Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, universally known as Donatello, was born in Florence around 1386 – a time of immense artistic ferment within the burgeoning Renaissance city. His early life remains somewhat shrouded in mystery, but it’s understood that he received his initial training not within a formal academy, but through apprenticeship with various stone carvers working on the magnificent Duomo Cathedral. This experience exposed him to the classical ideals and emerging techniques that would profoundly shape his future work. Donatello's father, Niccolò…