Virgin and Child with angels

Virgin and Child with angels About 1899 Plaster cast Width 69 cm x height 84.5 cm 1899-2

Purchased from Giovanni Lelli in 1899 for £1 16s 1d

Original:

Virgin and Child with angels
Workshop of Agostino di Duccio (1418-d. before 1498)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

The original relief has suffered severe damage, and has large cracks running through it.

Agriculture

Agriculture About 1899 Plaster cast Width 55 cm x height 122 cm 1899-3

Purchased from Giovanni Lelli in 1899 for £1 16s 1d

Original:

Agriculture
Workshop of Agostino di Duccio (1418-d. before 1498)
1475-98
Marble
In the church of S. Francesco, known as the Tempio Malatestiano, at Rimini, Italy

This is one of a series of 18 panels depicting the Arts and Sciences in the chapel of S. Gaudenzio.

The church of S. Francesco was remodelled for Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in the 1450s to the design of Leon Battista Alberti (1404-72). While Matteo de' Pasti (about 1420-d. after 1467) is recorded as the architect of the interior by an inscription on the right hand side of the nave, Agostino di Duccio directed the sculptural decoration, and is recorded in a complementary inscription on the left of the nave: OPVS AVGVSTINI FLORENTINI LAPICIDAE. Agostino's presence in Rimini is documented from 1449 until 1457.

Music

Music About 1899 Plaster cast Width 50.5 cm x height 111.5 cm 1899-4

Purchased from Giovanni Lelli in 1899 for £1 16s 1d

Original:

Music
Workshop of Agostino di Duccio (1418-d. before 1498)
1475-98
Marble
In the church of S. Francesco, known as the Tempio Malatestiano, at Rimini, Italy

The original marble panel is in the church of S. Francesco, known as the Tempio Malatestiano, Rimini and is one of a series of 18 panels depicting the Arts and Sciences in the chapel of S. Gaudenzio. The church of S. Francesco was remodelled for Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in the 1450s to the design of Leon Battista Alberti (1404-72). While Matteo de' Pasti (about 1420-d. after 1467) is recorded as the architect of the interior by an inscription on the right hand side of the nave, Agostino di Duccio directed the sculptural decoration, and is recorded in a complementary inscription on the left of the nave: OPVS AVGVSTINI FLORENTINI LAPICIDAE. Agostino's presence in Rimini is documented from 1449 until 1457.

St Martha is immersed in a well

St Martha is immersed in a well About 1884 Plaster cast Width 64 cm x height 66.5 cm 1884-645

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1884 for £8 12s 6d (240 lire) together with museum nos. 1884- 646 to 651

Original:

St Martha is immersed in a well
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (about 1447-1522)
Completed 1482
Marble
On two pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, Lombardy, Italy

This is one of six reliefs (museum nos. 1884-645 to 650) together with a scene depicting The Bodies of the Martyrs are Burned (museum no. 1884-651) that are from a series of eight scenes depicting the martyrdom of Saints Marius and Martha and of their sons Audifax and Abrachum: Christians from Persia who were executed in Rome under Claudius II in the third century A.D. The scenes originally adorned a shrine containing relics of these martyrs in the church of San Lorenzo in Cremona. The shrine was commissioned by the Abbot, Antonio de' Meli before his death in 1479, and was completed by 1482. With the suppression of San Lorenzo in the early 19th century, the shrine was sold off, and, between 1805 and 1820, the eight reliefs of martyrdom were incorporated into pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, where they remain today. Two roundels from the shrine of the Persian Martyrs also survive:1.The Nativity, bearing the inscription 'CORP.S.M.MARII ET MARTHAE' in the Museo Archeologico, in Milan.2.The Annunciation, bearing the inscription 'ANTO. DE MEL JS. I.V.DOCT.ABB.F' in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

The Flagellation of the Persian martyrs

The Flagellation of the Persian martyrs About 1884 Plaster cast Width 64 cm x height 66.5 cm 1884-646

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1884 for £8 12s 6d (240 lire) together with museum nos. 1884-645 and 647 to 651

