DONATELLO
(b. ca. 1386, Firenze, d. 1466, Firenze)

Madonna and Child within an Arch

c. 1450
Gilt bronze, 20 x 15 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington

The most remarkable feature of this fine relief, executed by a follower of Donatello, is the way the architectural setting is employed illusionistically to enhance the devotional affect of the figures.

The relief, which depend from a design by Donatello, enjoyed widespread popularity, it is known in at least four casts, in stucco squeezes, and in three marble variants. The relief has been associated with Donatello's activity in Padua between 1444 and 1453.




© Web Gallery of Art, created by Emil Krén and Daniel Marx.