Donatello, the equestrian statue. Sculptors of the Renaissance. The Gattamelate Monument

The era of the Italian Renaissance in many ways was like a breath of fresh air after the gravity and gloom of the Middle Ages. The country, the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, fully justified this status, giving the world a huge number of brilliant creators. The Italian Renaissance became the heyday of all kinds of arts, from architecture to music. One of the leading places in this process was rightfully occupied by sculpture. And the main creator, for many decades determined the development of sculpture, was the great Donatello. But first things first.

Woke up after a long sleep

In the Middle Ages, sculpture was an integral part of architecture and was not conceived as a separate art direction. With the beginning of the Renaissance, everything changes: it begins to perform in architectural ensembles as complementary, but still separate elements. One of the first among the many branches of art, sculpture turned to face the reality and life of ordinary mortals, departing from religious content. Of course, Christian subjects remain the focus of attention of artists, but increasingly they turn to contemporaries.

There are new genres: a portrait develops, there are equestrian statues. Sculpture becomes the central part of architectural ensembles, changing the semantic load and placing emphasis - moving away from a secondary role. There are new materials. In place of the tree comes marble and bronze. In Northern Italy, terracotta statues (made of burnt clay) were produced in large quantities. With the filing of Lorenzo Ghiberti begins to spread the technique of glazed terracotta. Rapidly fond of masters and bronze with its impressive set of advantages over other materials.

Sculptors of the Renaissance

Already called Lorenzo Ghiberti worked in the XV century and was among the first creators who turned to realism. Central to his work throughout life (1378-1455) was the problem of creating a picturesque monumental relief. For more than twenty years, Ghiberti has worked on the northern doors of the Florentine baptistery. In the relief compositions created by the master, the legacy of the Gothic style was evident: the angularity of the frames and the rhythm of the song that echoed to them refer precisely to this tradition. At the same time, there is a new vision of space, which is already characteristic of the Renaissance.

A realistic manner in full force unfolded on the eastern doors of the baptistery, over which Ghiberti labored for another twenty years. Pictured subjects are characterized by beauty and special liveliness: the figures are proportional, the landscape is replete with details, the lines are clearly written out and are distinguished by grace. The eastern gate of the baptistery is considered one of the attractions of Florence and is a kind of symbol of the triumph of new trends in sculpture over the heritage of the past.

Another renowned sculptor of Italy of the Renaissance was Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488). He became the first teacher of the great Leonardo da Vinci, who showed his pupil many receptions both in sculpture and in painting. However, the paintings of Verroccio almost did not survive, which can not be said about his sculptures.

One of his famous works is the statue of David, for which, according to legend, the model was a brilliant pupil of the master. This statement, however, is highly doubtful. Undoubtedly another - David Verrocchio clearly shows where da Vinci took many of his favorite techniques: curvy angelic curls, a special position of the body and a famous half-smile.

The main work of Verrocchio was the equestrian statue of the condottier Bartolomeo Colleoni. The statue reflected many art movements of the Renaissance: the desire to convey the form in its entirety, the influence of anatomy on sculpture, the desire to convey emotions and movement in a frozen figure.

First among equals

Sculptors of the Renaissance, with their search for a new style and an appeal to the almost forgotten Antiquity, would still look like an unfinished picture, do not be among them Donatello. A great master can undoubtedly be called a pioneer, so many innovations have appeared in sculpture thanks to him. Without him, the Renaissance would have lost much of his life: Donatello found a solution to the problem of stable staging of the figure, learned to transfer the heaviness, mass and integrity of the body, the first after the ancient masters created a nude statue and began to create sculptural portraits. He was a recognized creator even during his lifetime and influenced the development of the art of an entire era.

The beginning of the way

Donatello, whose biography does not contain the exact date of birth (presumably 1386), came from the family of an artisan, a carded wool. Appeared in the light, he presumably in Florence or its environs. The full name of Donatello is Donato di Niccolo di Betty Bardi.

The future famous Italian sculptor received training in the studio of Ghiberti at the time when he was working on the creation of the northern gates of the baptistery. Probably, it was here that Donatello met with the architect Brunelleschi, whose friendship he retained throughout his life.

