Donatello Sculpture Gallery

The following is a selection of sculptures by the master of Renaissance sculpture.

01
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Young Prophet

Early marble sculpture
Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen, released into the Public Domain

Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi, known as Donatello, was the foremost sculptor of early 15th-century Italy. He was a master of both marble and bronze, and also created extraordinary works in wood. This small selection of his works reveals his range and talent.

For more about Donatello, visit his profile in Who's Who in Medieval History and the Renaissance.

Do you have photos of sculptures by Donatello that you'd like to share at the Medieval History site? Please contact me with the details.

This photograph is by Marie-Lan Nguyen, who has kindly released it into the public domain. It is free for your use.

This is one of the earliest works by Donatello, carved sometime around 1406 to 1409. Once in the left pinnacle of the tympanum of the Porta della Mandorla in Florence, it now resides in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.

02
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Statue of Abraham by Donatello

About to sacrifice Isaac
Photo by by Marie-Lan Nguyen, released into the Public Domain

This photograph is by Marie-Lan Nguyen, who has kindly released it into the public domain. It is free for your use.

This statue of biblical patriarch Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac was sculpted by Donatello from marble sometime between 1408 and 1416. It is in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence.

03
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Donatello's Statue of St. George

Bronze copy
Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen, released into the Public Domain

This photograph is by Marie-Lan Nguyen, who has kindly released it into the public domain. It is free for your use.

The original marble statue of St. George by Donatello was sculpted in 1416 and currently resides in the Museo del Bargello. This copy is in Orsanmichele, Florence.

04
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Zuccone

Marble statue of the prophet
Photo by by Marie-Lan Nguyen, released into the Public Domain

This photograph is by Marie-Lan Nguyen, who has kindly released it into the public domain. It is free for your use.

This marble sculpture of Habbakuk, also known as Zuccone, was carved by Donatello sometime between 1423 and 1435 and was placed in the bell tower of the Duomo of Florence.

05
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Cantoria

Singers' Gallery
Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen, released into the Public Domain

This photograph is by Marie-Lan Nguyen, who has kindly released it into the public domain. It is free for your use.

The organ balcony, or "singers' gallery," was constructed to hold a small chorus. Donatello carved it from marble and incorporated colored glass, completing it in 1439. In 1688, it was deemed too small to accommodate all the singers to perform for the wedding of Ferdinando de' Medici, and it was dismantled and not reassembled until the 19th century. It currently resides in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence.

06
of 08

Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata

Inspired by the Statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome
Photo by Lamré, released into the Public Domain

This photograph is by Lamré, who has kindly released it into the public domain. It is free for your use.

The statue of Gattamelata (Erasmo of Narni) on horseback was executed c. 1447-50. Inspired by the Statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, or perhaps by the Greek horses on top of the Venetian Church of St Mark's, the equestrian figure would become the prototype for many subsequent heroic monuments.

07
of 08

Statue of Mary Magdalen

Painted and gilded wooden carving
Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen, released into the Public Domain

This photograph is by Marie-Lan Nguyen, who has kindly released it into the public domain. It is free for your use.

Completed in 1455, Donatello's wooden carving of Mary Magdalen was probably on the south-western side of the Baptistry of Florence. It currently resides in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.

08
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David in Bronze

Donatello's bronze masterwork
Public Domain

This image is in the public domain and is free for your use.

Sometime around 1430, Donatello was commissioned to create a bronze statue of David, although who his patron may have been is up for debate. The David is the first large-scale, free-standing nude statue of the Renaissance. It is currently in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence.

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Snell, Melissa. "Donatello Sculpture Gallery." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/donatello-sculpture-gallery-4122777. Snell, Melissa. (2020, August 27). Donatello Sculpture Gallery. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/donatello-sculpture-gallery-4122777 Snell, Melissa. "Donatello Sculpture Gallery." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/donatello-sculpture-gallery-4122777 (accessed March 28, 2024).