How did Donatello achieve realism in his sculptures?
Realism for me came from relentless observation and a deep engagement with the material. I studied the musculature and skeletal structure of the human body as a physician might, drawing from life and ancient models. But it was not enough to simply copy. I strove to understand the underlying forces, the way a soul inhabits its vessel. My understanding of contrapposto, the natural counterbalance of the body, allowed for dynamic yet believable poses. The expressive details, the texture of skin, the fall of drapery, all contributed to this sense of tangible presence.