Equestrian Monument of Erasmo Da Narni

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of the economy. The extra money that came from the surplus of revenues was invested into culture and art. Within a matter of a century, we saw a complete turnaround of a city like Venice and Florence through image. Architectural improvements were made to buildings, sculptures depicting their current historical change emerged, and paintings depicted a newer era of art. One of which Donatello created, in the famous mercenary Erasmo De Narni. The economic success of the city was largely protected by Gattamelata and his army and he was and has been a major piece of history into what Europe is today. During a recession, the city is more vulnerable to an attack. Cities did not have the financial stability for armies or for growth of their city. Therefore, the work of Gattamelata was especially important for the recovery of the city.

The Gattamelata was produced during the Early Renaissance, a period characterized by the art world’s shaky transition out of the staid and largely unimaginative traditions of Gothicism, a style of graceful, softly curved lines strongly influenced by northern European art. The Early Renaissance saw the first masters of the time experiment with color, perspective, tone, subject matter and many other aspects of their work. For the first time artists were able to explore subject matter unrelated to religion. The sculpture of Erasmo Da Narni Gattamelata is not just a piece of art that looks apart, it has a story behind it that is supported by Italian citizens and is a reminder of how Italy came to be through the actions of Gattamelata. Humanism heavily influenced this work of art. Humanism is defined as “A doctrine, attitude, or way of life centered on human interests or values; especially: a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual’s dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason” (Merriam-Webster). Just the fact that this is a 12 foot tall statue on a 25 foot tall pedestal displays human prowess. “This is a monument that commemorates a great man, commemorates an individual. It commemorates a great man in our world, a recent figure. This is antithetical to the medieval celebration of royalty or the saints… this is a kind of hired military captain that was very common at the time”  (Harris and Zucker, smart history). This is an individual that was recognized for his feats. The statue was put up in the city that Gattemelata conquered and represents both the splendor of his great accomplishments, and of the city itself. Honoring leaders, kings, and other rulers through art has been common practice for centuries. Equestrian art, both paintings and sculpture is unique in its ability to portray leaders as particularly powerful and impressively distant. It represents a history of the Italian Renaissance as well as a story of a famous sculptor who emerged during the Renaissance and made multiple sculptures that are seen today in the streets on Venice and Florence.

I chose this statue because statues are something that you don’t see too often any more in modern art. There are still sculptures, but they are most often abstract and not of individual people. At first glance, I realized how magnificent this piece of art looked, and I was only looking at it on a computer screen. I can’t even imagine how much this sculpture must weigh since it is cast entirely of bronze. It is great artwork and also great architecture that this immense statue can rest on four thin legs. Even though this statue is cast from metal, I was shocked that Donatello was able to have such excellent attention to detail. The facial expression for Gattmealata is spot on for what Donatello is trying to convey, and there are even veins running alongside the horses’ nose. Overall, the Equestrian Monument of Gattemelata is a Renaissance sculpture of great splendor, and one that I would love to go see in person sometime.