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Bust

the last quarter 15th century (carved)
Artist/Maker
Da Maiano, Benedetto (workshop of)
Place of origin
Florence (made)

This is a marble bust made in the workshop of Benedetto da Maiano in the last quarter of the 15th century Florence, Italy. The bust represents an unknown man. This bust if closely related to the bust of Onofrio di Pietro in the sacristy of the Collegiata at San Gimignano, which was commissioned from Benedetto da Maiano in 1493 and executed by a workshop assistant from a model by the master. It probably formed part of a sepulchral monument. The bust is inferior in handling to Benedetto's signed busts of Petro Mellini in the Museo Nazionale, Florence (1474) and Filippo Strozzi in the Louvre (ca. 1491). The nose has been broken and the lower part is restored in marble.

Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Portraits
Object type
Bust
Materials and techniques
Marble, white
Marble
Brief description
Bust, marble, of an unknown man, workshop of Benedetto da Maiano, Italy (Florence), last quarter of the 15th century
Physical description
Portrait of a man, bust in marble. The head is turned slightly to the right, and the upper garment, worn over a pleated tunic, is looped over the left shoulder.
Dimensions
  • Height: 55.2cm
  • Weight: 74kg
Object history
Bought in 1875.
Subjects depicted
Men
Portrait
Summary
This is a marble bust made in the workshop of Benedetto da Maiano in the last quarter of the 15th century Florence, Italy. The bust represents an unknown man. This bust if closely related to the bust of Onofrio di Pietro in the sacristy of the Collegiata at San Gimignano, which was commissioned from Benedetto da Maiano in 1493 and executed by a workshop assistant from a model by the master. It probably formed part of a sepulchral monument. The bust is inferior in handling to Benedetto's signed busts of Petro Mellini in the Museo Nazionale, Florence (1474) and Filippo Strozzi in the Louvre (ca. 1491). The nose has been broken and the lower part is restored in marble.
Bibliographic references
  • List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington, Acquired During the Year 1875, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., p. 78
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. London, 1932, p. 56
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964, cat. no. 135, fig. 161
  • Schuyler, Jane. Florentine busts : sculpted portraiture in the fifteenth century / Jane Schuyler. New York, 1976, pp. 235-236, fig. 115
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
974-1875

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O14746/bust-da-maiano-benedetto/
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