Donatello

1 Donatello, the early Italian Renaissance sculptor, was born Donato di Niccolo di Betto
Bardi in Florence, Italy, sometime in 1386. His friends and family gave him the nickname
“Donatello.” He was the son of Niccolo di Betto Bardi, a member of the Florentine Wool
Combers Guild. This gave young Donatello status as the son of a craftsman and placed him on
a path of working in the trades. Donatello was educated at the home of the Martellis, a
wealthy and influential Florentine family of bankers and art patrons closely tied to the Medici
family. It was here that Donatello probably first received artistic training from a local
goldsmith. There he learned how to work with metals. In 1403, he apprenticed with Florence
metalsmith and sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti. A few years later, Ghiberti was commissioned to
create the bronze doors for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral, beating out a rival artist.
Donatello assisted Ghiberti in creating the cathedral doors.

Early Work

2 By 1408, Donatello was back in Florence at the workshops of the cathedral. That year,
he completed the life-sized marble sculpture, David. The figure follows a Gothic style, popular
at the time, with long graceful lines and an expressionless face. The work reflects the
influences of sculptors of the time. Technically, it's very well executed, but it lacks the
emotional style and innovative technique that would mark Donatello’s later work. Originally,
the sculpture was intended for placement in the cathedral. Instead, however, it was set up in
the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall) as an inspiring symbol of defiance of authority to
Florentines, who were engaged in a struggle with the king of Naples at the time.

3 Rapidly maturing in his art, Donatello soon began to develop a style all his own, with
figures much more dramatic and emotional. Between 1411 and 1413, he sculpted the marble
figure St. Mark. In 1415, Donatello completed the marble statue of a seated St. John the
Evangelist for the cathedral in Florence. Both works show a decisive move away from the
Gothic style and toward a more classical method.

Unique Style

4 By this time, Donatello was gaining a reputation for creating imposing, larger-than-life
figures using innovative techniques and extraordinary skills. His style incorporated the new
science of perspective, which allowed the sculptor to create figures that occupied measurable
space. Before this time, European sculptors used a flat background upon which figures were
placed. Donatello also drew heavily from reality for inspiration in his sculptures, accurately
showing suffering, joy and sorrow in his figures’ faces and body positions.

5 Around 1425, Donatello entered into a partnership with an Italian sculptor and
architect, who also studied with Lorenzo Ghiberti. Together, they traveled to Rome, where
they produced several architectural-sculptural tombs, including the tomb of Antipope John
XXIII and the tomb of a Cardinal. These improvements in burial chambers would influence
many later Florentine tombs.
Greatest Work

6 Donatello had developed a close and rewarding relationship with Cosimo de’ Medici in
Florence. In 1430, the famous art investor commissioned Donatello to do another statue of
David, this time in bronze. This is probably Donatello’s most famous work. The sculpture is
fully independent from any architectural surroundings that might support it and stands a little
over five feet tall.

7 In 1443, Donatello was called to the city of Padua by the family of the famous
mercenary Erasmo da Narni, who had died earlier that year. In 1450, Donatello completed a
bronze statue called Gattamelata, showing Erasmo riding a horse in full battle dress, minus a
helmet. This was the first equestrian statue cast in bronze since the Romans. The sculpture
created some argument, as most equestrian statues were reserved for rulers or kings, not
mere warriors. This work became the example for other equestrian monuments created in
Italy and Europe in the following centuries.

Final Years

8 Donatello continued his work taking on commissions from wealthy patrons of the arts.
His lifelong friendship with the Medici family earned him a retirement allowance to live on the
rest of his life. He died of unknown causes on December 13, 1466, in Florence and was buried
next to Cosimo de' Medici. An unfinished work was faithfully completed by one his students.
 Leonardo da Vinci

1 When you think of multitasking, you might think about talking on the phone while doing your
homework, but for one man of the Renaissance, multitasking happened on a grand scale.
Leonardo da Vinci was probably the best multitasker in history. He was an amazing scientist,
architect, engineer, and artist. Leonardo excelled in everything he tried.

2 Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, a sleepy town in the lush hills near Florence,
Italy. His father was a public official, and his mother was a simple country girl. Not much is known
about young Leonardo's childhood.

