renaissance from 1500-1525 saw Michelangelo's masterpieces like Pieta and David reach the peak of balance and restraint. The Late Renaissance from 1525-1600 introduced mannerism with elongated limbs and complex poses by Giambologna and a relaxing of classicism.

1. Renaissance
Sculpture

2. Tiny Summary of Renaissance
Sculpture
Early Renaissance High Renaissance Late Renaissance
ca. 1400-1500 ca. 1500-25 ca. 1525-1600
Ghiberti, Donatello Michelangelo Giambologna

3. Renaissance Sculpture
• Renaissance can be divided into three
periods. The Early Renaissance, during which
artistic skill in physical realism and classical
composition was developed. These efforts
culminated in the High Renaissance, during
which artists reached the apex of classical
balance, harmony, and restraint. Then came
the Late Renaissance, during which severe
classicism was relaxed in order to allow for a
measure of complexity and dynamism.

4. Renaissance Sculpture
• A distinct sub-movement of Late Renaissance
art was mannerism: the deliberate pursuit of
novelty and complexity. In sculpture, the
mannerist approach resulted in distorted
anatomy (e.g. elongated limbs) and complex
postures. Many Late Renaissance artists
worked in a full-blown mannerist style; those
who did not were often influenced by
Mannerism, to varying degrees.

5. Early
Renaissance

6. Early Renaissance
The founder of
Renaissance sculpture
was Ghiberti, whose
masterpiece is the Gates
of Paradise, a pair of
bronze doors for the
Florence Baptistery.
These doors feature ten
biblical scenes rendered
with impressive realism,
including deep
perspective.

7. Florence Baptistery

8. Early Renaissance
• Panel from the Gates of • Panel from the Gates of
Paradise Paradise

9. Early Renaissance
One of Ghiberti’s
assistants, Donatello, became
the greatest sculptor of the
Early Renaissance. It was
Donatello who fully
reawakened the classical
statue, with Saint
Mark. Donatello is also
responsible for the first large-
scale equestrian statue since
antiquity: Gattamelata. His
other foremost works
include Saint
George and David.

10. David Prophet of Habacuc

11. Gattamelata
Large-scale
equestrian statue.
Life-size
representation of a
horse and rider was
and attractive subject
for sculptors but did
not become
possible, due to the
cost of execution and
technical problems to
cast the bronze .

12. Saint George Saint Mark

13. High
Renaissance

14. High Renaissance
The uncontested master of
High Renaissance sculpture
is Michelangelo, who
divided his career between
Florence (his hometown)
and Rome. Pieta is the
foremost of his early
works, while his
masterpiece, David, is
often considered the
greatest sculpture of all
time. His foremost late
work may be Moses.

15. Pieta
Pieta
(Deposition)

16. Christ Carrying David
the Cross

17. Moses Saint Mathew

18. Bearded Slave, The Tomb of Julius II
for tomb of Julius II

19. Late
Renaissance

20. Late
Renaissance
The foremost
mannerist sculptor
was Giambologna,
whose
masterpiece
is Flying Mercury.
Also famous
is Abduction of the
Sabines.

21. Flying Mercury Abduction of the
Sabines

22. Samson slaying a Hercules and Nessus
Philistine

23. Architettura
exemplifies the long limbs
of Giambologna's
influential ideal
female type.