The rapid development of skills led to the fact that already in 1406 the young Donatello received an independent order. He was commissioned to create a statue of the prophet for the portal of the Florentine cathedral.

Marble David

Donatello, whose work already in the first years of his work reflected the author's bright personality, soon after the order was completed he received a new one. In 1407-1408, he worked on the marble statue of King David. The sculpture is not as perfect as the later image of the Biblical hero made by the master, but it reflects the aspirations and creator's aspirations. David is not depicted in the classical form: the wise king with a lyre or a scroll in his hands. But as a young man who just defeated Goliath and is proud of his exploit. The statue is reminiscent of the images of ancient heroes: David rests one hand on the thigh, the rival's head rests at his feet, the body is wrapped in soft folds of clothes. And although the marble statue still contains echoes of Gothic, its belonging to the Renaissance is unquestionable.

Or-San Michele

Donatello sought to create his own work not only considering the harmony of proportions and the overall construction of the figure, but also the peculiarities of the place where the statue will be placed. His creations were most advantageous exactly where they were put after finishing. It seemed that they were always here. At the same time, Donatello's work, as the talent improved, was increasingly removed from the Gothic canons and medieval depersonalization. The images created by him acquired bright individual characteristics, expressiveness was often achieved due to incorrect features.

All these nuances of the master's work are perfectly visible in the images of the saints, which he created for the church of Or-San Michele. The statues were installed in niches, but seemed to be completed independent sculptures that harmoniously fit into the architecture of the church and are not dependent on it. Especially among them stand out the figures of St. Mark (1411-1412) and St. George (1417). In the image of the first Donatello managed to convey the tireless and stormy work of thought under the cover of complete external tranquility. When creating the statue, the master turned to the ancient method of steady staging of the figure. Bends of the torso and arms, as well as the location of the folds of clothing - everything is subject to this technique.

St. George is depicted in the form of a young man in armor, leaning on a shield, with a soulful, determined face. It is the embodied ideal of the hero, to which he was equally in tune with both the epoch and Donatello himself.

Bronze David

All researchers agree that one of Donatello's greatest creations was David, a sculpture cast in bronze (presumably 1430-1440's). Vasari, the first art critic, wrote that she was ordered by Cosimo de 'Medici, but there is no other evidence supporting this fact.

David is a non-standard sculpture. Continuing the embodiment of his plan, laid out in the marble David, Donatello depicts the biblical hero as young with the head of the newly defeated Goliath at his feet. The similarity, however, ends here. Bronze David is not just young, he is young. Donatello portrayed him naked, carefully working all the curves of the strong, but not yet fully formed body of the boy. From clothes only a shepherd's hat with a laurel wreath and sandals with leggings. For setting the figure, the master used the reception of a counterpost. The whole weight of the body is transferred to the right leg, while David's left tramples the enemy's head. This method achieves a feeling of relaxed posture, rest after a fight. The internal dynamics characteristic of the figure are well read due to the deviation of the body from the central axis of the sculpture and the location of the sword.

Bronze David is created as a statue, which can be viewed from all sides. This was the first nude sculpture since Antiquity. The heritage of the masters of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome is felt throughout the figure of the hero. At the same time, the features inherent in sculpture, filled with a bright personality and are thus the embodiment of the ideals of the Renaissance.

Inspired by the Eternal City

Before mastering his skills, he mastered his skills during a trip to Rome. From the city that keeps the heritage of the great empire, Donatello brought a deep understanding of the ancient canons and stylistic devices. The results of the rethinking of ancient Greek and Roman art Donatello used in the process of creating the pulpit of the Florence Cathedral, over which he worked from 1433 to 1439. Probably, it was in the Eternal City that a new idea was visited by Donatello: the equestrian statue of the condottier Erasmo da Narni, according to many researchers, was conceived after a meeting with the ancient monument to Marcus Aurelius.

