St. John the Baptist thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

St. John the Baptist

Bust
after 1500 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Florence (made)

This terracotta bust representing St. John the Baptist is made by the Master of the David and St. John Statuettes in Florence in ca. 1500.

The bust is ascribed by Robinson (p. 101) to the period of Donatello. Maclagan and Longhurst (p. 62) attribute it to the school of Verrocchio, and observe that the "type is obviously influenced both by Verrocchio and by Donatello's Magdalene. The present bust , which is of good quality, is closely connected with the work of the Master of the David and St. John Statuettes, and appears to date from soon after 1500. (Pope-Hennessy, p. 195-196)


Object details

Category
Sculpture
Object type
Bust
TitleSt. John the Baptist (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Terracotta
Terracotta
Brief description
Bust in terracotta of St. John. Florence, soon after 1500.
Physical description
The head turned upwards, the hair long and falling on the shoulders; the right hand holding a scroll, the left resting on the garment of camel's hair. The bust, which is hollowed out and has a narrow aperture behind, shows the young Baptist in half-length with head turned upwards to his left.
Dimensions
  • Height: 46cm
Object history
Purchased in Paris.
Production
The bust is ascribed by Robinson (p. 101) to the period of Donatello. Maclagan and Longhurst (p. 62) attribute it to the school of Verocchio, and observe that the "type is obviously influenced both by Verocchio and by Donatello's Magdalene. The present bust , which is of good quality, is closely connected with the work of the Master of the David and St. John Statuettes,and appears to date from soon after 1500. (Pope-Hennessy, p. 195-196)
Subject depicted
St. John the Baptist
Summary
This terracotta bust representing St. John the Baptist is made by the Master of the David and St. John Statuettes in Florence in ca. 1500.

The bust is ascribed by Robinson (p. 101) to the period of Donatello. Maclagan and Longhurst (p. 62) attribute it to the school of Verrocchio, and observe that the "type is obviously influenced both by Verrocchio and by Donatello's Magdalene. The present bust , which is of good quality, is closely connected with the work of the Master of the David and St. John Statuettes, and appears to date from soon after 1500. (Pope-Hennessy, p. 195-196)
Bibliographic references
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume I: Text. Eighth to Fifteenth Century. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964, p. 195-196.
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1855. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 5.
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, p. 62.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
1085-1855

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Record createdApril 24, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O153320/st-john-the-baptist-bust-unknown/
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