16 Inches High x 13 Inches Wide
The Madonna is depicted in half-length and turned slightly to her left, hands in prayer. The Child, shown in profile, is seated before her on a cushion. He touches her left wrist with his left hand and, in delicately sculpted detail, holds up her veil with his right hand. Depicted in the upper corners of the relief are two putti. It is thought that the original marble relief was made in the style of Florentine sculptor Desiderio da Settignano (c.1429-1464). Similar depictions of the Madonna and Child in relief were produced widely during the Italian Renaissance, including by da Settignano and his workshop. The piece in our collection is likely derived from this sculpture. The detail of this piece may be less defined than that of the original sculpture due to a succession of molding and casting. These photos accurately depict the definition of detail for this reproduction.
Artist: Unknown
Museum: Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Time Period: Renaissance, third quarter of the 15th century
1911 Catalog ID # – 8396
Sources:
“The Virgin and Child.” Museum number 66-1866. Victoria and Albert Museum, https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O154489/the-virgin-and-child-relief-unknown/.