From May 3 until November 30 of this year, the Baptistery of Florence will exhibit some exceptional works from Donatello. Three sculptures will be on display, the Beardless Prophet, the Bearded or Thoughtful Prophet and the Prophet Jeremiah, all sculpted from marble between 1415 and 1436. They were created for the bell tower of Florence’s Duomo.
This marks the first restoration work carried out on the statues in 600 years and this will be the first time, after restoration, that the public can enjoy them in all their splendour. The inauguration of the exhibition, organised by Francesca Campana Comparini, will take place during The Festival of Religions, on May 2 at 6pm.
The Beardless Prophet was in a bad state when it was taken from Giotto’s bell tower to be restored, with a thick layer of dirt coating it. The residue, which couldn’t be removed with laser technology, was painstakingly dislodged using scalpels and special ion exchange resin. Originally designed for the East side of the bell tower, the sculpture is probably a portrait of Donatello’s friend, architect Filippo Brunelleschi.
The Bearded Prophet, on the other hand, the second statue to be completed for Giotto’s bell tower, was sculpted two years after the Beardless Prophet, in 1420, and bears a more majestic expression. The Prophet Jeremiah stands at an impressive 194cm and depicts a realistic version of a man, with an unkempt beard, protruding forehead and lips and tired, yet observant, eyes.
The idea for this exhibition came from Sergio Risaliti, who states ‘Donatello’s Prophets are so lifelike. These statues could be mistaken for real men, personifications of exemplary citizens…who endeavoured to turn Florence into the cradle of Renaissance art.’
Donatello completed two other statues for the bell tower, not included in this exhibition, the Sacrifice of Isaac and Habbakuk.