Original:

The Flagellation of the Persian Martyrs
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (about 1447-1522)
Completed 1482
Marble
On two pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, Lombardy, Italy

This is one of six reliefs (museum nos. 1884-645 to 650) together with a scene depicting The Bodies of the Martyrs are Burned (museum no. 1884-651) that are from a series of eight scenes depicting the martyrdom of Saints Marius and Martha and of their sons Audifax and Abrachum: Christians from Persia who were executed in Rome under Claudius II in the third century A.D. The scenes originally adorned a shrine containing relics of these martyrs in the church of San Lorenzo in Cremona. The shrine was commissioned by the Abbot, Antonio de' Meli before his death in 1479, and was completed by 1482. With the suppression of San Lorenzo in the early 19th century, the shrine was sold off, and, between 1805 and 1820, the eight reliefs of martyrdom were incorporated into pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, where they remain today. Two roundels from the shrine of the Persian Martyrs also survive:1.The Nativity, bearing the inscription 'CORP.S.M.MARII ET MARTHAE' in the Museo Archeologico, in Milan.2.The Annunciation, bearing the inscription 'ANTO. DE MEL JS. I.V.DOCT.ABB.F' in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

The Persian Martyrs are tied to a tree and burnt

The Persian Martyrs are tied to a tree and burnt About 1884 Plaster cast Width 64 cm x height 66.5 cm 1884-647

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1884 for £8 12s 6d (240 lire) together with museum nos. 1884-645 to 646 and 648 to 651

Original:

The Persian Martyrs are tied to a tree and burnt
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (about 1447-1522)
Completed 1482
Marble
On two pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, Lombardy, Italy

This is one of six reliefs (museum nos. 1884-645 to 650) together with a scene depicting The Bodies of the Martyrs are Burned (museum no. 1884-651) that are from a series of eight scenes depicting the martyrdom of Saints Marius and Martha and of their sons Audifax and Abrachum: Christians from Persia who were executed in Rome under Claudius II in the third century A.D. The scenes originally adorned a shrine containing relics of these martyrs in the church of San Lorenzo in Cremona. The shrine was commissioned by the Abbot, Antonio de' Meli before his death in 1479, and was completed by 1482. With the suppression of San Lorenzo in the early 19th century, the shrine was sold off, and, between 1805 and 1820, the eight reliefs of martyrdom were incorporated into pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, where they remain today. Two roundels from the shrine of the Persian Martyrs also survive:1. The Nativity, bearing the inscription 'CORP.S.M.MARII ET MARTHAE' in the Museo Archeologico, in Milan.2.The Annunciation, bearing the inscription 'ANTO. DE MEL JS. I.V.DOCT.ABB.F' in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Marius, Martha, Audifax and Abachum are brought before Emperor Claudius II

Marius, Martha, Audifax and Abachum are brought before Emperor Claudius II About 1884 Plaster cast Width 64 cm x height 66.5 cm 1884-648

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1884 for £8 12s 6d (240 lire) together with museum nos. 1884-645 to 647 and 649 to 651

Original:

Marius, Martha, Audifax and Abachum are brought before Emperor Claudius II
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (about 1447-1522)
Completed 1482
Marble
On two pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, Lombardy, Italy

This is one of six reliefs (museum nos. 1884-645 to 650) together with a scene depicting The Bodies of the Martyrs are Burned (museum no. 1884-651) that are from a series of eight scenes depicting the martyrdom of Saints Marius and Martha and of their sons Audifax and Abrachum: Christians from Persia who were executed in Rome under Claudius II in the third century A.D. The scenes originally adorned a shrine containing relics of these martyrs in the church of San Lorenzo in Cremona. The shrine was commissioned by the Abbot, Antonio de' Meli before his death in 1479, and was completed by 1482. With the suppression of San Lorenzo in the early 19th century, the shrine was sold off, and, between 1805 and 1820, the eight reliefs of martyrdom were incorporated into pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, where they remain today. Two roundels from the shrine of the Persian Martyrs also survive:1. The Nativity, bearing the inscription 'CORP.S.M.MARII ET MARTHAE' in the Museo Archeologico, in Milan.2.The Annunciation, bearing the inscription 'ANTO. DE MEL JS. I.V.DOCT.ABB.F' in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

