Pulpit
1260 (sculpted), ca. 1864 (cast)
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This is a plaster cast of the original marble pulpit made by Nicola Pisano in 1260 for the Baptistry in Pisa. The cast is made by Messrs Franchi & Son, London, in 1864.
Nicola Pisano (ca.1220-25 - before 1284) was a sculptor and architect of the thirteenth century working in Apulia, Pisa and Siena. His first great work was this hexagonal marble pulpit decorated with scenes from the life of Christ. The figure style of these reliefs was deeply influenced by classical art and brought a new realism to Italian sculpture. His last great work of sculpture was the fountain in the Piazza opposite the west end of the Cathedral at Perugia, completed in 1278. Pisano is regarded as an important precursor of Italian Renaissance sculpture because of his pioneering understanding and use of antique prototypes.
Nicola Pisano (ca.1220-25 - before 1284) was a sculptor and architect of the thirteenth century working in Apulia, Pisa and Siena. His first great work was this hexagonal marble pulpit decorated with scenes from the life of Christ. The figure style of these reliefs was deeply influenced by classical art and brought a new realism to Italian sculpture. His last great work of sculpture was the fountain in the Piazza opposite the west end of the Cathedral at Perugia, completed in 1278. Pisano is regarded as an important precursor of Italian Renaissance sculpture because of his pioneering understanding and use of antique prototypes.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster cast |
| Brief description | Plaster cast, painted plaster, after the marble pulpit from The Baptistry, Pisa, by Nicola Pisano, Pisa, dated 1260. Cast by Giovanni Franchi and Son, London, in 1864. |
| Physical description | Between the lower and upper section of the pulpit is an archivolt formed of trilobe arches with pierced cusps; in the spandrels, reliefs of the Prophets and the Evangelists. At the corners: Charity, Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence, St John the Baptist, and Faith. Upper Section: The Annunciation, Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds, The Adoration of the Magi, The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, The Crucifixion, The Last Judgement. |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'ANNO MILLENO BIS CENTUM BISQUE TRICENO HOC OPUS INSINGNE SCULPSIT NICOLA PISANUS LAUDETUR DINGNE TAM BENE DOCTA MANUS' (Beneath the relief of the Last Judgement)
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Purchased from Messrs Franchi & Son in 1864 for £116 13s 4d. |
| Historical context | Inscribed beneath the relief of the Last Judgement: ANNO MILLENO BIS CENTUM BISQUE TRICENO HOC OPUS INSINGNE SCULPSIT NICOLA PISANUS LAUDETUR DINGNE TAM BENE DOCTA MANUS (In the year 1260, Nicola Pisano carved this noble work. May so greatly gifted a hand be praised as it deserves). Between the lower and upper section of the pulpit is an archivolt formed of trilobe arches with pierced cusps; in the spandrels, reliefs of the Prophets and the Evangelists. At the corners: Charity, Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence, St John the Baptist, and Faith. Upper Section: The Annunciation, Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds, The Adoration of the Magi, The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, The Crucifixion, The Last Judgement. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is a plaster cast of the original marble pulpit made by Nicola Pisano in 1260 for the Baptistry in Pisa. The cast is made by Messrs Franchi & Son, London, in 1864. Nicola Pisano (ca.1220-25 - before 1284) was a sculptor and architect of the thirteenth century working in Apulia, Pisa and Siena. His first great work was this hexagonal marble pulpit decorated with scenes from the life of Christ. The figure style of these reliefs was deeply influenced by classical art and brought a new realism to Italian sculpture. His last great work of sculpture was the fountain in the Piazza opposite the west end of the Cathedral at Perugia, completed in 1278. Pisano is regarded as an important precursor of Italian Renaissance sculpture because of his pioneering understanding and use of antique prototypes. |
| Bibliographic reference | Weinberger: M, ‘Nicola Pisano and the Tradition of Tuscan Pulpits’, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 6th ser., lv (1960), pp. 129–46 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | REPRO.1864-83 |
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| Record created | September 22, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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