Donatello . y rea-listic art which only materializesno matter what aspect of this realism dominates the two marble statues of St. John inthe Casa Alartclli and in the Bargello (Figs. 30 and 31). They have to bebracketed, because they both treat a new statuesque problem: they do notstand, but are in the act of walking. This was certainly already suggestedin the St. Mark and the Jeremiah, but only as a capacity of movement;whilst now it is actual movement, though again only in the shape of anaccidental snap-shot, and not of a motif carefully chosen for itsstatuesque possibilities.
Donatello . y rea-listic art which only materializesno matter what aspect of this realism dominates the two marble statues of St. John inthe Casa Alartclli and in the Bargello (Figs. 30 and 31). They have to bebracketed, because they both treat a new statuesque problem: they do notstand, but are in the act of walking. This was certainly already suggestedin the St. Mark and the Jeremiah, but only as a capacity of movement;whilst now it is actual movement, though again only in the shape of anaccidental snap-shot, and not of a motif carefully chosen for itsstatuesque possibilities. In the figure of the Casa MarteUi it still retains acertain freshness, but in the Bargello Baptist it becomes mere eye does not notice the way; it rests on the scroll and reads thewords of the psalms. The lips are moving in song. Thus a penitent walksin the procession. He is an emaciated, sickly man. His knees are pointed,his back drawn in, his stomach thrown forward: the side-view thus becomes. Fig. 32. Head of St. John the Baptist. Cf. Fig. 31.(To pages 39 and 42.) 39 almost unendurable. To this limpness the rightarm forms a contrast of almost convulsive musculartension, similar to the Jeremiah. Again the fingersare pressed against the thigh — an attitude of thearms well known in the barracks-yard. It is theway recruits have of holding the butt of the what has it to do with the It iscertainly not justified by the reed-cross. In thisfigure, too, the statuesque effect has suffered. Butit is aglow with an almost uncanny life. Thus this very figure proclaims perhaps mostclearly, that Donatello left the soil of his formerstatuesque art. In his David, St. Mark andSt. George he had seen the human body in itshealthy strength, dignity and beauty. He hadalmost rediscovered and re-created Natures tectonicwork of art in the sense of antique sculpture. But now he chooses, posesand drapes his models, unconcerned with the linear beauty of their frame;nay
Size: 1415px × 1766px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectdonatello13861466
