orig. Donato di Niccolò
born с 1386, Florence
died Dec. 13, 1466, Florence
Italian sculptor active in Florence.
He learned stone carving from the sculptors of the Florence Cathedral (с 1400), and in 1404 joined the workshop of St. George Killing the Dragon (с 1417). His bronze sculpture David , conceived independently of any architectural setting, was the first large-scale, freestanding nude statue of the Renaissance. In Florence he worked for the {{link=Medici family">Medici family (1433–43), producing sculptural decoration for the sacristy of San Lorenzo, the Medici family church, and in Padua (1450s) for the church of Sant'Antonio. He was the greatest European sculptor of the 15th century, influencing painters as well as sculptors, and was a founder of the Renaissance style.
Equestrian statue of Gattamelata, bronze sculpture by Donatello, 1447–53; in the Piazza del ...
Anderson
Alinari from Art Resource/EB Inc.