Virgin and Child thumbnail 1
Virgin and Child thumbnail 2
+4
images
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Virgin and Child

Relief
ca. 1435-1440 (made)
Artist/Maker
Donatello (After)
Place of origin
Florence (made)

The stucco relief of the Virgin and Child was probably cast after a bronze plaquette designed by Donatello. There are two similar examples of this plaquette in the V&A collection (museum nos. 7474-1861 and 5473-1859). Plaquettes, being small and portable, allowed artists' designs to be disseminated widely and across different media.

The decoration was probably painted and gilded by the Florentine artist Paolo di Stefano (also known as Paolo Schiavo).

The relief is likely to have been used as a small shrine in a domestic setting, but it may also have been portable. The remains of two hinges at either side suggest it once had wings, which could be closed to protect the relief during travel.

Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Christianity
Religion
Object type
Relief
TitleVirgin and Child (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted and gilded stucco in a contemporary wood frame
Stucco
Painted
Gilded
Brief description
Relief, 'Virgin and Child', painted and gilded stucco in a contemporary wood frame, after Donatello, Italy (Florence), ca. 1435-40
Physical description
Relief in painted and gilded stucco in a contemporary wood frame. The Virgin is shown in profile, holding the Child on her left arm. Two angels are painted on the frame at either side of the relief, and Eve is depicted reclining beneath it. In the pediment is a figure of God the Father, and at the bottom of the frame there is a prophet with a scroll. The console bears the inscription 'AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA'. There are hinges on either side of the frame, suggesting that the relief at one time had closable wings.
Dimensions
  • Stucco height: 12.1cm
  • Stucco width: 9.5cm
  • Frame height: 36.5cm
  • Frame, maximum width: 20.2cm
  • Frame, maximum depth: 5.2cm
  • Whole object (with frame) weight: 0.90 kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries Weighed for the Donatello Exhibition (Palazzo Strozzi, Staatlisches Museen, V&A) 2022-2023
Marks and inscriptions
'AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA'
Translation
'Hail Mary full of grace'
Gallery label
The Virgin and Child
After Donatello (about 1386–1466)

Some compositions of the Virgin and Child, particularly those associated with
miracle-working images, became very popular and were widely reproduced. Here, the stucco version was cast from a bronze plaquette that was probably
designed by Donatello in the mid 1430s. A similar plaquette is displayed alongside. These replicas were often individualised by painting. In this example, a reclining
figure of Eve on the frame possibly indicates that the owner was a woman.

Stucco plaque
About 1435–40
Italy, Florence
Painted stucco in a wooden
frame; the frame probably
painted by Paolo di Stefano
(1397–1478)
Presented by The Art Fund with the aid of a body of
subscribers in memory of Lord Carmichael of Skirling
Museum no. A.45-1926
Credit line
Given by Art Fund with the aid of a body of subscribers in memory of Lord Carmichael of Skirling
Subjects depicted
Mary (Virgin Mary)
The Christ Child
Summary
The stucco relief of the Virgin and Child was probably cast after a bronze plaquette designed by Donatello. There are two similar examples of this plaquette in the V&A collection (museum nos. 7474-1861 and 5473-1859). Plaquettes, being small and portable, allowed artists' designs to be disseminated widely and across different media.

The decoration was probably painted and gilded by the Florentine artist Paolo di Stefano (also known as Paolo Schiavo).

The relief is likely to have been used as a small shrine in a domestic setting, but it may also have been portable. The remains of two hinges at either side suggest it once had wings, which could be closed to protect the relief during travel.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Motture, Peta, ed., Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance, London: V&A Publishing, 2023. pp. 174-175, cat. 2.24C, entry by Jeremy Warren, Attribution: After Donatello; Paolo di Stefano (Paolo Schiavo)
  • Rowley, Neville, ed., Donatello: Inventor of the Renaissance, Berlin: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, 2022. pp. 170-171, cat. 21, entry by Neville Rowley, Attribution: After Donatello; Paolo Schiavo
  • Caglioti, Francesco, ed., with Laura Cavazzini, Aldo Galli, and Neville Rowley. Donatello: il Rinascimento, Venice: Marsilio, 2022. pp. 174-175, cat. 4.3, entry by Neville Rowley, Attribution: After Donatello; Paolo Schiavo
  • Ajmar-Wollheim, Marta and Flora Dennis, At Home in Renaissance Italy, London: V&A Publishing, 2006.
  • Cooper, Donal. 'Devotion' in Ajmar-Wollheim, M. and Dennis, F., eds., At Home in Renaissance Italy. London, 2006, pp. 190-192
  • Curtis, Penelope, Depth of Field: the place of relief in the time of Donatello, Leeds: Henry Moore Institute, 2004
  • Johnson, G. Art or artefact? Madonna and Child reliefs in the early Renaissance. In: Currie, S., Motture, P. The sculpted object, 1400-1700. Aldershot: Scolar press, 1997. pp. 2, 13. n. 10. fig. 1.1.
  • Johnson, Geraldine. Art or artefact? Madonna and Child reliefs in the early Renaissance. In Motture, Peta and Currie, Stuart, The Sculpted Object 1400-1700. Aldershot, 1997, p. 2, p. 13 n. 10, fig 1.1.
  • Baker, Malcolm, Mark-Gerard, and Radcliffe, Anthony, eds, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection: Renaissance and later sculpture and works of art in bronze. London, 1992, pp. 18-19.
  • Jolly, Anna. Madonnas by Donatello and his circle. PhD Thesis, Cambridge University, 1992, pp. 21, 33-34, 65, cat. 43.2, 125-128, pl. 81.
  • Radcliffe, A., et al. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection: Renaissance and later sculpture with works of art in bronze. London, 1992. pp. 18-19.
  • Avery, Charles. Donatello. Florence, 1991, p. 49, cat. 30.
  • Middeldorf, Ulrich. Some Florentine Painted Madonna Reliefs. In Stedman Sheard, Wendy and Paoletti, John P. eds, Collaboration in Italian Renaissance Art. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1978, p. 78, p. 83 n. 17.
  • Pope-Hennessy, John, assisted by Lightbown, Ronald. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964. vol. 1, pp. 83-84, cat. no. 68; vol.3, fig. no. 94.
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. London, 1932. p. 22.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.45-1926

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Record createdFebruary 25, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O93904/virgin-and-child-relief-donatello/
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