BON, Bartolomeo
(active 1421-1464 in Venice)

Well Head

1427-38
Red marble
Ca' d'Oro, Venice

This well head in red Verona marble in the courtyard of the Ca' d'Oro is the Venetian sculptor's masterpiece. It is inspired by the forms of the fourteenth-century capitals on the Doge's Palace. On three sides the carvings represent Justice, Strength, and Charity, while the fourth bears the heraldic arms of the Contarini family who commissioned the work.