3 Leonardo's strong, wiry build made him an excellent hiker. He brought bugs, lizards, and bats
into his room to study them. He didn't like to see animals in cages, though. When he saw
songbirds for sale in the marketplace, he bought them so he could set them free. Leonardo also
became a vegetarian, an unusual idea for his time, because he didn't want to hurt any living thing.
He took many long walks to study nature. On his hikes in the fresh Italian air, Leonardo also
studied birds in flight. This fascination with flight inspired his later designs for flying machines.
Centuries before airplanes roared across the sky, flying machines soared in Leonardo's
imagination. He later wrote, "For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your
eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return." Leonardo was
constantly thinking, studying, and wondering. He carried a notebook around so he could jot down
ideas or sketch. He had the unusual habit of writing backwards so his words could be only read by
looking in the mirror. He could write well with both hands; he was ambidextrous.

4 In 1466 Leonardo went to live with Andrea del Verrocchio and became the artist's apprentice.
The young man drew, modeled with clay, and cast statues in bronze. He prepared paints by
grinding colored minerals and mixing them with linseed oil or egg yolks. He also prepared wooden
panels for painting by covering them with plaster. By 1472, he had become a master of the arts
and joined the painters' guild. However, Leonardo had some fun, too. He enjoyed having parties
with the other apprentices, and they had a great time playing musical instruments and singing.
Leonardo sang well and entertained his new friends with his jokes and lyre music. He was
handsome and charming. He also had a scary sense of humor. He once made a "dragon" by adding
wings, a horn, and big eyes to his pet lizard. He used this creative creature to frighten people. He
watched with glee as they ran away screaming, probably studying their expressions like any good
artist would. Back at the job, Verrocchio made Leonardo his chief assistant. They worked together
on a religious scene called The Baptism of Christ. Leonardo painted a beautiful angel, and when
Verrocchio saw it, he realized that his student had far surpassed his own skill. Instead of being
pleased with his student's efforts, cranky Verrocchio gave up painting forever and concentrated
on sculpture. Maybe his hard-hearted personality was better suited for working with rock. The
Baptism of Christ is now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. Leonardo appreciated his training
under Verrocchio but was on his own by 1478. He did commissions for people. One of his most
famous early paintings was the Annunciation. This painting shows the biblical story of how the
Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to tell her that she would give birth to a son.
Leonardo worked out the details of this painting with great care. He must have enjoyed this work
because he actually finished it. Throughout his career, he often started projects with a flourish.
Then, like an Italian cook who left half-baked manicotti in the kitchen, Leonardo would abandon
his work.
5 Leonardo enjoyed researching the scientific details in this painting. He studied botany to be
able to accurately show plants. He studied anatomy to be able to show people's bodies
realistically. He even used a bird's wing as a model for the Archangel Gabriel's wings. He made
dozens of sketches to plan every detail. Leonardo always felt that beautiful art was based upon
mathematics, so he created a formula for the perfect proportions of the human body. Leonardo
studied the human body with an almost deadly intensity. Leonardo had the highest respect for the
proportions of the human body. He even did dissections to figure out how muscles and bones
were connected and how joints worked. He made amazing anatomical drawings, such as a fetus in
the womb. He encouraged fellow artists to make muscles look lean and reasonable in their
paintings. Some art historians wonder whether that comment was directed towards the great
Michelangelo, whose massive muscled figures looked like Renaissance superheroes.

6 Leonardo had a standoffish personality. He seemed charming, but he also had a surprising
disdain for human beings. He once called men "sacks for food" or even worse, "fillers-up of
privies." He wrote many volumes of scientific and philosophical ideas, but he never seemed to
have much love in his personal life. He seemed to like his scientific and engineering studies more
than people.

7 In nature, Leonardo loved to study the behavior of water more than anything else. His
notebooks are full of ideas for how to supply water efficiently to cities. He wrote that the swirls of
water in rushing streams were similar to the spiral growth in the leaves of plants. Few artists or
scientists, before or after Leonardo, had such a spherical view of the world. He had a remarkable
talent for seeing how seemingly different subjects were connected in the larger scheme of things.

8 While pursuing his scientific work, Leonardo also started The Last Supper in 1495. This painting
is in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan and shows the final meal that Christ shared
with his disciples. Da Vinci spent countless hours sketching the faces of the apostles, and he
supposedly wandered through the streets searching for the right faces to use in his mural. Each
morning he climbed up onto his scaffolding to work on his masterpiece. Many days we would
forget to eat or drink. He finished The Last Supper in 1497, two years after he began.

