Pedestal
ca.1420 (sculpted), ca. 1895 (cast)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The base was formerly ascribed to Donatello, and thought to be the original pedestal designed by him for the Marzocco, the emblematic lion holding the coat of arms of Florence, but there is no documentary evidence for this. The base is however thematically linked with the Marzocco, as it is carved with the Florentine coats of arms. The monumental decorative forms would have inspired architects and sculptors in Britain in the late nineteenth century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster cast, painted plaster |
| Brief description | Plaster cast, painted plaster, after original sandstone pedestal, originally in the front of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence and now in the Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, possibly by Donatello, Florence, in about 1420. Cast by Giuseppe Lelli in Florence, in about 1895. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | The pedestal, of which this is a cast, was long thought to be Donatello's base for the lion figure (Marzocco). There is no documentary evidence for this, but the pedestal is also carved with heraldic symbols of Florence. Regardless of the pedestal's origins, its Renaissance decorative forms provided inspiration for architects and sculptors in the late 19th century.(2014) |
| Object history | Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1895 for £37 14s 1d |
| Historical context | The base was formerly ascribed to Donatello and thought to be the original pedestal designed by him for the Marzocco, but there is no documentary evidence to support these conclusions. The base is, however, thematically linked with the Marzocco, the emblem of Florence, as the decoration of the base is entirely composed of coats of arms representing the city of Florence. The Florentine lily in red on white, the stemma of the Guelph party, on the shield supported by Donatello's lion is repeated on one side of the base, while the shield on the other side, formerly coloured red and white, denoted the union of Florence with Fiesole. These arms are repeated around the top of the base, together with the arms of the four quarters of Florence (S. Croce, S. Maria Novella, S. Spirito and S. Giovanni) and the arms of the Florentine people. The coats of arms would originally have been painted in the appropriate colours. |
| Summary | The base was formerly ascribed to Donatello, and thought to be the original pedestal designed by him for the Marzocco, the emblematic lion holding the coat of arms of Florence, but there is no documentary evidence for this. The base is however thematically linked with the Marzocco, as it is carved with the Florentine coats of arms. The monumental decorative forms would have inspired architects and sculptors in Britain in the late nineteenth century. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | REPRO.1895-2 |
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| Record created | December 7, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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