Realism in Renaissance Art
While studying art in my undergraduate years, I sculpted a rough block of soap stone approximately 4x5x10 inches into three figures. Soap stone is so named for its relative softness (a chisel and mallet were still involved), and my first time around, I managed a figurative expression of human beings. I think it turned out pretty good. After having that experience, I am all the more amazed at the detail with which the renaissance artists created realistic--and large--figures in marble and bronze.
According to the National Gallery of Art, the monumental statues of the church of Orsanmichele in Florence created by Nanni di Banco, Donatello, and Ghiberti are the first recognized works to be considered Renaissance Art. The statues combine the realism of antiquity and the spiritual expressiveness of the Middle Ages, but one cannot fully appreciate the detail and craftsmanship of these works without examining them for oneself. Since I cannot take you Florence (and indeed, I have not been myself), I'll do my best to explain how wonderful these sculptures are, in particular, Nanni di Banco's Four Crowned Martyrs Saints.
The four figures were carved out of three pieces of marble. The details that stand out to me are the soft folds of their clothing. It's a paradox in stone. Originally, their hair, beards, and the edges of their clothes were also gilded. The original white marble and gold gilding must have been breath-taking. Over the centuries, the statues have lost the white glow, but I still long to go to Florence and see them myself.
For more information about the statues of Orsanmichele visit the website of the National Gallery of Art at
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2005/orsanmichele/index.shtm