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 4 · The raw beauty of old age
andy His December 13, 1466 burial in the Basilica of San Lorenzo crypt forever linked Renaissance genius with Medici
andy A luminous Renaissance fresco depicts Donatello dropping eggs before Brunelleschi's rival crucifix.
Fun Fact
Medici neighbors: Donatello was so beloved by the Medici family that he was buried directly next to his chief patron, Cosimo.
Glossary
realism (noun)
The accurate, detailed, and unembellished depiction of nature or of contemporary life. Donatello applied this approach in 1455 to carve his haggard, emaciated Penitent Magdalene from poplar wood.
The accurate, detailed, and unembellished depiction of nature or of contemporary life. Donatello applied this approach in 1455 to carve his haggard, emaciated Penitent Magdalene from poplar wood.
Quiz
Which close friend and rival joked that Donatello's early wooden crucifix looked like a peasant on a cross?
Quiz
What physical state did Donatello choose to depict in his famous Penitent Magdalene sculpture?
Quiz
What unusual material did Donatello use to carve his late, emotional masterpiece, the Penitent Magdalene?
Quiz
Why is the Penitent Magdalene considered a radical departure from typical Renaissance art?
Quiz
What food did Donatello famously drop in amazement when he saw Brunelleschi's superior wooden crucifix?