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St. Mark

Donatello, 1411-1413

Marble, height 236 cm

Florence, Orsanmichele

Donatello's Saint Mark (1411-1413), is a marble statue that stands approximately seven feet and nine inches high in an exterior niche of the Orsanmichele church, Florence. Donatello was commissioned by the linen weaver’s guild to complete three pieces for the project. St. Mark was the first of his contributions. The niche itself was not of Donatello's hand, but created most probably by two stone carvers named Perfetto di Giovanni and Albizzo di Pietro. Today, a copy of the statue stands in the original's place, while the real St. Mark is housed inside the church's museum..

Donatello's sculpture is notable for its detailed realism, evidence of his skill. Even the veins of St. Mark's left hand are visible as he rests a text upon his hip. The contrapposto pose, or natural pose, is used with Donatello's St. Mark. The saint has weight on his right leg, his left knee is bent, and his torso is slightly twisted. The style is unique compared to the symmetry and unrealistic nature of art from the dark ages. Also Donatello's sculpture differs from medieval works in the way that drapery is used, specifically in that St. Mark's figure is revealed by a realistic draping of linen.

Thought was put into the setting in which the statue would be placed, as was the case with other pieces at the time, most notably Michelangelo's David. According to Vasari's text The Lives of the Artists, written 140 years after the completion of St. Mark, the linen workers' guild rejected the sculpture because it appeared unnatural when set at street level. This was due to proportion adjustments made for its final resting place in the niche, well above street level. The head and torso were made larger as they would be further away from the viewer. Donatello promised to make adjustments, so he covered the statue with cloth, set the statue in the niche above the street, and without touching the statue for 15 days, once again revealed it to the guild. With its location above the viewer, the proportions looked perfect and the linen weaver's guild accepted the statue.

• USAD - Art Resource Guide
• http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/orsanmichele/orsanmichele.html
• Giorgio Vasari, The Lives of the Artists, 1550