From a pencil sketch to cherubs dancing in stone – recreating a Donatello work

Carved by the Italian sculptor Donatello over a decade in the 15th century, the marble reliefs on the outside pulpit of Prato Cathedral in Tuscany are celebrated for their rich, emotive depiction of dancing cherubic figures set in stone. In this short video from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the UK sculptor Simon Smith talks the audience through his process of recreating these reliefs for the exhibition Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance, on display at the museum from February to June 2023. Starting with a pencil sketch before working with a series of ever-finer tools to ‘nibble away’ at the stone, Smith offers an immensely satisfying glimpse into how one of history’s great sculptors created dazzling, emotive scenes from just stone, shadow and light.