Sculpture in the age of Donatello

"Publication accompanies the opening of the exhibition on the art of the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, at the Museum of Biblical Art in New York, in February 2015. It is a ground-breaking examination of the art and decoration of Sta. Maria del Fiore in Florence, better known to international visitors as the Duomo, much of which has not been seen in the USA before. With four essays by leading scholars plus a catalogue of 23 works, it features masterpieces that had a profound and lasting influence on the art of the Florentine (and wider Italian) Renaissance, and serves as a major new survey of early Renaissance art. Featured works by Donatello include Lo Zuccone (which the artist considered to be one of his best works), The Evangelist John carved for the facade of the cathedral between 1408 and 1413 and an inspiration for Michelangelo's Moses, and the highly dramatic Sacrifice of Isaac.The main colour plates of the artworks have been shot by leading art photographer Antonio Quattrone"-- "With fresh insights and superb new photography, Sculpture in the Age of Donatello offers a close look at the genesis of the early Renaissance in Florence. Focusing on a group of works made in the first half of the fifteenth century for Florence Cathedral (the Duomo), this volume highlights the ingenuity and spirit of competition that drove this multi-faceted project. Sculpture gave expression to new humanist ideas, and Donatello, one of the most influential and versatile sculptors of the Renaissance, was a main innovator. This close-up look places Donatello's major early works alongside those of his contemporaries-- masters such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Nanni di Banco, and Luca della Robbia. Four essays by outstanding scholars interpret the sculptures in a variety of contexts"--