Renaissance of sculpture

Overall Summary
Tiny Summary of Renaissance Sculpture
Early Renaissance
ca. 1400-1500
High Renaissance
ca. 1500-25
Late Renaissance
ca. 1525-1600
Ghiberti, Donatello Michelangelo Giambologna
Main Article
Introduction
Renaissance art is distinguished from medieval art primarily by physical realism and classical
composition (see Western Aesthetics).
The Early Renaissance was the formative period of Renaissance art; in other words, it was
artists of the Early Renaissance who pioneered and developed physical realism and classical
composition. These efforts culminated in the High Renaissance, during which the apex of
classical balance, harmony, and restraint was attained. During the Late Renaissance, this severe
classicism was relaxed, allowing for a measure of complexity and dynamism (thus presaging the
rise of Baroque art).
A distinct sub-movement of Late Renaissance art was mannerism: the deliberate pursuit of
novelty and complexity. In sculpture, mannerism resulted in such qualities as distorted anatomy
(e.g. elongated limbs) and complex postures. Some Late Renaissance artists worked in a full-
blown mannerist style, while others were merely influenced by the movement (to varying
degrees).
Early Renaissance
ca. 1400-1500
Renaissance painting and architecture were founded by Masaccio and Brunelleschi, respectively.
The founder of Renaissance sculpture was Ghiberti, whose masterpiece is the Gates of
Paradise, a pair of bronze doors for the Florence Baptistry. The main panels of these doors
comprise ten biblical scenes rendered with impressive realism, including deep perspective.
Image Gallery: Ghiberti

Florence Baptistry
Image credit: Georges Jansoone
Gates of Paradise
Image credit: sailko

Panel from the Gates of Paradise

One of Ghiberti’s assistants, Donatello, became the greatest sculptor of the Early Renaissance. It
was Donatello who finally revived classical statues (starting with Saint Mark), including
equestrian statues (with Gattamelata, the first equestrian statue since antiquity).G299,H683-
89,1 His other primary works include Saint George and David.
Image Gallery: Donatello

Saint Mark
Image credit: Cnelson
Gattamelata
Image credit: Lamré

Saint George
David
Image credit: Patrick A. Rodgers
High Renaissance
ca. 1500-1525
The uncontested master of High Renaissance sculpture is Michelangelo, who divided his career
between Florence (his native city) and Rome. Pieta is the jewel of his early work, while his
masterpiece, David, is often considered the greatest sculpture of all time. His foremost late work
may be Moses.

Though Michelangelo’s career stretched into the Late Renaissance, most of his sculpture dates to
the High Renaissance; his later years were devoted to painting and architecture.
Image Gallery: Michelangelo
Pieta
Image credit: Stanislav Traykov et al.
David
Image credit: Quinok

Moses
Image credit: prasenberg
Late Renaissance
ca. 1525-1600
The foremost mannerist sculptor was the Flemish-Italian Giambologna. As noted earlier, typical
features of mannerist sculpture include complex postures and elongated anatomy. The former
quality is evident in the violent group sculptures Abduction of the Sabines and Heracles and
Nessus, as well as several gentler statues of Mercury. The Mercury sculptures also showcase
elongated limbs, as does the female statue L’Architettura.
Image Gallery: Giambologna

Abduction of the Sabines
Image credit: Arnold Paul
Heracles and Nessus
Image credit: sonofgroucho

Flying Mercury
Mercury
Image credit: Daderot

L’Architettura
Image credit: Infrogmation
1 – “Donatello”, Encarta 2004.
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