A Martyrdom

A Martyrdom About 1884 Plaster cast Width 64 cm x height 66.5 cm 1884-649

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1884 for £8 12s 6d (240 lire) together with museum nos. 1884-645 to 648 and 650 to 651

Original:

A Martyrdom
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (about 1447-1522)
Completed 1482
Marble
On two pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, Lombardy, Italy

This is one of six reliefs (museum nos. 1884-645 to 650) together with a scene depicting The Bodies of the Martyrs are Burned (museum no. 1884-651) that are from a series of eight scenes depicting the martyrdom of Saints Marius and Martha and of their sons Audifax and Abrachum: Christians from Persia who were executed in Rome under Claudius II in the third century A.D. The scenes originally adorned a shrine containing relics of these martyrs in the church of San Lorenzo in Cremona. The shrine was commissioned by the Abbot, Antonio de' Meli before his death in 1479, and was completed by 1482. With the suppression of San Lorenzo in the early 19th century, the shrine was sold off, and, between 1805 and 1820, the eight reliefs of martyrdom were incorporated into pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, where they remain today. Two roundels from the shrine of the Persian Martyrs also survive:1.The Nativity, bearing the inscription 'CORP.S.M.MARII ET MARTHAE' in the Museo Archeologico, in Milan.2.The Annunciation, bearing the inscription 'ANTO. DE MEL JS. I.V.DOCT.ABB.F' in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

The Four are condemned to death

The Four are condemned to death About 1884 Plaster cast Width 64 cm x height 66.5 cm 1884-650

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1884 for £8 12s 6d (240 lire) together with museum nos. 1884-645 to 649 and 651

Original:

The four are condemned to death
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (about 1447-1522)
Completed 1482
Marble
On two pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, Lombardy, Italy

This is one of six reliefs (museum nos. 1884-645 to 650) together with a scene depicting The Bodies of the Martyrs are Burned (museum no. 1884-651) that are from a series of eight scenes depicting the martyrdom of Saints Marius and Martha and of their sons Audifax and Abrachum: Christians from Persia who were executed in Rome under Claudius II in the third century A.D. The scenes originally adorned a shrine containing relics of these martyrs in the church of San Lorenzo in Cremona. The shrine was commissioned by the Abbot, Antonio de' Meli before his death in 1479, and was completed by 1482. With the suppression of San Lorenzo in the early 19th century, the shrine was sold off, and, between 1805 and 1820, the eight reliefs of martyrdom were incorporated into pulpits in Cremona Cathedral, where they remain today. Two roundels from the shrine of the Persian Martyrs also survive:1.The Nativity, bearing the inscription 'CORP.S.M.MARII ET MARTHAE' in the Museo Archeologico, in Milan.2.The Annunciation, bearing the inscription 'ANTO. DE MEL JS. I.V.DOCT.ABB.F' in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Window

Window About 1867 Plaster cast Width 47.3 cm x height 767.5 cm 1867-39

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1867 for £160

Original:

Window
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (about 1447-1522) and associates
Third quarter of the 15th century
Marble
On the facade of the church of the Certosa, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy

In 1473, the brothers Cristoforo (d. 1480) and Antonio (d. 1495) Mantegazza contracted to construct the facade of the Certosa of Pavia. However, in 1474, a half share in this facade was allotted to Amadeo, who seems to have assumed direction of the work from this time on.

The Adoration of the Magi

The Adoration of the Magi About 1866 Plaster cast Width 221 cm x height 274.5 cm 1866-46

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1866 for £20

Original:

The Adoration of the Magi
Workshop of Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (about 1447-1522)
1490s
Marble
On an altarpiece in the Capitolo dei Padri in the church of the Certosa, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy

In the border surrounding the main field are five half-length prophets. In the predella, the Dead Christ is mourned by the Virgin and St John the Evangelist, with six saints and four angels.

