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How did Donatello organize large groups of figures in the reliefs for the San Antonio altar?
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Donatello
David, bronze sculpture by Donatello, early 15th century; in the Bargello Museum, Florence.
In the reliefs created for the high altar of the Church of San Antonio in Padua, Donatello demonstrated a sophisticated mastery in organizing large groups of figures, with some compositions containing more than 100 individuals.1
These works, specifically the four miracles of St. Anthony, are characterized as wonderfully rhythmic compositions of great narrative power. By effectively managing these complex groupings, Donatello anticipated the compositional principles that would later define the High Renaissance.1