Donatello (1386-1466)
Madonna col Bambino (Madonna and Child)
c.1445
Gilded bronze, marble, 87 x 51 x 12 cm; bronze tondo: 27 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
The Madonna in Donatello’s bronze relief sits modestly on the ground, thus inviting the viewer to humble devotion. The tondo, a so-called rilievo schiacciato (literally “squashed” or very low relief), is transformed into an exquisite house altar through the expertly carved marble frame; it probably once belonged to Cosimo de’ Medici. (KHM)
See also:
• Cosimo de’ Medici (1389-1464)