Who sculpted the equestrian statue called Gattamelata?

The Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata is a sculpture by Italian early Renaissance artist Donatello, dating from 1453, located in the Piazza del Santo in Padua, Italy, today. It portrays the Renaissance condottiero Erasmo da Narni, known as "Gattamelata", who served mostly under the Republic of Venice, which ruled Padua at the time.

It was completed between 1447 and 1450 but was not installed on its pedestal in the Piazza del Santo in front of the Basilica of Sant’Antonio in Padua, Italy, until 1453. The statue established a prototype for equestrian monuments in the West.

Erasmo da Narni (Gattamelata) sits high on his horse, looking out to the distance. The emotion on his face is serious. Donatello portrays Gattamelata as a composed, alert and watchful leader. The depiction of force of character and the reference to the power of real people flows with the Renaissance themes of individualism and humanism.

The horse echoes the alert, self-contained and courageous air of the rider. The realistic depiction of its muscular form reveals the Renaissance concern with anatomical study that was later developed in Leonardo da Vinci's studies for the Sforza equestrian monument.