The Italian art and architecture of 15th century Italy is referred to as “Quattrocento,” which is Italian for four hundred, and is an abbreviation for "millequattrocento" which means fourteen hundred. This time period, 1400-1500, was a time of great artistic genius, the spreading of humanism, and economic prosperity, all of which led to an increase in civic and religious art commissions.
The sculptor Donatello is well known for his amazing statues, but his David is perhaps his best. David, the character from the Bible who defeated the Philistine giant, Goliath, was a symbol of the Florentine Republic’s independence. Donatello’s bronze statue of David with his foot placed upon Goliath’s severed head was a symbol of the power of Florence and