Bertoldo di Giovanni, sculptor of the Medici household

by James David Draper

The Florentine Bertoldo di Giovanni (d. 1491) is a pivotal figure in the history of the early Renaissance. He was a member of the Medici household, the disciple of Donatello, and a mentor of Michelangelo. To Lorenzo de' Medici, he was part servant, part companion, as well as artist and adviser. Bertoldo was a pioneer in the creation of bronze statuettes, producing seven of the most appealing, lyrial works in the genre. In addition, he crafted reliefs that range from. Small medals to a monumental palace frieze, all of which present an indelibly Tuscan brand of rustic classicism. Beginning with a survey of Bertoldo's career, James David Draper sheds new light on Medici patronage and on the efforts of Renaissance artists to formulate the period's humanist values in visual terms. He examines in depth the nature of the informally organized "academy" of young artists, including Michelangelo, who are believed to have gathered under. Bertoldo's tutelage. He considers Bertoldo in relation to th