Portrait of a young woman

Portrait of a young woman About 1889 Plaster cast Width 43.5 cm x height 48.5 cm 1889-91

Purchased from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1889 for 15 marks

Original:

Portrait of a young woman
Ascribed to Andrea dell' Aquila (late 16th/early 17th century)
Second half of the 15th century
Limestone
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Formerly thought to represent a Princess of Urbino, and ascribed to Desiderio da Settignano, (b. about 1429; d. 1464), the bust is now ascribed to Andrea dell' Aquila, who carved the marble relief depicting a Sybil, also in the Staatliche Museum, Berlin.

The Virgin and Child with two angels

The Virgin and Child with two angels About 1893 Plaster cast Width 60.5 cm x height 50.5 cm 1893-4

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen, Gipsformerei, Berlin in 1893

Original:

The Virgin and Child with two angels
Bartolomeo Bellano (1437/8-1496/7)
About 1461 or 19th century
Terracotta with gilding
Bode Museum, Berlin, Germany

The original relief in Berlin was cast from a lunette-shaped relief in the Quincy A. Shaw Collection in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston signed OPVS BARTOLOMEVS BELANI and dated 1461. In order to adjust it to a rectangular format, the cast in Berlin was made up at the sides and cut down at the top. It was purchased in Florence in 1889 and given to the Museum in Berlin by Karl von der Heydt. The existence of two other casts in terracotta is known, and it is uncertain whether these, together with the cast in Berlin, date from the 15th or the 19th century.

St John the Baptist

St John the Baptist About 1899 Plaster cast Height 144 cm 1899-51

Acquired in exchange from the Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1899

Original:

St John the Baptist
Benedetto da Maiano (1441-97)
1471-81
Marble
Sala de' Gigli in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy

This figure holds a tall bronze cross in its right hand and surmounts a marble doorway in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The doorway was the culmination of a scheme undertaken by Benedetto da Maiano in 1472 to divide the Sala Grande on the second floor into an anteroom (the Saletta known since the 1480s as the Sala de' Gigli) and an audience chamber (Sala dell' Udienza). Benedetto designed the doorway in collaboration with his brother, Giuliano (1432-90) but was solely responsible for the figurative parts of the door surround, which comprise: St John the Baptist, flanked by four putti supporting flaming candelabra, above the entablature in the Saletta, with a corresponding figure of Justice above the entablature in the Sala dell'Udienza. The intarsia of the doors was executed by Giuliano da Maiano and Francesco di Giovanni (Il Francione) (1428-95) and represent Petrach and Dante in the Saletta, with vases of flowers on the other side.

Pietro Mellini

Pietro Mellini About 1885 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 53.5 cm 1885-137

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1885 for 16s 8d (200 lire)

Original:

Pietro Mellini
Benedetto da Maiano (1441-97)
1474
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

The bust is signed: BENEDICTVS MAIANVS FECIT and inscribed with the sitter's name and the date PETRI MELLINI.FRANCISCI FILII.IMAGO HEC.AN.1474. Pietro Mellini was a wealthy Florentine merchant who also commissioned from Benedetto the pulpit in S. Croce of which a cast is shown behind this bust (museum no. 1884-639) and a tabernacle in Assisi carved by the Maiano workshop. This detailed portrait appears to have been based on a life mask and the final version in marble would have been preceded by a terracotta sketch model similar to the terracotta study in Berlin for Benedetto's marble portrait of Filippo Strozzi in the Louvre. A cast of the Berlin terracotta sketch is also in the collection at the V&A, museum no. 1864-15.

Pulpit

Pulpit About 1884 Plaster cast Depth 122 cm x height 269.5 cm 1884-639

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1884 for £83 6s 8d

Original:

Pulpit
Benedetto da Maiano (1441-97)
About 1474
Marble with gilding
In the church of S. Croce, Florence, Italy

On the base: Faith, Hope, Charity, Temperance and Justice. Above: 1. Pope Honorius confirming the Rule of the Franciscan Order; 2. St Francis undergoing an Ordeal by Fire before the Sultan; 3. St Francis receiving the stigmata; 4. The Death of St Francis; 5. The Martyrdom of the Franciscans at Cueta.

