Chapter 1
Breaking the stone mold
Chapter 2
The bronze boy who shocked Florence
Chapter 3
Riding high in Padua
Chapter 4
The raw beauty of old age
YOUR GOAL
Master of How Donatello carved human souls into stone
Ch 3 · Riding high in Padua
andy Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata
Riding high in the Padua square! (Padua square!) First bronze giant since the Romans were there! (Romans were there!)
andy Between 1447 and 1450, Donatello sculpted crying, twisted bystanders for Padua's Basilica of Saint Anthony to capture real
Fun Fact
Cannonball balance: The massive horse of the Gattamelata statue rests its hoof on a cannonball, serving as a clever structural support.
Glossary
condottiero (noun)
A leader of a troop of mercenary soldiers, especially in Italy during the Renaissance. In 1453, Donatello completed a monumental bronze equestrian statue of the condottiero Erasmo da Narni in Padua.
A leader of a troop of mercenary soldiers, especially in Italy during the Renaissance. In 1453, Donatello completed a monumental bronze equestrian statue of the condottiero Erasmo da Narni in Padua.
Quiz
What emotional detail in Donatello's Paduan reliefs broke away from calm medieval art styles?
Quiz
What clever object did Donatello place under the horse's front hoof in the Gattamelata monument for support?
Quiz
In which northern Italian city did Donatello work for a decade, creating the Gattamelata statue?
Quiz
How tall is the massive bronze Gattamelata equestrian statue in Padua, excluding its stone base?