Donatello's Saint Mark: Renaissance naturalism and spiritual perfection

Donatello, Saint Mark or San Michel

Donatello's statue of St. Mark: A Renaissance vision of naturalism

Donatello's statue of St. Mark was considered a pioneering work of naturalism when it was first crafted during the Renaissance. To a naive contemporary viewer, the work may seem anything but 'natural,' given that it is of a great saint, not an ordinary human being. St. Mark, despite his evident age, appears wise and beautiful. The sculptor has created a carefully orchestrated image of the Biblical figure. However, at the time, Donatello's work was considered naturalistic because its style stood in profound contrast to earlier religious forms of artwork. Religious art before the Renaissance was often Gothic, stylized and even grotesque, as seen in images of gargoyles and renditions of the saints and the holy family. Gazing at the statue, 'natural' to Donatello was synonymous with what was ideal, or commensurate with Greek and Roman notions of what constituted human perfection.

St. Mark stands at an angle, resting on one hip, which gives Mark's image a kind of naturalism with which even a modern observer can sympathize. Unlike a Gothic statue, his limbs are perfectly proportionate, and every curl of his beard has a detailed realism. His hair seems like a living, rippling mane. The statue, including its clothing, recalls the Hellenistic period of Greek sculpture, where older, non-athletic, and more emotional forms became in vogue, but were still depicted with a kind of elevated classicism and authority.

St. Mark's form is not characteristic of what might be called 20th century realism -- the old man is not wrinkled, and his body, although not as powerful as Michelangelo's David or ancient Greek statues of Olympic athletes and gods, is not withered or bent with infirmity. Mark represents spiritual and moral strength. The folds of his gown suggest his inverted hip position, but there is still elegance in the way he moves.