9 In 1502 or 1503, Leonardo went to Milan, where he painted what may be the most famous
painting in the world. The model for the Mona Lisa was probably the wife of a Florentine man
named Francesco del Giocondo. Leonardo worked on the painting for four years, and he kept the
model well-entertained with jesters and musicians. According to stories, he didn't want a sad
model. He succeeded, for the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile has captivated viewers for centuries.

10 The great artist continued to work on artistic and engineering projects until his death in
1519. He was as precise in death as he was in life, and he even specified a certain number of
candles to be carried at his funeral. His many notebooks were filled with ideas for inventions like
the airplane, helicopter, parachute, and bicycle hundreds of years before they were invented.
Leonardo da Vinci, perhaps the greatest multitasker in history, will never be forgotten.
 Michelangelo

Family, Early Life and Education

1 Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy, the second of five sons.
When Michelangelo was born, his father, Leonardo di Buonarrota Simoni, was briefly serving
as a judge in the small village of Caprese. The family returned to Florence when Michelangelo
was still an infant. His mother, Francesca Neri, was ill, so Michelangelo was placed with a
family of stonecutters.
2 Michelangelo was less interested in schooling than watching the painters at nearby
churches and drawing what he saw. It may have been his school friend who introduced
Michelangelo to painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. Michelangelo's father realized early on that
his son had no interest in the family financial business, so he agreed to apprentice him, at the
age of 13, to the fashionable Florentine painter's workshop. There, Michelangelo was exposed
to the technique of fresco.
Michelangelo and the Medicis
3 From 1489 to 1492, Michelangelo studied classical sculpture in the palace gardens of
Florentine ruler Lorenzo the Magnificent of the powerful Medici family. This extraordinary
opportunity opened to him after spending only a year at Ghirlandaio’s workshop, at his
mentor’s recommendation. This was a productive time for Michelangelo; his years with the
Medici family gave him access to the social elite of Florence — allowing him to study under a
respected sculptor and exposing him to famous poets, scholars and Humanists. He also gained
special permission from the Catholic Church to study remains for insight into anatomy, though
exposure to corpses had an adverse effect on his health.
4 These combined influences laid the groundwork for what would become Michelangelo's
distinctive style: a muscular precision and reality combined with an almost poetic beauty. Two
sculptures that survive, "Battle of the Centaurs" and "Madonna Seated on a Step," are proof to
his unique talent at the young age of 16.
Move to Rome
4 Political trouble in the aftermath of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s death led Michelangelo
to flee to Bologna, where he continued his study. He returned to Florence in 1495 to begin
work as a sculptor, modeling his style after masterpieces of traditional history.
5 There are several versions of an exciting story about Michelangelo's "Cupid" sculpture,
which was artificially "aged" to resemble a rare antique: One version claims that Michelangelo
aged the statue to achieve a certain patina, and another version claims that his art dealer
buried the sculpture (an "aging" method) before attempting to pass it off as an antique.
6 Cardinal Riario of San Giorgio bought the "Cupid" sculpture, believing it as such, and
demanded his money back when he discovered he'd been tricked. Strangely, in the end, Riario
was so impressed with Michelangelo's work that he let the artist keep the money. The cardinal
even invited the artist to Rome, where Michelangelo would live and work for the rest of his
life.
Michelangelo’s Works
'David' Sculpture
7 Between 1501 and 1504, Michelangelo took over a commission for a statue of "David,"
which two prior sculptors had previously attempted and abandoned, and turned the 17-foot
piece of marble into a dominating figure. The strength of the statue's expression and overall
courage made the "David" a prized representative of the city of Florence. Originally
commissioned for the cathedral of Florence, the Florentine government instead installed the
statue in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. It now lives in Florence’s Accademia gallery.
'Sistine Chapel' Painting
8 Pope Julius II asked Michelangelo to switch from sculpting to painting to decorate the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which the artist revealed on October 31, 1512. The project fueled
Michelangelo’s imagination, and the original plan for 12 apostles morphed into more than 300
figures on the ceiling of the sacred space. (The work later had to be completely removed soon
after due to an infectious fungus in the plaster, then recreated.) Michelangelo fired all of his
assistants, whom he deemed inept, and completed the 65-foot ceiling alone, spending endless
hours on his back and guarding the project jealously until completion.
9 The resulting masterpiece is an excellent example of High Renaissance art incorporating
the Christian symbolism and humanist principles that Michelangelo had absorbed during his
youth. The bright paintings of Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling produce a kaleidoscope effect,
with the most iconic image being the "Creation of Adam," a portrayal of God touching the
finger of man. Rival Roman painter Raphael evidently altered his style after seeing the work.
Architecture
10 Although Michelangelo continued to sculpt and paint throughout his life, following the
physical rigor of painting the Sistine Chapel he turned his focus toward architecture. He
continued to work on the tomb of Julius II, which the pope had interrupted for his Sistine
Chapel commission, for the next several decades. Michelangelo also designed the Medici
Chapel and the Laurentian Library to house the Medici book collection. These buildings are
considered a turning point in architectural history. But Michelangelo's crowning glory in this
field came when he was made chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica in 1546.
Personal Life and Death
11 Although he never married, Michelangelo was devoted to a religious and noble widow
named Vittoria Colonna, the subject and recipient of many of his more than 300 poems and
sonnets. Their friendship remained a great comfort to Michelangelo until Colonna's death in
1547.
12 Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564 — just weeks before his 89th birthday — at his
home in Rome, following a brief illness. A nephew took his body back to Florence, where he
was respected by the public as the "father and master of all the arts." He was laid to rest at the
Basilica di Santa Croce.
 Raphael
Early Life and Training
1 Italian Renaissance painter and architect Raphael was born Raffaello Sanzio
on April 6, 1483, in Urbino, Italy. At the time, Urbino was a cultural center that
encouraged the arts. Raphael’s father, Giovanni Santi, was a painter for the Duke
of Urbino. Giovanni taught the young Raphael basic painting techniques and
exposed him to the values of humanistic thinking at the Duke of Urbino’s court.
2 In 1494, when Raphael was just 11 years old, his father died. Raphael then
took over the frightening task of managing his father’s workshop. His success in
this role quickly surpassed his father’s; Raphael was soon considered one of the
finest painters in town. As a teen, he was even commissioned to paint for the
Church of San Nicola in the neighboring town of Castello.
3 In 1500 a master painter known as Perugino, invited Raphael to become his
apprentice in Perugia. Perugino was working on frescoes at the Collegio del
Cambia. The apprenticeship lasted four years and provided Raphael with the
opportunity to gain both knowledge and hands-on experience. During this period,
Raphael developed his own unique painting style.

