If you are an artist living in the light of davinciRaphael and Michelangeloyour name could get lost in the reflections.

It’s like that Francesco Caglioticurator at Bargello National Museum, sees the reputation of Renaissance sculptor Donatello – in the shadow of the Big Three. To remedy the situation, he mounted a solo exhibition of 130 pieces of the artist’s work.

As Caglioti said clean artto be eclipsed does not mean Donatello is less commendable: “It is simply due to the fact that he was a sculptor and not a painter… Donatello is perhaps the best sculptor who ever existed.

Caglioti says he bases his opinion on a 30-year study of Donatello.

Claiming that history does not give the sculptor the credit he deserves, he considers him “a father of Renaissance. We need to change our perspective the history of art.”

Are you sure about this?

Why does this curator, who is a professor of art history at the Superior Normal School of Pisa, believe that Donatello was not acclaimed? According to the Renaissance historian Giorgio Vasariwhen Donatello died, his city of Florence “was plunged into mourning”.

In fact, Donatello was more popular in the artistic world of Florence than was davinciwho was considered a dilettante due to his habit of rarely finishing anything.

In his account of Donatello’s fame, Vasari attributes it to the sculptor’s ability to convey states of mind.

For example, Michelangelo thought that the statue of the sculptor of St. Mark is so full of feelings that he said if Saint Mark was as good as he looked in the statue, anyone would believe what he preached.

There is still more evidence of Donatello’s high reputation even in our time. You may recall that last year I reported on a story titled “Sculpture held higher than Michelangelo’s rubric for Strozzi Palace in Florence.

The sculpture held higher than Michelangelo was by the very artist who, according to Caglioti, was not held in high esteem.

the Strozzi Palace director, Arturo Galansino said, “Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, they all turned to Donatello.

I am also thinking of England art historian sister Wendyfrom 1998 “Book of Meditations”. She chose the sculpture called Madeleine, “who came to love Christ after a life of selfishness”, weeping forever.

Donatello portrayed her in old age in a fragile wood carving scratched to the bone by sadness.

What then can explain Cagliotimistakenly believes that the work of Donatello, and even all Renaissance sculptures, are less valued than the paintings of historians? There is simply no basis for this belief.

Opinions are not facts

Could it be that Caglioti Is thinking about negative things davinci says about sculpture in his numerous notebooks: “I content myself with pronouncing between painting and sculpture; saying painting is the most beautiful and imaginative and copious, while sculpture is the most enduring but it has nothing else.

Who pays attention to a painter’s pontificate over sculpture? Apples and oranges.

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