The Virgin and Child in a niche thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Sculpture, Room 111, The Gilbert Bayes Gallery

The Virgin and Child in a niche

Plaquette
1440-1450 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440s with the desire to reproduce coins and hardstone engravings from ancient Greece and Rome. Some were made as collector’s pieces, to be viewed and displayed in private, and others for practical purposes. They also inspired designs in other media, from architecture to bookbindings. Almost all the small-scale reliefs and plaquettes produced by Donatello and his workshop are religious in subject matter. They usually depict the Virgin and Child. Most of the plaquettes would have been used for private devotion or set into paxes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Virgin and Child in a niche (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Brief description
Plaquette, bronze, the Virgin and Child in a niche, workshop of Donatello, Italy (Florence), mid 15th century
Physical description
Plaquette depicts the Virgin seated holding Christ on her left, in front of a shell-shaped niche.
Dimensions
  • Height: 98mm
  • Width: 76mm
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440s with the desire to reproduce coins and hardstone engravings from ancient Greece and Rome. Some were made as collector’s pieces, to be viewed and displayed in private, and others for practical purposes. They also inspired designs in other media, from architecture to bookbindings. Almost all the small-scale reliefs and plaquettes produced by Donatello and his workshop are religious in subject matter. They usually depict the Virgin and Child. Most of the plaquettes would have been used for private devotion or set into paxes.
Bibliographic references
  • 'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture). London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 63
  • Maclagan, Eric. Catalogue of Italian Plaquettes . London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1924, p. 17
Collection
Accession number
A.406-1910

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Record createdOctober 20, 2004
Record URL
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