Terracotta relief, 'Virgin & Child', Workshop of Michele da Firenze, ca. 1425-1450, Italian

The relief takes the form of an arch, with spiral colums and foliated upper section. The Virgin stands before a curtain holing the Child on her left arm. Above the curtain are three cherub heads. The relief is framed in a foliated arch supported by two spiral columns. There are traces of blue paint on the Virgin's cloak, red on her robe and on the curtain, gold in the halo and naturalistic pigmentation on the faces of the two figures.
Both feet of the Child are broken off above the ankles and the tips of two fingers of the Virgin's right hand have broken off.

Given by Dr W.L Hildburgh, F.S.A.

Given by Dr W.L Hildburgh, F.S.A.

This relief was produced in the same workshop that was responsible for three complexes of terracotta sculpture in the second quarter of the 15th century: the tomb of Francesco Rosselli in San Francesco at Arezzo (1431), the pellegrini Chapel in Sant' Anastasia at Verona (1436) and an altar in the Duomo at Modena (1442). The name Michele da Firenze is found in a document of 1436 recording payment for the reliefs in the Pellegrini Chapel, and it may be assumed that Michele was the master of this workshop, in the productions of which various hands are discernible.

The Virgin stands before a curtain holding the Child in her left arm. Above the curtain are three cherub heads. The relief is framed in a foliated arch supported by two spiral columns. There are traces of blue paint on the Virgin's cloak, red on her robe and on the curtain, gold in the halo and natualistic pigmentation on the faces of the two figures.

A.1:1, 2-1931