Donatello << `don` uh TEHL oh >> (about 1386-1466) was a great Italian sculptor. He was a master of all the techniques and materials of sculpture. Donatello seemed to have the ability to handle any subject.
Donatello was born in Florence. He served as assistant to sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti. From 1416 to about 1420, Donatello carved the marble statue of Saint George and the relief (raised design) below it, Saint George Killing the Dragon. The saint stands relaxed, as if deep in thought—an ideal example of the Christian knight. The remarkably flat relief shows an extensive landscape.
Donatello’s effective use of realism appears in the statue of a prophet, known as Lo Zuccone (The Pumpkinhead). He created this statue about 1425. Late in life, Donatello tried to show even more realistic emotional expression.
Donatello did three well-known statues of David. His bronze David from the 1430’s shows the influence of classical Greek sculpture on his own style. Donatello’s other famous works include the bronze equestrian monument (man on horseback) of the Italian general Gattamelata. Donatello created the monument in Padua between 1443 and 1453. He died on Dec. 13, 1466.
