Donatello's Fountain
 Elizabeth Jean

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, universally known as
"Donatello", was born in Florence around 1385 and was laid to
rest there in 1465. The powerful nature of his art made him the
greatest sculptor of the early Renaissance.

A fountain by Donatello, carved of granite and decorated with
ornaments of marble, adorned the garden of the Medici Palace in
Florence, Italy. As the most elaborate and monumental example of
Florentine fountain sculpture from the entire century, this work
merits special mention. The lost basin was almost certainly the
one crowned by Donatello's bronze group of Judith and Holofernes
before it was seized by the state in 1495 and transferred to the
center of the Palazzo Vecchio. Four openings at the corners of
the cushion on which the body of Holofernes rests prove that this
group was designed for the decoration of a fountain.

Although Donatello chose a Biblical subject, he made use of a
classical fountain motif
(http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=66). The water
spurted from the open­ings in the corners of the cushion below
the drunken Holofernes, as from Hellenistic figures of tipsy
satyrs on wineskins. The theme of intoxication was continued in a
bronze relief of the triangular pedestal in three Bacchic scenes
representing the vintage, a wine themed fountain spout
(http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=1075), and a
drunken revel - all enacted by the inevitable putti. A potential
water spout ap­pears in the center of each side of the pedestal,
as in the Gorgon's head on the great crater in the Bacchanal,
but these "mouths," obviously designed for jets of water, were
never pierced.

Conscious of the need of 360-degree treatment in a freestanding
group, Donatello designed Judith and Holofernes as a pyramid
which presents three distinct profiles, each corresponding to a
side of the pedestal below. The triangular plan of this pedestal
undoubtedly repeats the broader tri­angle of the base of the lost
cylix. The granite of which that basin was carved recurs in the
balusters that frame the relief.

Adding wall fountains or outdoor garden fountains
( http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Garden+F
ountains) to your landscaping or garden project can be a great
way to enhance your outdoor living space, even if it does not
carry the impact of a Donatello piece. Historical fountains (such
as those by Donatello) and water features provide inspiration for
many current designers and manufacturers, so adding one of these
fountains is a great way to build a connection from your home to
the past. Beyond the design beauty and characteristics of garden
fountains, they also add water and moisture to the surrounding
environment, which can attract wildlife such as birds, and
balance your local ecosystem. For instance, birds that are
attracted by a fountain or birdbath can be the best defense
against flying insects that bother both humans and plants.

The group of Judith and Holofernes was probably constructed about
1455, after the artist's return from Padua. The relaxed head of
the Holofernes is similar to that of the Christ in his Crucifix
in Saint Antonio. The compli­cated drapery of Judith and the
intensity and confusion of the bas-reliefs are also in his later
vein. Moreover, the fountain was almost cer­tainly designed for
the Medici Palace, which was not finished until the year 1444,
after his departure for Padua.

While you won't be adding a Donatello fountain to your garden,
in a practical sense, most water fountains used in landscaping
are self-contained, which means an electric fountain pump moves
the water from a lower basin, up the back of the fountain, and
then allows the water to spill down the facing of the waterfall.
This makes them practical for the average homeowner. Nearly all
these types of fountains rely on a household 110v electrical
outlet nearby. Be sure the fountain pump is U.L. listed, and
connected to a Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) outlet.

Few works of art have suffered as much as the fountains of
Donatello when re­moved from their original setting. The broad
base supplied by the cylix undoubtedly tended to stabilize the
statue, now perched precariously upon a slender column which
certainly has no connection with the original fountain.





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Written by Elizabeth Jean for http://www.Garden-Fountains.com
where you can find a large selection of garden and wall fountains,
as well as garden statuary and planters for container gardens and
decor.