Ask an art historian about the 15th century in Italian art—also known as the Quattrocento—and they’ll probably bring up Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera, Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper or the early career works of Michelangelo. Meanwhile, assessments of the Florentine sculptor Donatello often pale in comparison with praise of his superstar contemporaries.

Donatello deserves better, argues a blockbuster new exhibition. On view through July 31 at two museums in Florence, Italy, “Donatello: The Renaissance” makes a provocative case for placing the sculptor at the center of the era, writes Elisabetta Povoledo for the New York Times.