The UK's first ever exhibition devoted to the work and influence of Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (1386 –1466), better known as Donatello, has opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum. A true vanguard of the early Renaissance, Donatello is one of the most influential sculptors of all time. The presentation draws on the V&A’s magnificent collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture, the largest outside Italy. It also features loaned pieces visiting our shores for the first time, making it unmissable.
 
Visitors are greeted into the show by the larger-than-life 'David' carved from marble, one of the sculptor's first civic commissions. Donatello's more well-known masterpiece, the other 'David' cast in bronze, famously the first freestanding nude sculpture made since antiquity, did not make the journey to London. However, there is an exceptional plaster cast reproduction. 
 
This marble 'David' is imbued with energy, completed when Donatello was in his early twenties. It showcases his desire for naturalism and capturing the essence of the human experience. One famous anecdote recorded by 16th-century biographer Giorgio Vasari recounts that Donatello was so struck by the lifelikeness of a statue he was working on 'he would frequently exclaim, while looking at it, "Speak then! Why wilt thou not speak?"
 
Initially, Donatello trained as a goldsmith before joining the workshop of Lorenzo Ghiberti, a leading sculptor and key figure in the Early Renaissance. 15th-century Florence was a hotbed of creativity that encouraged competition and collaboration, and the exchange of ideas between artists of different disciplines. Projects were frequently commissioned with the Cathedral's sculptural programme providing artists with regular work.
 
This environment emboldened Donatello's inventiveness; he mastered various materials, including marble and stone, bronze, wood, terracotta and stucco, and experimented with mixed media. He pushed techniques into new directions, innovating and rarely repeating himself. Donatello revolutionised sculpture, expanding what could be achieved through the medium. 
 
One such method he pioneered was rilievo schiacciato, which translates to 'squashed relief'. A challenging skill to master, the artist carves only millimetres deep to create the perspective, where the thickness of the carving gradually decreases from the foreground to the background to give a greater illusion of depth. Described by the scholar Amanda Lily as 'sculpting air', 'The Ascension with Christ giving the Keys to Saint Peter' is a testament to Donatello's virtuosity in the technique. The rectangular marble surface comes to life with the change of falling light. As you move, more is revealed or hidden in the carving. 
 
If you can't make the trip to London, I highly recommend viewing 'The Ascension' online. As part of the V&A's collection, the museum has used Reflectance Transformation Imaging so viewers can explore the piece in varying light levels.
 
The exhibition is a collaboration with Florence's Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and Musei del Bargello, the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and the V&A museum. Each show has been distinct. The London finale focuses more closely on Donatello's relationships with his contemporaries and his later influence. Collaborative works, such as pieces completed with Michelozzo di Bartolomeo, and works by his contemporaries and followers, pepper the show.
 
One section is purely dedicated to 19th century artworks from the European Renaissance revival that copied from and was inspired by Donatello's masterpieces. Whitney Kerr-Lewis, co-curator, explains, "The breadth of our sculpture collection allows us to show the international demand for the master's style."
 
This retrospective may miss the inclusion of some masterpieces unable to travel due to their scale and fragility, but the thoughtful curation allows visitors to appreciate Donatello's legacy. Throughout his long career, he remained at the centre of the revolution, and even after his death, his influence reverberated through subsequent generations of sculptors and painters alike.
 
Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance is at the V&A on show until 11 June 2023.