File:Donatello (1904) (14595119338).jpg

Identifier: donatello00meye (find matches)
Title: Donatello
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Meyer, Alfred Gotthold Konody, Paul G. (Paul George), 1872-1933
Subjects: Donatello, 1386?-1466
Publisher: Bielefeld and Leipzig : Velhagen & Klasing
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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ines, though the habitof niche figures may still be perceptible.Furthermore,/this David, as life-size statue,is the first youthful nude, that distinctlyapproaches again the antique ideal of beauty, \athough of course not in the meaning ofWinckelmann! It has neither perfect pro-portions, nor soft tgrms. By the sideof the full, sinuated lines of Praxitelesqueyouths, the hip-line of this David stillappears hard, and his body too swelling.It is simply that Donatellos study of nature•amounts here also to the study of themodel, dependent on natural forms which,compared with Greek forms, have degene-rated , if only through their conditions ofHfe. Yet he proceeds here with more de-cision than anywhere else, to give harmonyof form to the general appearance of hiswork, and simplifies the forms in the manner^. „^ ^ TVT u, c 17, of classic sculpture. In addition to this, Fig. 86. David. Marble Statue. Florence. ^ Casa Martelli. cf. Fig. 85. (To page 94.) the whole plastic shape is loosened to
Text Appearing After Image:
95 i 1 1 1. *^^ ■*^A, Fig. 87. Sacristy of S. Lorenzo. Florence. (To page 97.) such an extent, that itmakes even the Spesstatuette of the Sienafont appear compact;and the movement isso free, that the figuremay be considered ar-tistically the oppositepole to the St. George.This refers not onlyto the general pose,but also to the attitudeof the arms. With whatnatural ease the backof the left hand withthe stone is pressedagainst the hip, and how gracefully the right is holding the swordjJ And finally the head,classical in its effect, but with unusually refined features, and with itswavy hair shaded by the laurel-wreathed helmet!—This youthful herodoes not stand quite isolated in the quattrocento. Ghiberti has achieveda similar result with his Isaac on the competition relief of the Baptistery.And also the Isaac in the Abraham group, executed by Donatello in con-junction with Rosso for the Campanile, is a pendant to the David. But thelatter has nobler blood in his veins — no doubt a r

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