How was it made? Donatello's marble carving technique

How was it made? Donatello's marble carving technique | V&A

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Күн бұрын

Sculptor Simon Smith tells us why marble is 'the Emperor of all stones' and 'like a slice of the moon', as he recreates a panel from the 15th-century Prato Pulpit in Italy. The carved pulpit features metre-high dancing cherubs, which Simon copies from photographs - scaling them down to fit his block of marble, while retaining the spirit and joy of Donatello's original.
Watch the shapes appear as Simon uses different chisels and tools to cut and refine the marble, explaining how carving is all about trapping shadows and watching light play across the surface.
You can see - and touch - the panel made by Simon in our exhibition Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance.
00:00 The properties of marble
00:26 What is the Prato Pulpit?
01:09 Drawing from photographs
01:56 Traditional vs contemporary chisels
03:16 The difficulties of marble carving
04:22 The claw tool
04:42 Trapping shadows and playing with light
05:29 Filing and pumicing
06:24 The spirit and joy of Donatello’s carving
Find out more about the exhibition and book tickets: www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/don...
More 'How was it Made?' films: • How was it made?

Пікірлер: 364

@celinesm7382 Жыл бұрын

I could listen to Simon talk about his art and his craft for ever! What a beautiful process. The phrase 'carving is essentially trapping shadows' will stay with me!

@ronlaswell1542 Жыл бұрын

That's why speaking is so important. Not everyone knows how to put their thoughts into words. Just like explaining your emotions to another, do they understand, can they comprehend? To teach another how to explain their feelings is so important to enhance our lives.

@omicroneridani7456 Жыл бұрын

I can but concur, a very pleasant and inspirational narrator. That phrase, furthermore, is really an epitome of the art.

@piccalillipit9211 5 ай бұрын

Yes that really resonated with me really meant something to me

@EgoEroTergum Жыл бұрын

It is always a wonderful thing, to touch the mind of an artist.

@philthycat1408 Жыл бұрын

That sounds messy and extremely dangerous to the artist.

@Efemral Жыл бұрын

Always wash your hands first.

@forsafetymode Жыл бұрын

“Capturing shadow”. Love this so much! More of these, please!

@vamuseum Жыл бұрын

Make sure you're subscribed - we've got something coming up

@oops1088 Жыл бұрын

"Trapping" I know, I loved that

@autodidact537 5 ай бұрын

@@vamuseumAre there any health problems from the marble dust that a sculptor inhales during the carving process?

@discardiac Жыл бұрын

He does such a good job of describing the process and what goes through his mind. I’d love to see this with other artists, like directors, musicians, etc

@Nashvillain10SE Жыл бұрын

Agreed. Other artists try to be coy or overly-philosophical to hide the actual mechanics of creating their works.

@HansGruber_1988 2 ай бұрын

Artists like this really make the world special.

@deansnipah1392 Жыл бұрын

Sculpting in my opinion is the hardest form of art. There is literally *ZERO* room for error.

@travismiller5548 Жыл бұрын

There is though, you just have to be able to let go of the original vision and change your goal. Michaelangelo carved a pieta from a stone another artist had messed up, and considered unworkable.

@northfield3654 Жыл бұрын

@@travismiller5548 That was The David

@stinew358 Жыл бұрын

I've seen some interesting errors in sculpture

@travismiller5548 Жыл бұрын

@@northfield3654 no, I mean the Florentine Pieta, "the deposition"

@northfield3654 Жыл бұрын

@@travismiller5548 the one Michelangelo didn't complete and destroyed?

@joannathinnes491 4 ай бұрын

Carving is just about trapping the shadow! Incredible!

@chuck-n-debtaylor7553 5 ай бұрын

What a joy to watch! Thank you ❤

@flatline-timer Жыл бұрын

Beautiful, thank you Simon Smith and Victoria and Albert Museum for sharing this with us!

@CaptPeanutBut 7 ай бұрын

Really incredible to see this process and what a fabulous teacher.

@Silveryback 8 ай бұрын

Fascinating! I've always wondered how such lifelike sculptures were made. Amazing!

@JamesKearyJackson 3 ай бұрын

I learn something new each time I watch this. Simon you make me want to try this as Donatello is my favorite Early Renaissance sculptor.

@lillotusplays 8 ай бұрын

what an interview/documentary. skilled carver and communicates very well

@toastbread5706 6 күн бұрын

Breathtaking! 🙏🏻 It is looking fantastic.

@hakimmalek8317 4 ай бұрын

1st time watching stone carving . why am i feeling so serene and relax .

@Anodrol50 7 ай бұрын

Beyond fascinating!

@Ahmed-Crane 5 ай бұрын

So educational and beautiful work. Thank you.

@piccalillipit9211 5 ай бұрын

That was amazing, the way you described it it really meant something to me.

@captaincrunch784 Жыл бұрын

In the 2012 TMNT Donatello constantly corrected people saying his namesake was a painter. SCULPTOR he would shout!

@marvogrady9728 4 ай бұрын

Great work, Simon. Wonderful work, V & A.

