Miracle of the Mule

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The group known as Altare del Santo consists of twenty-nine individual sculptures, including four bas-reliefs crafted from bronze that depict the miracles of St Anthony: Miracle of the Ass, Miracle of the New-born Child, Miracle of the Repentant Son, and Miracle of the Avaricious Man's Heart. Within these Miracles series, Donatello employed a unique technique by flattening the relief on a roughened surface, which effectively disrupted light and diffused it, resulting in a luminous atmosphere where incorporeal images seem to hover. This marked a significant departure from previous narrative relief scenes, as architecture played a more prominent role than ever before. In the Miracle of the Ass, an ass that had previously refused its food suddenly drops to its knees before a host offered by Anthony, while those around it gaze on in utter amazement at the miraculous event.