Look up the sculpture Famine by Rowan Gillespie in Chapter 36, page 507, then go to YouTube and watch the video ‘Famine Way Walkers 2017 at The Rowan Gillespie Memorial, Spencer Dock, Dublin’ (0:38).
Do you think the Irish artist was influenced by Donatello’s Mary Magdalene?
Look up Donatello’s famous statue of Gattamelata in Padua. Find out why this first equestrian statue of the Renaissance caused such a sensation. Check out the similarities with the famous statue of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius in Rome. Do you think that this influenced the artist’s work?
Fur er Research
www.youtube.com – Search for ‘Linear Perspective: Brunelleschi’s Experiment’ (4:16) to watch a short video on Brunelleschi’s exploration of linear perspective
www.youtube.com – Search for ‘Florence’s Gates of Paradise’ (4:55) to watch a video on Ghiberti’s third set of baptistery doors
www.youtube.com – Search for ‘Donatello and the Renaissance’ (6:27) for an introduction to Donatello’s most important works
Chapter Review
1. How was Italy ruled in the 15th century? 2. Why did patrons commission works of art? 3. What is meant by ‘Humanism’?
4. Describe and discuss the Classical influence on Renaissance art and architecture.
5. How did Ghiberti’s art develop during the production of the Florence Baptistery doors?
6. In your opinion, which is the most special of Donatello’s works? Include your reasons for this.
7. How do you think Brunelleschi came up with such a clever design for the dome of Florence Cathedral?
www.youtube.com – Search for ‘How an Amateur Built the World’s Biggest Dome’ (3:50) for an explanation of Brunelleschi’s design for the Santa Maria del Fiore cupola
www.italianrenaissance.org – Search for ‘Donatello’s Gattamelata’ to see one of the artist’s most beloved works