@davidmclean5895 Жыл бұрын

What a privilege and a blessing to be such a gifted artist, and to know that hundreds of years from now your work will still be admired and appreciated.

@antoniog76 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting such awesome content! What an amazing artist he is and I loved the way he explained his process.

@alexisburleson 6 ай бұрын

this is so fascinating!! please give us more videos like this!!

@kilitciali1230 Жыл бұрын

I enjoyed watching thanks and love from Turkey

@ANDROLOMA 4 ай бұрын

Marvellous talent.

@victorianidetch Ай бұрын

Talent and magic.

@grahameanderson6913 Жыл бұрын

I had a lot of joy watching this.

@KpxUrz5745 Жыл бұрын

This is quite a good introduction to the tools, process, and work habits for marble carving. The studio looks so authentic, and so does this artist. I have done copies too, but mine are drawings or paintings. And I agree with one point made here, which is that, aside from working to replicate the forms and style of the original, really the most important thing in the end it to somehow capture the "spirit". Successfully doing that can be difficult and elusive, and I must say that only an infinitesimally small percentage of later artists can ever achieve this. There is always a deep or moving spirit conveyed by the best artists in history, and I believe anyone copying such an artwork needs to become so immersed in recognizing that spirit that they can tap into the sensibility and purpose that the original artist must have felt.

@theodoremercutio1600 6 ай бұрын

my goodness... so amazing...

@eternalme6077 2 ай бұрын

I find this incredibly interesting, I know nothing of sculpting stone much less marble but I'm simply compelled to start learning. I live on an island so the only plentiful stones or rock are either river stones or lava rock. I'll also have to learn all about the tools of the trade, chisels brushes hammers etc. Anyways I'll be investigating many more videos on this subject, Thank you so much for posting this beauty.......🎸🎸🎸♥️

@williamfahey6066 Жыл бұрын

Wow! Simon is an amazing Artist. I love watching him. This was the fastest Seven minutes and Thirteen seconds of my life. Thank you for this great video, Jeff

@TheMattsterling Жыл бұрын

What an amazing video showing the talent required to create this piece of art. Thanks for sharing and Simon Smith...you are incredible!

@SuperSavvyTravelersLLC 3 ай бұрын

This is so amazing! Thank you!

@micahsuboat1233 2 ай бұрын

I really enjoyed this video. You are a fantastic artist.

@alicewalsh2382 Жыл бұрын

love this … such beautiful craftsmanship

@lrtc99 Жыл бұрын

Well done V&A! That’s a beautiful film. I wish every piece of art could be given this captivating treatment. 10/10

@cleftoftherock6797 Жыл бұрын

Incredible. Very rare talent to see. Thank you.

@Kagamishoshi Жыл бұрын

marble is such a beautiful material

@princequestly2218 Жыл бұрын

What a demanding art form, absolutely incredible carving into such hard material with that precision. Truly talented.

@HobbyOrganist 2 ай бұрын

Marble is soft and fine, try granite!! granite is extremely hard and unlike the fine grain of marble- granite is very crystaline and course, it's a very difficult stone to carve!

@tillytoad804 Жыл бұрын

Stunning!

@user-hm3lg4np2l 5 ай бұрын

great interview

@mrspeigle1 11 ай бұрын

Such a wonderful satisfying process to watch.

@baticadavinci3984 Жыл бұрын

I love artists sooo much!

@thekickingwolf5115 Жыл бұрын

Wow.. thats just incredible

@jessicakim2511 3 ай бұрын

That's amazing

@Miss_Toots Жыл бұрын

Beautiful work

@nixi7688 11 ай бұрын

"Trapping shadows" what a beautiful concept.

@SomeTrader74 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for keeping the dream alive - real artistry.

@dilihopa Жыл бұрын

W O W!!!! Excellent work.

@seanr2157 Жыл бұрын

This is absolutely fascinating! Thank you for sharing your process. I’d love to see more!

@philipplace9990 Жыл бұрын

Only just discovered this... out of all the arts the skills of a sculptor absolutely astound me! Not gonna lie! I think this is the best "taster" video to get me to find out more about this guy... thoroughly enjoyed how he explained the process, stunning work!

@thenavybluewolf5648 9 ай бұрын

He does a fantastic job of explaining the process in a way that makes you understand the basics without overwhelming the mind. Makes me want to try my hand at it.

@doogelyjim8627 Жыл бұрын

Ah I love this video. Very revealing to actually see someone going at the stone like this. Have always wondered about how it is with marble. "how could they make these out of stone?? stone is so hard?" a pointy metal thing and a hammer and going bit by bit by bit. fantastic

@scottprather5645 5 ай бұрын

Very nice work

@user-pb2kg1ng4g Жыл бұрын

What a gift to the world this man and his talent is. If only more people could eke out the gems of their life; whether through painting, music, writing, dance etc. Bravo Simon Smith !

@daviddimech6445 Жыл бұрын

Beautiful sculpture

@mbakmamikofficial7999 Жыл бұрын

Nice share and best like

@ronsmith1364 Жыл бұрын

"Removing the marks from the previous tool" until it reveals the beauty an artisans skills can create. Best description of carving I have ever heard (the essence of the process explained so well). "Roughing out" takes on a much more nuanced meaning with a Master's insight. Wonderful vlog Please share more.

