St. Mark

Donatello's St. Mark is a marble sculpture created around 1415 for the guild church of Orsanmichele in Florence. This work is significant as it marked a departure from medieval art, showcasing the human body as a self-activating organism and imbuing the human personality with a newfound confidence.123

The sculpture depicts St. Mark, one of the four Evangelists, traditionally credited with writing the second Gospel in the New Testament. Donatello's rendition of St. Mark, along with his St. George, demonstrated a deep understanding of the human figure, both in repose and in motion, and a psychological depth that was unprecedented in earlier sculpture. The figure stands in contrapposto, a classical pose that creates a naturalistic S-curve and shift of weight, animating the statue.4512