This pulpit was commissioned by Pietro Mellini, for whom Benedetto da Maiano also executed a marble portrait bust dated 1474, now in the Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, and shown at the V&A in a cast (museum no. 1885-137). The inventory of the contents of Benedetta da Maiano's studio, taken after his death, lists six terracotta models for the S. Croce pulpit. Three of these, representing scenes no. 1, 4 and 5 above, are in the Victoria and Albert Museum. A scene representing the Vision of Pope Innocent III was formerly in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin. This scene was omitted from the final design of the pulpit.

Filippo di Matteo Stozzi

Filippo di Matteo Stozzi About 1864 Plaster cast Width 57.3 cm x height 53.5 cm 1864-15

Purchased from Signor Stiattesi in 1864 for £1 4s (30 francs)

Original:

Filippo di Matteo Strozzi
Benedetto da Maiano (1441-97)
Before 1491
Terracotta with residual pigment
In the Staatliche Museen, Berlin, Germany

Filippo Strozzi (1428-91), called Il Vecchio, was a wealthy Florentine banker for whom Benedetto da Maiano executed several commissions, including his funerary monument in Maria Novella (see V&A cast 1866-5, Virgin and Child with a border of Cherubin, for this monument). The terracotta bust in Berlin, is thought to be the model for the signed but undated marble bust of Filippo Strozzi in the Louvre. The cast of the terracotta portrait was purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1864, when the portrait was still in the Strozzi Palace in Florence. It was subsequently purchased by the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum (Königliches Museum) of Berlin.

Virgin and Child with a border of cherubim

Virgin and Child with a border of cherubim About 1866 Plaster cast Diameter 70 cm 1866-5

Given by Messrs Franchi and Sons in 1866

Original:

Virgin and Child with a border of cherubim
Benedetto da Maiano (1441-97)
1491-5
Marble
Church of S. Maria Novella, Florence, Italy

The roundel forms part of the funerary monument of the wealthy Florentine banker, Filippo Strozzi, for whom Benedetto da Maiano executed several other works, including a portrait bust, now in the Musée du Louvre. The tomb was unfinished at Strozzi's death in 1491 and payments to Benedetta for work on the tomb are recorded from 1491-5. Two other versions of this composition were published by Poggi (Bolletino d'Arte, 1908): a marble Madonna at Scarperia, attributed to Benedetto, and a Madonna of glazed terracotta from the school of the della Robbia in the Museo Nazionale (Bargello), in Florence.

Virgin and Child surrounded by cherubim with a border of fruit and flowers

Virgin and Child surrounded by cherubim with a border of fruit and flowers About 1890 Plaster cast Diameter 90 cm 1890-12

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for £3 4s (80 lire)

Original:

Virgin and Child surrounded by cherubim with a border of fruit and flowers
Benedetto da Maiano (1441-97)
1493-5
Marble
Church of S. Agostino, San Gimignano, Florence, Italy

This roundel is placed above the altar over the tomb of S. Bartolo in the church of S. Agostino. A payment to Benedetto for work on this altar is recorded in 1494.

Candelabrum

Candelabrum About 1865 Plaster cast Diameter 48.5 cm x height 274.5 cm 1865-47

Purchased from M. van den Broeck, Brussels in 1865 for £14 12 5d

Original:

Candelabrum
Benedetto da Rovezzano (1474-d. about 1554)
1530-6
Bronze
Church of St Bavon, Ghent, Belgium

One of four candelabra in the church of St Bavon thought to have come from the unfinished tomb of Henry VIII (reigned 1509-47) at Windsor. They are known to have been in the collection of Charles I, and to have been presented to St Bavon by Bishop Anthony Triest who occupied the see from 1622-57. It is therefore likely that they were sold off from the Royal Collection under the Commonwealth in 1649-50.

