Desiderio; Renaissance Sculptor
Desiderio
All students of the renaissance and perhaps all students in general have heard of the great masters of the renaissance. They’re names were Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo. Their names were of course made more famous to modern audiences through their use as monikers for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If they we’re going to add a fifth turtle (forgetting the whole Venus debacle) they should probably name him Desiderio after Desiderio Da Settignano. Desiderio was a sculpture who was born into a family of stonemasons around 1429. He would only live to be thirty-five years old, but he would have a very successful ten year career.
Not long after he and his brothers had started their own workshop in 1455, he received a commission to build the tomb of Carlo Marsuppini, the chancellor of Florence. It was a masterpiece, but you will need to see the photos for yourself to really appreciate it.
Desiderio had a unique understanding of marble and could carve a relief to look very life like and was unafraid to try different subtleties. He even worked closely with Donatello for a time.
Title:
THE 'LAUGHING BOY' AND THE INVENTION OF SCULPTURE. By: Butterfield, Andrew, New Republic, 00286583, 9/24/2007, Vol. 237, Issue 6
Database:
Academic Search Premier