SEARCH BIOGRAPHY.COM
(born 1386, Florence—died Dec. 13, 1466, Florence) Italian sculptor active in Florence. He learned stone carving from the sculptors of the Florence Cathedral ( 1400), and in 1404 joined the workshop of Lorenzo Ghiberti. He drew his inspiration from Classical and medieval sources. With his marble statues of St. Mark (1411–13) and St. George ( 1415) for the church of Or San Michele in Florence, he revolutionized the concept of sculpture; not since antiquity had the human body been rendered with such naturalism and emotional impact. He invented his own style of bas-relief with his marble panel St. George Killing the Dragon ( 1417). His bronze sculpture David, conceived independently of any architectural setting, was the first large-scale, freestanding nude statue of the Renaissance. In Florence he worked for the Medici family (1433–43), producing sculptural decoration for the sacristy of San Lorenzo, the Medici family church, and in Padua (1450s) for the church of Sant'Antonio. He was the greatest European sculptor of the 15th century, influencing painters as well as sculptors, and was a founder of the Renaissance style.
advertisement
The brightest stars from the Hollywood universe shine brilliantly in this sweeping collection of profiles. Buy Now
Get email updates on your favorite BIO shows and what's new on bio.com!
– Bio.com news
– BIO shows
– Born On This Day
…and more! SIGN UP today!
See who was born and what went down this week in Pop Culture history. Find out which celebrities share your birthday and much more in our NEW On This Day feature!
Celebrate Black History Month. Explore our interactive black history timelines, videos, meet hundreds of famous African-Americans and so much more.
Could you beat the famous Harlem Globetrotters? How well do you know President Obama? Actors, politicos and everyone in between - see all video!
© 1996-2010 A&E Television Networks. All Rights Reserved