Donatello . Body is resting in the lap of is seated on the ground, and fourmourners surround this low group, sym-metrically disposed, but varied in masterlyfashion. St. John on the right turns away,covering his face with his hand, as on therelief at St. Peters; Magdalen on the leftextends both arms towards the Saviour —one of those touching, fervent actionswhich cannot be described in words. Thisone figure would suffice toshowDanatellosgreatness, although her wildly lamentingcompanion in the background next toSt. John is her compeer! Note how splendidly the forms of the bodyappear und
Donatello . Body is resting in the lap of is seated on the ground, and fourmourners surround this low group, sym-metrically disposed, but varied in masterlyfashion. St. John on the right turns away,covering his face with his hand, as on therelief at St. Peters; Magdalen on the leftextends both arms towards the Saviour —one of those touching, fervent actionswhich cannot be described in words. Thisone figure would suffice toshowDanatellosgreatness, although her wildly lamentingcompanion in the background next toSt. John is her compeer! Note how splendidly the forms of the bodyappear under the thin garments! In this respect this small, unchasedrough cast completely makes up for the lack of freshness shown in someplaces by the Paduan stone-relief, but in connection with the Paduansculptures it is only discussed here, because in its subject it forms apendant to that stucco-relief. As regards style, it may as well belong toa later period. A bronze plaque of the same scene with nine figures,. Fig. 118. St. John the Duomo. (To page 126.) 125 several copies of which have been preserved, is probably only inspiredby Donatello (Fig. ii6). Donatello at the head of his large workshop in Padua may still havefound time for many a work of secondary importance. Vasari refers tohis extensive activity for a nunnery, and specially mentions, besides a vastnumber of works in all parts of that city, a carved St. Sebastian, amarble Madonna, and numerous clay and plastic figures. The altar in the Santo was finished in 1450, and the equestrian statueof Gattamelata was only erected in 1453. At this time Donatello appearsto have entered into negotiations with other Upper Italian art-centres: inModena he receives the commission for the Equestrian portrait of BorsodEste, which has already been referred to; for Mantua he commences atomb of S. Anselmo; in Ferrara he has to give expert opinion on twoequestrian statues. Of all these enterprises we have no definite knowledgey
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectdonatello13861466
