Italian School; c. 1500.

Italian School; c. 1500.
“Madonna and Child.”
Polychrome terracotta.
Measurements: 56.5 x 39 x 2 cm.
This relief of the Virgin and Child is part of the Florentine sculptural tradition of the period, characterized by a pursuit of classical beauty, emotional intimacy, and a renewed sensitivity toward the human figure. The composition follows the model of the famous Turin Madonna, a marble relief attributed to Desiderio da Settignano (1428–1464), housed in the Galleria Sabauda in Turin. Considered one of the most prominent Florentine sculptors of his generation, Desiderio da Settignano achieved particular mastery in Marian reliefs, where the delicacy of the modeling and the layering of volumes suggest depth without sacrificing the elegance of the surface. In these compositions, the closeness between the Virgin and the Child transcends religious representation to express a maternal bond of profound tenderness.
The widespread circulation of this model—reproduced in various materials and in numerous versions—attests to the popularity of Desiderio’s creations and the interest they sparked in Italian workshops in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The choice of polychrome terracotta lends the work a different dimension from that of the original marble, allowing the color to enrich the surface and accentuate the image’s intimate and devotional character. An example related to this same tradition, dated around 1450 and considered to be from a period after Desiderio da Settignano, is held at the Art Institute of Chicago (inv. 1985.11). It is a polychrome stucco relief that reproduces the same model as the Madonna of Turin, and its decoration has been linked to the circle of the Florentine painter Neri di Bicci.
Desiderio da Settignano was one of the most prominent sculptors in 15th-century Florence. He trained within the Florentine artistic milieu, under the influence of Donatello and in contact with the sculptural tradition of Bernardo and Antonio Rossellino. Although a direct master-disciple relationship with Donatello has not been definitively documented, his influence is fundamental to understanding the evolution of Settignano’s style. He worked primarily in Florence, where he gained recognition for his religious reliefs and marble portraits. His career, cut short by his early death in 1464, exerted a significant influence on Florentine sculpture in the second half of the 15th century.