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A portrait of Donatello by his contemporary, Paolo Uccello.

Sculptor - Donatello

Step into Renaissance Italy and explore Donatello’s groundbreaking sculptures. Learn how his ideas, materials, and techniques helped shape Western art for centuries.

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Fascinating Fact

Donatello’s bronze David is famous for being a freestanding nude figure. It is shown wearing only a hat and boots.

Donatello was an influential sculptor of the Italian Renaissance who helped bring back interest in classical styles from ancient Greece and Rome. His work is known for realistic bodies, expressive faces, and carefully observed detail, often created for churches and public spaces.

Key Terms

Renaissance: A period in Europe when artists revived classical ideas and focused on realism and human life.
Bronze: A strong metal alloy often poured into moulds to make detailed sculptures.
Relief: A type of sculpture where figures project from a flat background, like a carved scene.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

Who was Donatello and why is he famous?

Donatello was an Italian Renaissance sculptor who became famous for making lifelike figures and for developing new ways to show emotion, movement, and realistic human bodies in sculpture.

What materials did Donatello use for his sculptures?

Donatello worked in materials such as marble, bronze, and wood, choosing each one for its strength, detail, and the kind of finish it could achieve.

How is Renaissance sculpture different from medieval sculpture?

Renaissance sculpture usually shows more realism and natural body shapes, while medieval sculpture often looks more symbolic, less natural, and is closely tied to religious decoration.

Try These Related Quizzes

For a closer look at the pictures, please click on them to enlarge.

1 .

The Equestrian statue of Gattamelata in the city of Padua is a life sized representation of Erasmo da Narni. Who exactly was Erasmo?

He was a king

He was a jockey

He was a prince

He was a soldier

Erasmo was a mercenary and his family commissioned the statue from Donatello after his death. It was the first full sized sculpture of a horse since the fall of the Roman Empire

2 .

Commissioned in 1411 for the Orsanmichele church in Florence, this is a statue of which saint?

Photograph courtesy of Cnelson

Saint Mattew

Saint Mark

Saint Luke

Saint John

According to the art historian Giorgio Vasari, the statue was rejected at first because the chest and head were disproportionately large (Donatello had made them that way because it would be viewed from below). The artist promised to make changes and the statue was covered with a cloth. It was then placed in its position above the street and when the cloth was removed the commissioners were happy with the changes (which had not been made!)

3 .

This is Donatello's statue of Saint John the Evangelist, a seated figure which is how tall?

Photograph courtesy of Richardfabi

210cm (6ft 10in)

190cm (6ft 2in)

170cm (5ft 7in)

150cm (4ft 11in)

Though the figure is seated it is still quite large. Like the statue of Saint Mark, the body is disproportionately larger than the legs to account for perspective when seen from below

4 .

Originally crafted for the bell tower of Florence Cathedral, the Statue of the Prophet Habakkuk is also known as Lo Zuccone because of its resemblance to which vegetable?

Photograph courtesy of Sailko

A courgette

A butternut squash

A pumpkin

An acorn squash

Zuccone literally means pumpkin in Italian and is a reference to the statue's bald head!
Donatello was so pleased with this particular sculpture that he is quoted as swearing by it: "By the faith I place in my Zuccone"

5 .

The Feast of Herod is a relief sculpture created by Donatello from what material?

Photograph courtesy of Sailko

Marble

Brass

Alabaster

Bronze

Created for the baptistry of the Siena Cathedral around 1427, this piece illustrates Herod's presentation with the head of John the Baptist. It is quite small, measuring just 60cm (2ft) along each edge

6 .

Commissioned by the powerful Medici family during the 1440s, this is a statue of which biblical figure who was the symbol of Florence?

Photograph courtesy of Patrick A

David

Cain

Joseph

Moses

Donatello also made a marble version of David in 1408 which is his earliest known commission. That one was for Florence Cathedral and was clothed, unlike this nude version for the Medici family

7 .

This is a bust of the Florentine politician Niccolo da Uzzano, made from what material?

Photograph courtesy of Shakko

Bronze

Terracotta

Alabaster

Marble

The bust is made from terracotta which is coloured. The technique was common in the past and statues were often painted. The ancient Roman statues which are universally white were not always so. The vivid colours which once adorned them have been bleached away by the passage of time

8 .

Created circa 1455, the Penitent Magdalene had to be restored in the 1960s after it was damaged by what?

Photograph courtesy of Sailko

By a fire

By a jar of acid

By a flood

By pot of paint

In 1966 the Arno River in Florence flooded, killing over 100 people, damaging many pieces of art and destroying thousands of rare books. Penitent Magdalene was one of the casualties, although it was a blessing in disguise. During the restoration it was discovered that the statue had originally been painted various colours, with gold streaks in its hair. At sometime in the past these had been painted over with a dull shade of brown

9 .

This statue of Saint George was commissioned by which guild of craftsmen for the Orsanmichele church in Florence?

The Guild of Coopers

The Guild of Blacksmiths

The Guild of Armourers

The Guild of Printers

Many have admired this statue of Saint George. Speaking of it in the 16th century the Italian writer Francesco Bocchi said,"The legs move, the arms are ready, the head alert, and the whole figure acts; by virtue of the character, the manner and form of the action presents to our eyes a valiant, invincible, and magnanimous soul”

10 .

Another commission for the Medici family, this piece shows which two biblical figures?

Delilah and Samson

Judith and Holofernes

Bathsheba and Uriah

Salome and John the Baptist

Like the statue of David, also commissioned by the Medicis, this piece shows a decapitation.
Inscribed on the statue are the words "OPVS . DONATELLI . FLOR" (the work of the Florentine, Donatello), making it the only work signed by the artist to survive

Author: Graeme Haw

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