How was it made? Donatello’s clay modelling technique | V&A

Watch Sculptor Charlotte Hubbard recreate a panel from the a 15th-century terracotta sculpture, believed to have been made by the Renaissance master Donatello. Charlotte talks about the enduring appeal of clay, the importance of copying artworks, and shows us the full process – from making sketches in the museum, to building up the intricate figures of Adam and Eve by hand, aided by tools which are remarkably similar to those used in the Renaissance. You can see – and touch – the panel made by Charlotte in the exhibition Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance. 00:53 Sketching the object 01:42 Wedging the clay 02:27 Rolling the clay and scaling up the panel 03:14 Modelling with tools 04:24 Building up the figures 05:05 Why do we make copies? 05:44 Adding detail 06:41 The firing process Find out more about the exhibition and book tickets: More ’How was it Made?’ films: