Virgin and Child thumbnail 1
Virgin and Child thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Cast Courts, Room 46b, The Weston Cast Court

Virgin and Child

Relief
3rd quarter 15th century (sculpted), 1890 (cast)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This plaster relief is a cast after the marble original by Desiderio da Settignano in the Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence. The original relief was formerly thought to be by Donatello, the Panciatichi Madonna has been ascribed to Desiderio since 1887 (Tschudi, Bode). The relief derives its name from the fact that, prior to its arrival in the Bargello, the Panciatichi Madonna was housed in a baroque tabernacle on the corner of the Palazzo Panciatichi on the Via Cavour, in Florence. This cannot have been its original location, as the Palazzo Panciatichi was not built until the mid-17th century. Because it was displayed outside, the surface of the original is in bad condition, and there is also a break on the top left hand corner. There was a painted stucco version of this relief in Berlin, which was destroyed in 1945.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Virgin and Child (generic title)
  • Panciatichi Madonna (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster cast
Brief description
Plaster cast relief, Virgin and Child, after a marble original by Desiderio da Settignano, cast by Oronzio Lelli, ca. 1890
Physical description
This plaster relief is a cast after the marble original by Desiderio da Settignano in the Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence. The original relief was formerly thought to be by Donatello, the Panciatichi Madonna has been ascribed to Desiderio since 1887 (Tschudi, Bode). The relief derives its name from the fact that, prior to its arrival in the Bargello, the Panciatichi Madonna was housed in a baroque tabernacle on the corner of the Palazzo Panciatichi on the Via Cavour, in Florence. This cannot have been its original location, as the Palazzo Panciatichi was not built until the mid-17th century. Because it was displayed outside, the surface of the original is in bad condition, and there is also a break on the top left hand corner. There was a painted stucco version of this relief in Berlin, which was destroyed in 1945.
Dimensions
  • Height: 79.5cm
  • Width: 58.5cm
  • Framed height: 83cm
  • Framed width: 69.5cm
  • Framed depth: 10.5cm
  • Framed weight: 22,5kg
Framed measurements taken on 18/11/10 for Cast Courts project
Object history
Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 16s (20 lire)
Historical context
Formerly thought to be by Donatello (1386-1466), the Panciatichi Madonna has been ascribed to Desiderio since 1887 (Tschudi, Bode). The relief derives its name from the fact that, prior to its arrival in the Bargello, the Panciatichi Madonna was housed in a baroque tabernacle on the corner of the Palazzo Panciatichi on the Via Cavour, in Florence. This cannot have been its original location, as the Palazzo Panciatichi was not built until the mid-17th century. Because it was displayed outside, the surface of the original is in bad condition, and there is also a break on the top left hand corner. There was a painted stucco version of this relief in Berlin, which was destroyed in 1945.
Production
This object is a 19th century cast of the 15th century original.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
REPRO.1890-21

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Record createdDecember 7, 1999
Record URL
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