Donatello . been developed with such boldness, nowhere haseverything that shows the slightest restraint been so completely set aside. And now, in addition, his narrative art! Donatellos mighty talent forstory-telling is here once more centred in one focus. The eyes of hisbody — they were already tired — no longer see the actual scenes, but withthe intuition of his inner eye he pours out — to use Diirers words —what he has during the course of his life collected from without: shapesthat crowd together like the waves of a rushing s,tream. They rise, halfvisible, from the ground and protrude from
Donatello . been developed with such boldness, nowhere haseverything that shows the slightest restraint been so completely set aside. And now, in addition, his narrative art! Donatellos mighty talent forstory-telling is here once more centred in one focus. The eyes of hisbody — they were already tired — no longer see the actual scenes, but withthe intuition of his inner eye he pours out — to use Diirers words —what he has during the course of his life collected from without: shapesthat crowd together like the waves of a rushing s,tream. They rise, halfvisible, from the ground and protrude from the sides; sometimes they arephantom-like, flat, sometimes of exaggerated corporeality, as different ascould be in their proportions, and of unequal pictorial value. The ruling 135 character is the impression of instantaneous movement, effervescent andconvulsive to the verge of paroxysm —but next to it again perfectly quietmen who are only just present and a number of squatting, silently brooding. Fig. 127. Clay Relief. Flagellation and Crucifixion. London. South Kensington Museum. (To page 134.) figures: the quietness ot the grave personified. These are no longer figuresto which the measure of living models may be applied. Their limbs arefrequently twisted out of shape, their gestures convulsive, their faces distortedunder the abundance of flowing or bristling hair. They are images that 136 can only be understood as the expression of a soul and mind. At the endof his career Donatellos manner closely approaches that of Rembrandt,with which it shared many traits even at an earlier date. They also resembleeach other in the impetuousity of their technique, in the fiiria del Donatello has grown a little senile and is more loquacious, than a goodraconteur should be. Few among these reliefs have dominating a one stands forth most powerfully on the reliefs of the front of the
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectdonatello13861466
