Final answer:
The artist who created the statue of Saint Mark was Donatello, an influential sculptor of the early Renaissance in Florence. His innovative approach to sculpting realistic, humanized forms marked a departure from the medieval styles, contributing to the bedrock of Renaissance art.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Renaissance artist who produced the statue of Saint Mark was Donatello. Donato di Niccolo di Betto, better known as Donatello, was born in the early 14th century in Florence, which was the epicenter of the Renaissance movement. He was one of the foremost sculptors of his time and a pioneer in the art world. His work on the bronze sculpture of David around 1430 demonstrated the shift towards a more classical and realistic depiction of the human body, which became a hallmark of the Renaissance.
Donatello was sponsored by Cosimo De Medici, a significant patron of the arts during the period. Alongside contemporaries like Masaccio, who introduced linear perspective in painting, and Brunelleschi, who applied formalized perspective in architecture, Donatello's innovative approach in sculpture contributed to the early Renaissance's explorations of form, space, and humanism. His statue of Saint Mark is an example of this as it demonstrates a realistic, humanized form of the saint, reflecting the shift away from the medieval, idealized representations.
Donatello's study of classical sculpture is evident in his works, and his influence carried on for generations. The Renaissance was marked by the rejection of the Byzantine style, with artists striving for realism, as shown in the works of Cimabue and Giotto. This foundational work set the stage for what would become High Renaissance art, where figures like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael would achieve legendary status.