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Not currently on display at the V&A

Two Boys Quarrelling

Group
1st quarter of 16th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a terracotta group made by the Master of the Unruly Children in the first quarter of the 16th century Florence, Italy. This group depicts two boys quarrelling over a sack. This is a typical example of the work of an unidentified Florentine sculptor, now thought to have been active in the early 16th century, who characteristically represents naughty children, and is therefore known by the conventional name of the Master of the Unruly Children. The pendant to this group, representing a boy and a girl fighting over a bagpipe and a syrinx, is in Berlin. The Berlin terracotta is bronzed, and this group bears traces of painting, indicating that it was also originally bronzed.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleTwo Boys Quarrelling (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Terracotta
Brief description
Group, terracotta, Two Boys Quarrelling, by the Master of the Unruly Children, Italian (Florence), 1st quarter of 16th century
Physical description
Terracotta group of two boys contending for the possession of a sack.
Dimensions
  • Height: 27.94cm
  • Width: 16.51cm
Object history
Purchased in Florence in 1876.
Subject depicted
Summary
This is a terracotta group made by the Master of the Unruly Children in the first quarter of the 16th century Florence, Italy. This group depicts two boys quarrelling over a sack. This is a typical example of the work of an unidentified Florentine sculptor, now thought to have been active in the early 16th century, who characteristically represents naughty children, and is therefore known by the conventional name of the Master of the Unruly Children. The pendant to this group, representing a boy and a girl fighting over a bagpipe and a syrinx, is in Berlin. The Berlin terracotta is bronzed, and this group bears traces of painting, indicating that it was also originally bronzed.
Bibliographic references
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. London, 1932, p. 87
  • List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington, Acquired During the Year 1876, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., p. 20
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964, cat. no. 426, fig. 423
  • Ferretti, Massimo. Maestro dei Bambini Irnequieti. In: Per la Storia della Scultura: Materiali Inediti e Poco Noti. Torino, 1992, p. 39
  • Raggio, Olga. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Art Bulletin. 1968, vol. L. p. 101
  • Sénéchal, Philippe, Giovan Francesco Rustici, 1475-1554: un sculpteur de la Renaissance entre Florence et Paris, Paris, 2007, p. 234.
Collection
Accession number
253-1876

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Record createdSeptember 26, 2008
Record URL
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