St Louis, Donatello

Subject matter?

St Louis of Toulouse = Former Medieval bishop & Fransiscan Saint.

Date?

1422

Scale?

2.66m

Original location?

Or San Michele

Moved to and when?

Moved in 1466 to the church of Santa Croce

(Centre of Guelph activity)

positioned on the central axis (interpretation)

highlights importance and religious power, emphasises connection with heaven/god

shell niche made from marble (interpretation)

symbolising pilgrimage, expensive and prestigious

closed composition (interpretation)

shows humility and modesty

solemn facial expression, looking up (interpretation)

spiritual connection with god/heaven

strong diagonal created through croisier and drapery (interpretation)

creates animation and motion towards heaven

large scale object, however he appears smaller (interpretation)

St Louis was modest and humble

classical niche (interpretation)

balanced and harmonious, referencing antiquity

heavy and engulfing swathes of drapery, concealing his body (interpretation)

shows modesty and christian values

composition (3 points)

1. gilded bronze sculpture of St Louis of Toulouse
2. in the round and supported by niche
3. left hand raised and left foot pointing out

colour (3 points)

1. golden bronze, gilded apart from mitre
2. embellishment of crosier, worked into after casting
3. white marble niche, purity and heaven

style (3 points)

1. early renaissance
2. classical influences
3. international gothic influences

three-dimensional space (3 points)

1. animation through drapery
2. right foot pointed out
3. receding planes and -ve space filled

light and tone (3 points)

1. high sheen from gilding
2. bronze illuminated by light
3. shadows created through heavy drapery

texture, pattern, ornament and decoration (3 points)

1. classical decoration: St Peter’s shell and detailed relief
2. thick texture of drapery conceals body
3. symmetry creates pattern

materials, techniques and processes (3 points)

1. fire-gilt bronze and supported by marble niche
2. high tensile strength
3. polished to a high sheen

volume, mass and form (3 points)

1. volumous drapery
2. huge sense of mass
3. drew people’s interests into the building

line (3 points)

1. central axis created which mitre is positioned on
2. strong diagonal through crosier
3. curvilinear lines

scale (3 points)

1. larger than life size but appears smaller
2. 2.66m
3. crosier adds to height and religious status

who commissioned St Louis?

The Guelph Party

how did Donatello achieve recognition?

St George, commissioned by the Armourer’s gild for Or San Michele

what influenced Donatello to produce St Louis?

Ghiberti’s St Stephen and John the Baptist

who inspired Donatello’s interest in antiquity and role of drapery? and which work of art?

Nanni di Banco’s four saints (1414-16)

Vasari source

“like the distinguished works of the ancient Greeks and Romans”

Charles Avery source

“the niche may owe something to Brunelleschi”

Paoletti and Radke source

“overworked, volumetric folds”

who did he train with and what did this give him?

Trained with Ghiberti which gave him an excellent understanding of casting and working with bronze.

How was his understanding of Classicism aided?

his visit to Rome in 1402 with Brunelleschi.

who was he influenced by and in terms of what?

He was influenced by early Renaissance painters, such as Masaccio, in terms of his naturalism.

How was he influenced by Giotto?

Giotto influenced display of human emotion & left foot reaching out to the viewer.

Who was the niche inspired by?

• Brunelleschi

• Completed in partnership with Michelozzo.

Why was his partnership with Michelozzo significant?

• Marked beginning of important working relationship.

• E.g. the Funeral Monument to Pope John (1424-7).

what was he influenced by philosophically and what triggered this?

Humanism triggered by the visit to Rome in 1402 with Brunelleschi

Who was St Louis and what did he symbolise?

a former Medieval bishop and Franciscan Saint that symbolised humility

who did the Guelph party support?

the Pope

what was St Louis replaced by and when?

Vercocchio’s doubting Thomas in 1466

why was St Louis replaced?

Lorenzo de Medici saw the Guelph party as a threat and wanted to minimise their influence in Florence.

Where was St Louis moved?

Santa Croce which was a centre for Guelph activity.

what had been done to the bronze to make it appear as if it was made from solid gold?

fire-gilded

why was fire-gilding significant economically? (2)

it flattered the Merchants who supported the Guelph party and it was very expensive and prestigious

Donatello was excellent at exploiting bronze, but what challenges did he face?

The drapery was complex so it had to be cast in pieces.

what does fire-gilding involve?

Making a paste from gold and mercury which was then applied to the surface. This was then heated, and the mercury would evaporate.

Why was the niche so important?

• Technologically advanced

• First fully classical niche of the Renaissance.