Paintings
4 In 1504, Raphael left his apprenticeship with Perugino and moved to
Florence, where he was heavily influenced by the works of the Italian painters
Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. To Raphael, these innovative artists had
achieved a whole new level of depth in their composition. By closely studying the
details of their work, Raphael managed to develop an even more complex and
dramatic style.
5 From 1504 through 1507, Raphael produced a series of "Madonnas," which
built on Leonardo da Vinci's works. Raphael's work with this theme finished in
1507. That same year, Raphael created his most ambitious work in Florence, the
Entombment, which was similar to the ideas that Michelangelo had recently
conveyed in his Battle of Cascina. Raphael moved to Rome in 1508 to paint in the
Vatican "Stanze" ("Room"), under Pope Julius II’s investment.
6 In the years to come, Raphael painted an additional fresco series for the
Vatican. During this same time, the ambitious painter produced a successful series
of "Madonna" paintings in his own art studio. The famed Madonna of the Chair
and Sistine Madonna were among them.

Architecture
7 By 1514, Raphael had achieved fame for his work at the Vatican and was able
to hire a crew of assistants to help him finish painting frescoes, freeing him up to
focus on other projects. While Raphael continued to accept commissions --
including portraits of Popes Julius II and Leo X -- and his largest painting on canvas,
The Transfiguration (commissioned in 1517), he had by this time begun to work on
architecture. After architect Donato Bramante died in 1514, the pope hired
Raphael as his chief architect. Under this appointment, Raphael created the design
for a chapel. He also designed Rome’s Santa Maria del Popolo Chapel and an area
within Saint Peter’s new cathedral.

Death
8 On April 6, 1520, Raphael’s 37th birthday, he died suddenly and
unexpectedly of mysterious causes in Rome, Italy. He had been working on his
largest painting on canvas, The Transfiguration (commissioned in 1517), at the
time of his death. When his funeral was held at the Vatican, Raphael's unfinished
Transfiguration was placed on his coffin stand. Raphael’s body was buried at the
Pantheon in Rome, Italy.