Donatello

Donatello (c. 1386–1466) was a Florentine sculptor whose work helped shape early Renaissance sculpture. His marble Saint Mark and Saint George gave sacred figures a convincing bodily presence, while his shallow reliefs, called schiacciato, used small changes in depth to suggest space. The bronze David revived the freestanding figure in a classical tradition, and the equestrian monument to Gattamelata in Padua renewed an ancient form of public commemoration. Working in marble, bronze and wood, he varied surface and expression to suit each subject. Late works such as the Penitent Magdalene carry a concentrated devotional intensity, extending his exploration of the human figure.