MARC'AURELIO -- cavallo

Speranza

DONATELLO studied this statue.

But the conditions changed.

The statue was formerly in its INFORMAL setting , outside St. John Laterano.

But, since 1538, the statue stood where BUONARROTI had placed it, on the CAPITOL.

This change of site affected its artistic character.

By VIRTUE of its NEW position in the CENTRE of the CAMPIDOGLIO it became A SYMBOL OF IMPERIAL RULE.

And, when in 1565, the statue was placed on the BASE that BUONARROTI had planned for it almost TWENTY YEARS before, the base elevated the statue into a GREAT work of art.