The Crucifixion

The Crucifixion About 1890 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 61.5 cm 1890-39

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 16s (20 lire)

Original:

The Crucifixion with attendant saints
Bertoldo di Giovanni (b. 1430-?40-1491)
Second half of the 15th century
Bronze
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Bertoldo di Giovanni was a pupil of Donatello (1386-1466) who towards the end of his life ran Lorenzo de' Medici's academy for sculptors where he taught the young Michelangelo (1475-1564). The Crucifixion comes from the Medici collection and is one of three works by Bertoldo listed in the inventory of Lorenzo de' Medici's possessions taken in 1492, the other two being the bronze Battle Relief, also in the Museo Nazionale, and a Centaur, which is now lost. The entry reads 'Una storietta di bronzo di br 1 per ogni verso, entori uno Christo crucifixo in mezzo di dua 1 ladroni con otto fighure a pie...' (A small scene of bronze, measuring 1 braccia on all sides, with a figure of Christ on the cross between two thieves and eight standing figures...).

Porta di San Ranieri

Porta di San Ranieri About 1865 Electrotype Width 290 cm x height 167.5 cm 1865-58

Purchased from Messrs Giovanni Franchi and Sons in 1865 for £550

Original:

Porta di San Ranieri
Bonanus of Pisa (active 1179-86)
About 1180
Bronze
Now in the south transept of Pisa Cathedral, Pisa, Italy

This doorway, known as the 'Porta di San Ranieri' is decorated with the following scenes, starting at the bottom the scenes read from left to right; a row of Prophets, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity and the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the Journey of the Magi, the Presentation, the Flight into Egypt, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Baptism, the Temptation, the Transfiguration, the Raising of Lazarus, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Washing of the Feet of the Disciples, the Last Supper, the Betrayal, the Crucifixion, the Descent into Hell, the Maries at the Sepulchre, the Ascension, the Death of the Virgin, Christ enthroned between Angels, and the Virgin enthroned between Angels.

Christian II of Denmark

Christian II of Denmark About 1854-5 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 122 cm 1885-1

Purchased from H. Sauermann in 1885 for £4

Original:

Christian II of Denmark
Hans Brüggemann (about 1480- d. after 1523)
About 1514-21
Oak
Schleswig Cathedral, Schleswig, Germany

Taken from part of an altar-piece carved in oak by for the Abbey of Bordesholm, now in Schleswig Cathedral, Schleswig, Germany.

Christ bearing His cross

Christ bearing His cross About 1854-5 Plaster cast Width 162.5 cm x height 91.5 cm 1885-3

Purchased from H. Sauermann in 1885 for £25

Original:

Christ bearing His cross
Hans Brüggemann (about 1480-d. after 1523)
About 1514-21
Oak
Schleswig Cathedral, Schleswig, Germany

Taken from part of an altar-piece carved in oak by for the Abbey of Bordesholm, now in Schleswig Cathedral, Schleswig, Germany.

Sacrifice of Isaac

Sacrifice of Isaac About 1871 Electrotype Width 38.5 cm x height 41 cm 1871-29

Purchased from Giovanni Franchi in 1871 for £10

Original:

The Sacrifice of Isaac
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446)
1401-2
Gilt bronze
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

In 1401, the Arte di Calimala (the guild of the merchants dealing in foreign cloth and export) decided to commission a second bronze door for the Baptistry of Florence, to accompany the door completed by Andrew Pisano sixty-four years earlier. A competition was held for which seven competitors submitted trial reliefs of the Sacrifice of Isaac. The copy here is of Brunelleschi's competition entry, which was rejected in favour of that of Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455).

