Why Is Donatello Important

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The Renaissance was a period of time said to begin in Italy in the fourteenth century and end in the seventeenth. It bridged the gap of time between the Middle Ages and modern times. The term “Renaissance” literally means rebirth. Many advancements in science, art and government made by the Greeks and Romans were lost at the beginning of the Middle Ages due to the fall of the Roman Empire. The Renaissance was a rebirth of education, science, art, and much more. There were many important and influential people of the Renaissance, Donatello was one of them. Donato di Niccoló di Betto Bardi was born in Florence, Italy, sometime in the year 1386. His family and friends nicknamed him “Donatello.” A lot is known about his career but little is known about his character and personality, he never married and he seemed to be a simple man with simple tastes. Donatello learned about the basics of sculpting and countless other crafts at the Stonemasons’ Guild. He then …show more content…
The tanned skin and ropey muscles makes him very true to life. This also makes this sculpture very different from all the sweet and perfect faces of Christ done by other artists. In fact, it was so lifelike that the artist Brunelleschi accused Donatello of crucifying a peasant. This sculpture really works because of Donatello’s willingness to forget about the traditional standard of beauty in favor for a more realistic and human feel for his work. ²

Donatello’s lifelong relationship with the Medici family earned him a generous retirement allowance to live on for the rest of his life. On December 13, 1466, He died of unknown causes and was buried in Basilica of San Lorenzo next to his friend Cosimo de' Medici. When he died, two unfinished bronze pulpits, platforms for preaching, were left in Saint Lorenzo, Florence, they were later finished by a student of his, Bertoldo di Giovanni.
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