Speach and movement: Donatello in the Old Sacristy, San Lorenzo, Florence

The decoration of Brunelleschi’s severely classicizing Old Sacristy (San Lorenzo, Florence, 1418-1422), which Donatello attempted during the years 1434-1443, represents a summation of the sculptor’s abilities in pictorial relief as he had developed them up to that time. Although in high contrast with the Sacristy’s balanced forms, Donatello’s achievements in the Old Sacristy are very important and they also exerted a great influence to the artists of the late Quattrocento, such as Pollaiuolo, Botticelli, Andrea del Verrocchio, even Leonardo. This essay focuses on the bronze Doors (1434-1435) and comments on the figures of the Apostles’ and Martyrs’ highly expressive movements and gestures as vehicles of the Devine Word; it also proves that Donatello, being a good “fisionomo”, he studied the characters of his figures very carefully