Donatello’s most famous marble sculpture, David, is to go on display in the UK for the first time as part of the country’s first exhibition of the Renaissance master’s work.
Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance, which will be staged at the Victoria and Albert Museum, will feature other previously unseen works in Britain, offering a fresh vision of the artist and his impact on the the cultural and artistic development of 15th-century Italy.
Other pieces to be newly exhibited include the bronze Attis-Amorino from the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, the reliquary bust of San Rossore from the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo in Pisa and bronzes from the High Altar of the Basilica of St Anthony in Padua.
Deemed by many to be the greatest sculptor of all time, Donatello combined ideas from classical and medieval works to create pieces that were simultaneously novel and traditional.
The artist, who was close to the Medici family and their circle in Florence, used marble, stone, bronze, wood, terracotta and stucco to contribute to large commissions for the church and state, and became the vanguard of a revolution in sculptural practice during a critical time in European culture.
“Donatello was a driving force behind the Italian Renaissance and an inspiration to artists across the centuries,” said Peta Motture, the lead curator of the exhibition, which will take place at the V&A from 11 February to 11 June 2023.
“Bringing together objects and narratives never before seen in the UK, the exhibition provides a unique moment to experience, enjoy and – for those less familiar with his work – discover Donatello’s astonishing talents and his wide-ranging impact on Renaissance and later art.”
Donatello created two statues depicting the biblical hero David – one marble and one bronze. The former was created during the artist’s early 20s for the Cathedral of Florence and ended up in the Palazzo della Signoria.
The V&A exhibition, which comprises about 130 objects, also complements Donatello’s key works with selected pieces by his contemporaries and followers.
For the first time, the V&A’s carved shallow relief of the Ascension with Christ giving the keys to St Peter will be displayed alongside the Madonna of the Clouds from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Desiderio da Settignano’s Panciatichi Madonna from the Museo Nazionale del Bargello - a first opportunity to see these works together.
