Model for the funerary monument to Cardinal Niccolò Forteguerri

The monument was commissioned from Verrocchio by the commune of Pistoia in 1476 and the present model was probably prepared that time. Verrocchio's free handling of the clay is masterful, with some areas sketchy and others more precisely worked.

The terracotta shows the figure of Christ in a mandorla supported by four flying angels. Beneath is a figure representing Charity. Below Faith holds a chalice. She moves towards the Cardinal, who is shown kneeling on a sarcophagus, with the figure of Hope to the right.

The upper part of the existing marble monument in Pistoia Cathedral varies in detail from the model. Verrocchio worked with his assistants on the monument but did not complete it before he left for Venice in 1483. It was not erected until 1514, long after his death. The figure of Charity was carved by Lorenzetto in 1514.

In 1753 the monument was moved and modified. At this time a bust replaced the figure of the kneeling cardinal, which is now in the Museo Civico, Pistoia.