Not currently on display at the V&A

God the Father

Lunette & Frieze
ca. 1475-1500 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Florence (made)

This lunette shows God the Father in half-length with right hand raised in benediction. In his left hand he holds an open book.

The two fragments must originally have formed the upper and lower sections of a tabernacle, the central element of which has not been identified. However, they must have been separated by a moulding.

The fragments show a certain debt to the work of Benedetto da Majano and were probably carved in Florence around 1490.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Christianity
Religion
Object type
Lunette & frieze
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Frieze
  • Lunette
TitleGod the Father (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Relief in marble
Marble
Relief
Brief description
Marble relief, Lunette & Frieze of a tabernacle, Italy, probably Florence, ca. 1475-1500
Physical description
The lunette, which is surrounded by a heavy moulding and relieved by a protruding palmette and two volutes, shows God the Father in half-length with right hand raised in benediction, In his left hand he holds an open book.
Dimensions
  • Height: 50.2cm
  • Width: 81.3cm
Production
The fragments show a certain debt to the work of Benedetto da Majano and were probably carved in Florence around 1490.
Subjects depicted
Book
God
Summary
This lunette shows God the Father in half-length with right hand raised in benediction. In his left hand he holds an open book.

The two fragments must originally have formed the upper and lower sections of a tabernacle, the central element of which has not been identified. However, they must have been separated by a moulding.

The fragments show a certain debt to the work of Benedetto da Majano and were probably carved in Florence around 1490.
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. 22
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, p.
  • 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. 201
  • Gentilini, Giancarlo. 'Fonte e tabernaculi…pile, pilastri e sepolture: arredi marmorei della bottega dei da Maiano'. In: Giuliano e la Bottega dei da Maniano, Flroence 1994, pp. 182-195
  • 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
7359A-1861

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Record createdOctober 28, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O68815/god-the-father-lunette--frieze-unknown/
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