the vast amount of his labours that Donato alone sufficed to restore it to the admirable and perfect condition wherein we see it in our day.[1] For this cause artists are more deeply indebted to him, than to any other man born in modern times, for the grandeur of this art; since he not only rendered the difficulties of the art less formidable, by the immense variety of his works, but also because he combined, in his own person, the invention, judgment, practice, power of design, and every other quality that can, or ought to be, ever expected from the most sublime genius. Donato was extremely bold and resolute, executing whatever he undertook with extraordinary facility, and constantly performing much more than he had promised.
The completion of almost all his works was left to his disciple Bertoldo, but more particularly the bronze pulpits of San Lorenzo, which were eventually finished in great part by his hand, and brought to the state in which we now see them in that church.
I will not omit to mention, that the most learned and very reverend Don Vincenzo Borghini, of whom we have before spoken in relation to other matters, has collected into a large book, innumerable drawings of distinguished painters and sculptors, ancient as well as modern, and among these are two drawings on two leaves opposite to each other, one of which is by Donato, and the other by Michael Angelo Buonarroti. On these he has with much judgment inscribed the two Greek mottos which follow; on the drawing of Donato, “Η Δονατος Βοναρροτιξει” and on that of Michael Angelo, “Η Βοναρροτος Δονατιζει”, which in Latin run thus: Aut Donatus Bonarrotum exprimit et refert, aut Bonarrotus Donatum; and in our language they mean, “Either the spirit of Donato worked in Buonarroti, or that of Buonarroti first acted in Donato.”[2]
- ↑ Schorn remarks that in many of his compositions in relief, Donatello adopted the system of Ghiberti, as regarded perspective; but in others he imitated the ancients. He adds that to Donatello is due the merit of having been the first to follow their example, in a regular and consistent manner, as relates to the treatment of both high and low relief. — German Edition of Vasari, vol. ii, p. 256.
- ↑ Of the many epitaphs composed, as Vasari has remarked, in honour of Donatello, not one was placed on his tomb. It is true that towards the middle of the last century, the following inscription, composed by
