Donatello and the Dawn of Renaissance Art

Description

A beautifully illustrated monograph on the innovative and at times controversial sculptor Donatello. The Italian sculptor known as Donatello helped to forge a new kind of art - one that defines the Renaissance. His work was progressive, innovative, challenging and even controversial. Using a variety of novel sculptural techniques and perspectives, Donatello depicted human sexuality, violence, spirituality and beauty. But to really understand Donatello one needs to understand a changing world, a transition from Medieval to Renaissance and to an art more personal and part of the modern self. Donatello was not just a man of his times, he helped create the spirit of the times he lived in, and those to come. In this beautifully illustrated book, the first monograph on Donatello for 25 years, A. Victor Coonin describes the full extent of Donatello's revolutionary contribution and shows how his work heralded the emergence of modern art.

A. Victor Coonin is a leading historian, critic and reviewer of Renaissance Art. He is the author and editor of numerous books on the subject, including From Marble to Flesh: The Biography of Michelangelo's David (2014), and has taught at Rhodes College since 1995. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

"Coonin's book, which marks the first biographical publication on Donatello in twenty-five years, is an enjoyable and engaging read. The text is lucid, well-documented, and an informative source for those looking to explore the creativity and personality of one of the Renaissance's most acclaimed artists."-- "Renaissance and Reformation / Renaissance et Reforme" "The book laudably aims at an extensive readership including both specialists and nonspecialists. . . . The text delivers many excellent exercises in ekphrasis, and the book will surely become a cherished travel companion for the many students and others who have fallen under the spell of Donatello and the life of Italian early Renaissance sculpture."-- "Renaissance Quarterly" "Readable and engaging. . . . Donatello was amazingly versatile and constantly in demand, engaging in multiple projects, often simultaneously. An inventive sculptor, he worked in almost every conceivable medium--stucco, terra-cotta, and cartapesta as well as bronze, marble, and wood. In addition he was a colorful, witty character, and his eccentric behavior is preserved in anecdote. Coonin makes good use of this material to breathe fresh life into the art and biography of a supremely important genius who exerted a powerful influence on many subsequent artists, including Michelangelo, Bernini, Canova, Rodin, and Brancusi. Deftly weaving together history, anecdote, accounts of patronage, and sensitive descriptions of works of art, this accessible treatment is illustrated with seventy-six color plates. Highly recommended."-- "Choice"