David thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

David

Statuette
ca. 1500 (modelled)
Artist/Maker
Master of the David and St. John Statuettes (Sculptor)
Place of origin
Florence (made)

This terracotta statuette representing David is made by the 'Master of the David and St. John Statuettes'

The statuette is one of a number of similar representations of David with the head of Goliath which depend from the composition in bronze by Verrocchio, without resembling it closely in detail.

These terracottas appear to have been produced in some quantity by the same Florentine workshop that was responsible for a number of statuettes of the young St. John the Baptist, for example (7575-1861).


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Religion
Object type
Statuette
TitleDavid (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Terracotta
Terracotta
Brief description
Statuette, terracotta, 'David', by the Master of the David and St. John Statuettes, Florence, ca. 1500
Physical description
The figure of David is posed frontally on an irregular naturalistic base, and is supported at the back by a ledge of rock. Between his feet lies the head of Goliath with a stone embedded in the forehead.
Dimensions
  • Height: 48.3cm
Gallery label
The statuette is one of a number of similar representations of David with the head of Goliath which depend from the composition in bronze by Verocchio, without resembling it closely in detail. These terracottas appear to have been produced in some quantity by the same Florentine workshop that was responsible for a number of statuettes of the young St. John the Baptist, for example (7575-1861).
Object history
Purchased from the Gigli-Campana Collection
Historical context
The statuette is one of a number of similar representations of David with the head of Goliath which depend from the composition in bronze by Verrocchio, without resembling it closely in detail.
Subjects depicted
Sword
Costume
David
Goliath
Summary
This terracotta statuette representing David is made by the 'Master of the David and St. John Statuettes'

The statuette is one of a number of similar representations of David with the head of Goliath which depend from the composition in bronze by Verrocchio, without resembling it closely in detail.

These terracottas appear to have been produced in some quantity by the same Florentine workshop that was responsible for a number of statuettes of the young St. John the Baptist, for example (7575-1861).
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1861 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. 36
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, pp. 63, 64
  • Paoletti, John T. 'The Bargello David and Public Sculpture in Fifteenth-century Florence'. In: Steadman Sheard, Wendy and Paoletti, John T., eds, Collaboration in Italian Renaissance Art, New Haven and London, 1978, p. 107 note 6
  • Avery, Charles. Fingerprints of the artist. European Terra-Cotta from the Artur M. Sackler Collection. Exh. Cat, Washington, 1981, p. 44, cat. No. 8
  • 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, pp. 191, 192
  • Arnoldi, Franceso Negri, 'Scultura Italiana al Victoria and Albert Museum I&II. In: Commentari, anno XXI, June-July 1970. Fascicoli, pp. 212-213
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
7602-1861

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O17197/david-statuette-master-of-the/
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