Hero

Erasmo and Narni was a Venetian condottiere, a mercenary commander. His fate, which was not distinguished by special heroic twists of the plot, nevertheless inspired Donatello. Gattamelata (in translation "Medotochivaya cat") - such a nickname was condottier for the softness of the character and the simultaneous care and insinuations, reminiscent of the behavior of the cat on the hunt. He began his career from the very bottom and, honestly serving Florence, managed to achieve much. In recent years, Gattamelata served as commander-in-chief of the land forces of the Venetian Republic. After his death the condottier bequeathed to bury him in the Basilica del Santo in Padua. Gattamelat died in 1443.

Triumph of Donatello: equestrian statue of Erasmo da Narni

The Venetian Republic, remembering the services of the commander, allowed his widow and his son to erect a monument to the condottier at their own expense. Donatello became the embodiment of this idea. The equestrian statue was created by him for ten years, from 1443 to 1453.

Three-meter statue according to the master's plan was installed on an eight-meter pedestal. Dimensions of the sculpture were the result of a certain idea of Donatello: the equestrian statue was to be placed against the backdrop of a huge cathedral and only under the condition of its own impressiveness could look like a whole and independent work. The monument was placed in such a way that the impression was created that he was leaving the cathedral and slowly retiring away.

The pedestal is decorated with images of doors, ajar on the east side and locked from the west. This symbol has a certain interpretation: you can enter the realm of the dead, but you can not get out of it. Doors remind of the original designation of the monument, superbly executed by Donatello. Gattamelata on horseback had to rise to the cemetery of the cathedral. The monument was an original cenotaph, a tombstone - and here Donatello showed his inclination to innovate.

Man of the era

The condottier, portrayed by Donatello, is confident and full of strength, but already an elderly man. In his left hand he has a wand, he holds the reins with his right hand. He embodies the image of a hero from the Renaissance: a warrior-thinker, not boiling with passion but rethinking life, probably incorporating Donatello himself. The statue of Condottier Gattamelata at the same time is a fine example of the sculptor's portrait skills. His face can not be confused with others: a nose with a hump, a clear line of mouth, a small chin and prominent cheekbones.

The attire of the commander is a testament to the desire to give him the features of the heroes of Antiquity. Gattamelata is not clothed in modern Donatello clothes, but in armor from the times of ancient Rome. Presumably, it was the chasing of the details of the vestments that the master took most of the time. However, in the process of creating the monument, Donatello faced many tasks: it was necessary to create a harmonious transition from the shape of the condottier to the horse, to place the accents to create the necessary impression. The solution of these and other issues took time. The result of such a thoughtful and long work justified all the costs.

Donatello highly appreciated his work, accepted it and his contemporaries. This is evidenced by the signature of the master, which he left not in all his works. The monument to the Condottier Gattamelate inspired many sculptors of later eras (for example, the Andrea del Verrocchio mentioned above).

Judith

Another fine example of Donatello's skill was the statue of Judith and Holofernes, created in 1455-1457. The work illustrates the Old Testament story of a widow from Bethulia who bravely killed Assyrian commander Holofernes to save his city from conquest. A fragile woman with a detached gaze and a face full of sorrow is holding a sword in her high-raised hand, preparing to cut off the head of the intoxicated Holofernes leaning against her legs limp.

"Judith and Holofernes" is one of the variants of popular legends about female heroism in the Renaissance. Donatello put all his skills into this work and managed to convey both the gamut of feelings of Judith and the symbolism of the image as a whole. The most expressive part of the composition is the face of the widow. It has been worked so carefully that it seems alive. When looking at Judith, created by Donatello, it is very easy to understand what emotions she experienced. The subtle ability to convey to the person expressive features, characteristic of the master, was fully applied to Donatello in this sculpture.

The great Donatello died in 1466. In the last years of his life, the motifs of old age, death and suffering clearly dominated his work. During this period, Maria Magdalina Donatello appeared - not a beauty-rushing and full of strength girl, but exhausted by fasting and sensing the heaviness of the past years of the old woman. However, in these, and in earlier works, the spirit of the genius sculptor is still alive and continues to inspire and excite.