Saint Mark
Factual Information:
From: Florence, Italy
Period: 1411 - 1413
Period: 1411 - 1413
General Information:
This statue of Saint Mark was made by Dontatello, and commissioned by a fabric guild. This is particularily important because of the use of the faberic in the work of art. Mark stands in a contraposto stance, with his clothes draped perfectly over his legs as he does so, in a naturalistic fashion, just as cloths would in real life. This statue is the first of its type that does this with the cloths, unlike earlier clothed statues that hide the body, not accentuates his movement. This movement gives it a feeling of being alive that previous statues lack.
Why This Artwork?
This statue is very important to understanding Italian Renaissance artwork. This particular statue was commissioned by a guild, a fabric guild. Guilds during this time were very important to the culture that was the Italian Renaissance, as many people were in these guilds, and they often gained a lot of power and had many people in them. Also this artwork was chosen because it shows a return to the classics, as shown in the contraposto stance that Saint Mark is in.