Feeding the hungry

Feeding the hungry About 1890 Plaster cast Width 488 cm x height 140 cm 1890-88

Purchased from the École Nationale et Speciale des Beaux Arts in 1890 for 1890-88 to 90 for £162 7s 7d (1575 francs)

Original:

Feeding the hungry
Ascribed to Santi Buglioni (di Michele Viviano) (1494-1576) and Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini
16th century
Marble
On the loggia of the Ospedale del Ceppo, Pistoia, Italy

These casts (museum nos. 1890-88 to 90) represent three scenes from a frieze illustrating seven deeds of Mercy:- Feeding the hungry, after original of glazed terracotta; Visiting the sick, after original of glazed terracotta; Giving drink to the thirsty, after original of painted stucco. When the casts were purchased, the original frieze was thought to be the work of Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529/30). In 1902, Marquand attributed the main part of the frieze to the Florentine Santi Buglioni on stylistic grounds, citing payments to this sculptor between 1526 and 1528 'probably' for the frieze. He identified the beardless central figure in the first two scenes as Leonardo di Giovanni Buonafede (d. 1545), who commissioned the loggia on which the frieze sits in 1512, and became governor of the hospital in 1522. The frieze is dated 1585, some nine years after Santi Buglioni's death. Between 1584 and 1586, payments are recorded to a local painter, Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini, for finishing the frieze 'in the time of Bartolommeo Montechiari'. The scene Giving Drink to the Thirsty, which differs technically and stylistically from the rest of the frieze, may be the work of Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini, and the bearded central protagonist may represent the governor Bartolommeo Montechiari.

Visiting the sick

Visiting the sick About 1890 Plaster cast Width 5.34 cm x height 140 cm 1890-89

Purchased from the École Nationale et Speciale des Beaux Arts in 1890 for 1890-88 to 90 for £162 7s 7d (1575 francs)

Original:

Visiting the sick
Ascribed to Santi Buglioni (di Michele Viviano) (1494-1576) and Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini
16th century
Marble
On the loggia of the Ospedale del Ceppo, Pistoia, Italy

These casts (museum nos. 1890-88 to 90) represent three scenes from a frieze illustrating seven deeds of Mercy:- Feeding the hungry, after original of glazed terracotta; Visiting the sick, after original of glazed terracotta; Giving drink to the thirsty, after original of painted stucco. When the casts were purchased, the original frieze was thought to be the work of Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529/30). In 1902, Marquand attributed the main part of the frieze to the Florentine Santi Buglioni on stylistic grounds, citing payments to this sculptor between 1526 and 1528 'probably' for the frieze. He identified the beardless central figure in the first two scenes as Leonardo di Giovanni Buonafede (d. 1545), who commissioned the loggia on which the frieze sits in 1512, and became governor of the hospital in 1522. The frieze is dated 1585, some nine years after Santi Buglioni's death. Between 1584 and 1586, payments are recorded to a local painter, Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini, for finishing the frieze 'in the time of Bartolommeo Montechiari'. The scene Giving Drink to the Thirsty, which differs technically and stylistically from the rest of the frieze, may be the work of Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini, and the bearded central protagonist may represent the governor Bartolommeo Montechiari.

Giving drink to the thirsty

Giving drink to the thirsty About 1890 Plaster cast Width 579 cm x height 140 cm 1890-90

Purchased from the École Nationale et Speciale des Beaux Arts in 1890 for 1890-88 to 90 for £162 7s 7d (1575 francs)

Original:

Giving drink to the thirsty
Ascribed to Santi Buglioni (di Michele Viviano) (1494-1576) and Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini
16th century
Marble
On the loggia of the Ospedale del Ceppo, Pistoia, Italy

One of three portions of the Ospedale Del Ceppo, Pistoia. These casts (museum nos. 1890-88 to 90) represent three scenes from a frieze illustrating seven deeds of Mercy:- Feeding the hungry, after original of glazed terracotta; Visiting the sick, after original of glazed terracotta; Giving drink to the thirsty, after original of painted stucco. When the casts were purchased, the original frieze was thought to be the work of Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529/30). In 1902, Marquand attributed the main part of the frieze to the Florentine Santi Buglioni on stylistic grounds, citing payments to this sculptor between 1526 and 1528 'probably' for the frieze. He identified the beardless central figure in the first two scenes as Leonardo di Giovanni Buonafede (d. 1545), who commissioned the loggia on which the frieze sits in 1512, and became governor of the hospital in 1522. The frieze is dated 1585, some nine years after Santi Buglioni's death. Between 1584 and 1586, payments are recorded to a local painter, Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini, for finishing the frieze 'in the time of Bartolommeo Montechiari'. The scene Giving Drink to the Thirsty, which differs technically and stylistically from the rest of the frieze, may be the work of Filippo di Lorenzo Paladini, and the bearded central protagonist may represent the governor Bartolommeo Montechiari.

