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What did restoration after the 1966 Florence flood reveal about Donatello’s St. Mary Magdalene?
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Donatello
David, bronze sculpture by Donatello, early 15th century; in the Bargello Museum, Florence.
Following the 1966 flood in Florence, restoration of Donatello’s wooden statue of St. Mary Magdalene revealed its original painted surface. This discovery uncovered realistic flesh tones and golden highlights throughout the saint’s hair, providing new insight into the artist's mastery of psychological reality and his depiction of the figure's withered, spidery form.1