@SueK2001 Жыл бұрын

I am absolutely in love with sculpture. I always visit the sculpture galleries of museums and spend hours just looking at various pieces and marveling at how artists can bring out a form out of stone. Just sublime.

@ZephaniahL 8 ай бұрын

Do you prefer colored, the sort of sculptures the ancient Greeks and Romans made, or bare stone?

@SueK2001 8 ай бұрын

@@ZephaniahL I love the bare marble and fully admit that it’s the result of our “modern” sensibilities.

@Leo-V Жыл бұрын

Beautifully done

@unisophia 5 ай бұрын

made me want to try these tools and materials :) when I see someone doing art, I can’t help myself, but want to play with the toys these people are playing…

@layedout778 Жыл бұрын

Beautiful.

@martinthomas5194 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful

@simongregory3114 Жыл бұрын

Utmost respect for people doing this work, keeping skills alive.

@derekfelton8287 9 ай бұрын

Amazing thank you. I love the craft !

@MrPhotodoc Жыл бұрын

Before I ever knew how to draw, I started to carve. I was fascinated by old building brick and how soft it was and easy to work with.

@angelomariano9494 Жыл бұрын

beautiful art form

@ARKK777 9 ай бұрын

Divine! Thank you for this inspiring content.

@tomestubbs Жыл бұрын

It really is great seeing someone do this. I'm sharing this with my sculptor friends..

@RevRedmondFarrier 5 ай бұрын

I never really though about it before, but carving (especially panel carving) can be though of as a drawing using actual shadows as the medium. That is such an interesting concept that I would have never thought of before.

@omicroneridani7456 Жыл бұрын

That sublte sound made by the chisel, so carefully and proficiently driven onto the marble surface, is sheer and delightful music, to my ears.

@abbywebster8343 Жыл бұрын

Wow, such wonderful talent!

@ronniebillhicks 6 ай бұрын

seems like a genuinely nice human being,........stone carving is def' a medium I haven't tried yet,......but looks so awesome.

@agushofblue Жыл бұрын

Beautiful allegory on how to be compelling: small nibbles

@linson2010 Жыл бұрын

I have always wondered about the sculpting process. Thank you and the sculptor for sharing.

@phatato Жыл бұрын

I absolutely love this! I always get put off by the less than ideal level of regard in the art world regarding copies. With music a reinterpretation of an original work is celebrated and thought of this something interesting and worthwhile, whereby in art we seem to have such much obsession with the original and copies are not often celebrated. I think this video shows that it's actually a wonderful thing to reinterpret an original work in any medium.

@sharonzotoff3975 Жыл бұрын

I've never seen marble carved before. It's rather a delicate process and really quite beautiful. with one tool erasing the marks of the tool before it.

@jaymistry779 Жыл бұрын

Incredible

@drgnmstr59 Жыл бұрын

Amazing

@clivesmith9377 Жыл бұрын

What an amazing talent to have!

@RoboticDragon Жыл бұрын

Wow this guy is amazing, and very smart when it comes to his craft.

@mathewborden4601 Жыл бұрын

Amazing. Thank you for sharing. Would love to see more of Simon

@jenniferstone2975 Жыл бұрын

Nothing quite as awe inspiring as the privilege of watching a master at his craft. Beautiful man, beautiful artist.

@josephobenauer3093 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely riveting, great stuff.

@stevenurrego9903 9 ай бұрын

thank you so much for sharing this.

@jimbobbob9063 Жыл бұрын

Simply amazing beautiful work. Wonderful craftsmanship

@mikeortega6072 Жыл бұрын

that was a great video, thank you for doing it.

@garishanth Жыл бұрын

beautiful. 👌🏽

@entennstudio Жыл бұрын

Beautiful. Just wonderful stuff.

@JEBavido Жыл бұрын

Fantastic!

@supahfly_uk Жыл бұрын

Nothing quite like a pair of skilled human hands.

@seearress Жыл бұрын

This experienced craftsman speaks so simply but so much experience and lessons learned

@mawmawd627 Жыл бұрын

Very impressive.

@supremereader7614 8 ай бұрын

That was really beautiful, I was really impressed. I think you did capture a lot of the spirit - which isn't easy.

@maudline Жыл бұрын

This was amazing!

@ThePizzaGoblin Жыл бұрын

That was beautiful. Thanks for posting this

@behnamzadeh1936 6 ай бұрын

he is human hero this is revelations beautiful sacrifice his life for stone marble cutting i couldn't do this work unbelievable

@nw9209 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! It was so interesting to get to know how marble sculptures are created. ❤❤❤

@gaius_enceladus Жыл бұрын

Wonderful video! A pity it wasn't longer though - maybe 20 minutes or so! Very relaxing and calming watching him work. A real craftsman!

@inisipisTV Жыл бұрын

I would love a long video of him just carving. No dialogue, just pure chiselling sound.

@WPGinfo Жыл бұрын

What a joy!