The Feast of Herod was made to be a panel for the baptismal front of the Siena Baptistery.  It was commissioned in 1425 and finished in 1427.  This sculpture was Donatello's first experience with relief sculpting.  A method in which the plane of the sculpture appears to be deep but is actually extremely shallow.  As well as being Donatello's first experience with this method of sculpting, it was also his first sculpture made out of bronze.  It is a 60X60 cm block that today is located in Baptistery of San Giovanni in Siena, Italy.

This piece of Donatello's demonstrates Renaissance qualities through several aspects.  The term Renaissance literally means rebirth.  During the period of the Renaissance, many studies of antiquity were apparent and these studies were often displayed in artistic works.  In the piece The Feast of Herod, Donatello sculpted a lot of characteristics that show it was created in the early Renaissance Period.  The arches built in the background show the architecture of the time.  In the recent years before, the main architectural feature was the pointed arch, a much more Gothic style.  The arches in this sculpture show a much more ancient, rounded arch that was a prominent feature in the ancient Greek and Roman times.  As well as arches strong, heavy columns lie in the corners to support the arches.

Off to the left hand side, a platter displaying St. John the Baptist's head, is being offered to King Herod.  This is more of the Middle Age period, of when people, often those of the church , were executed because of witchcraft.

  In the front scene a group of people, off to the right hand side display values from the Renaissance Period;  friendship and  trust.  Although the people have a strong look of disgust in their face, due to the head on the platter,  they still are around one another in company.  After the Black Death, people were afraid of one another and didn't have much to do with anyone, but after the slow recovery people came together which was the start of the Renaissance.  After this devastating epidemic, people began to hang around with one another and enjoy each other's company.  The faces of the people are sculpted intricately with a lot of detail and expression.  "Donatello always sought to characterize his figures as individuals rather than types."1   This is very apparent in the sculpture in every character's face.  Donatello experimented a lot with detail and more and more detail appear as the piece progresses from back to forward. 

As you can see on the left hand side an individual is playing a musical instrument.  The creation of the Feast of Herod, was the during beginning of the Renaissance period.  A strong emphasis on individuals was apparent and people emerged with talents of there own.  The person playing the instrument shows that there was individualism present in the time that Donatello was creating this sculpture   

See Other Artists of Donatello's Lifetime       

         Giotto     Ghiberti     Brunelleschi                               

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    ¹ "Donatello," Island of Freedom, ed. Jay Vincent, 2003. http://www.island-of-freedom.com/DONATELL.HTM  

Harden, Mark. "Donatello." The Artchive. 2006. 20 Jan. 2007 <http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/donatello.html>.

Sullivan, Mary A. "Baptismal Font, Siena Baptistery." Siena, Italy. 2005. 20 Jan.2007<http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/italy/siena/baptistryfont/font.html>.

Vincent, Jay. "Donatello." Island of Freedom. 2003. 20 Jan. 2007 <http://www.island-of-freedom.com/DONATELL.HTM>.