Donatello: An Introduction

by Charles Avery

The only concise and reliable survey of the life and the work of this classic artist--featuring 85 illustrations and a 4-page color insert.

Genres: Art

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 1994

Reviews

[Ami Nosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book with a simple expectation. One afternoon, I realized I could not name a single work of Donatello, nor would I recognize it if I saw it. I had no idea what gave him the label of renaissance master. As such, I bought a book to better understand.

With that in mind, this book met expectations and served the intended purpose. I leave with a feeling of understanding not just the medium and conditions under which this artist worked, but also some knowledge of what made his works unique.

If I were to find fault, it would be in that this is a book for the art history scholar already versed in the timeframe. There were numerous references made that I did not understand. I feel if I were better versed in the Renaissance, I would have walked away with a more concrete understanding of Donatello and his life.

A reader had to start somewhere, though, and my somewhere was here. I may not have understood all of the citations made by the author, but I did gain appreciation for the artist. For this reason, I found it a relaxing and satisfying read.

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uhg. This is the kind of book that give art history writing a bad name.