Effigy of Gaston de Foix, Duke of Nemours

Effigy of Gaston de Foix, Duke of Nemours About 1884 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 175.5 cm 1884-666

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1884 for £12 (300 lire)

Original:

Effigy of Gaston de Foix, Duke of Nemours
Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia (about 1483-1548)
1515-21/2
Marble
Castello Sforzesco, Milan, originally from the tomb of Gastonde Foix in the church of S. Marta, Milan, Italy

Gaston de Foix (1489-1512) was a nephew of King Louis XII of France, and the grandson of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. He died in the battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512. At the time of his death, he was governor general of the French forces in Italy, and Viceroy of Milan. His tomb was completed after the entry of King Francois I of France into Milan, on 14 September 1515, but work on the monument was abandoned in 1521/2, when Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X took Milan. In his will of September 1528, Bambaia left the remaining marble intended for the tomb to the church of S. Marta in Milan, but the project was never to be completed. In the mid-sixteenth century, Vasari saw the unfinished tomb in S. Marta. He described how there were ten reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of Gaston de Foix lying on the floor, not yet built into the monument. While there were many large finished figures, there were also some only half finished, or roughed out. There were also many carvings of foliate decoration and trophies and weapons. At this stage, some of the figures had already been stolen, sold, or placed elsewhere. Since Vasari gave this description, the tomb has suffered further losses.

The surviving elements comprise:

1.The effigy, transferred to the Museo Archeologico in Milan in 1806, now in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (V&A cast 1884-666)

2. Seven reliefs, with scenes from the life of Gaston de Foix in the Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, known to have arrived there prior to 1672 (V&A casts 1884-652 to 658)

3. Six fragmentary statues of Virtues, and other fragments of the monument also at Catellazzo. These entered the Villa between 1673 and 1712 (not represented at the V&A in casts)

4. Four decorative panels, showing weapons and trophies, in the Museo Civico in Turin (not represented at the V&A in casts)

There are three marble reliefs (museum nos. 7527-1860, 400-1854 and 7260-1857) depicting mythological scenes, in the style of Bambaia, and three figures of Virtues, attributed to Bambaia (museum nos. 4912-1858, 7100-1860 and 332-1903) in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both the reliefs of the figures have been connected with the tomb of Gaston de Foix.

The Battle of Brescia

The Battle of Brescia About 1884 Plaster cast Height 96.5 cm 1884-652

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1884 for £4

Original:

The Battle of Brescia
Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia (about 1483-1548)
1515-21/2
Marble
Villa Crivelli at Castellazo, near Milan, Italy

One of seven reliefs (museum nos 1884-652 to 658) from the tomb of Gaston de Foix showing scenes from his life. This scene depicts the Battle of Brescia. The Brescians revolted against the French, with the aid of Venetian forces, commanded by Giovanni Paolo Baglione, but were defeated by the French army led by Gaston de Foix, whose troops mercilessly sacked Brescia. Gaston de Foix (149-1512) was a nephew of king Louis XII of France, and the grandson of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. He died in the battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512. At the time of his death, he was governor general of the French forces in Italy, and Viceroy of Milan. His tomb was completed after the entry of King Francois I of France into Milan, on 14 September 1515, but work on the monument was abandoned in 1521/2, when Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X took Milan. In his will of September 1528, Bambaia left the remaining marble intended for the tomb to the church of S. Marta in Milan, but the project was never to be completed. In the mid-sixteenth century, Vasari saw the unfinished tomb in S. Marta. He described how there were ten reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of Gaston de Foix lying on the floor, not yet built into the monument. While there were many large finished figures, there were also some only half finished, or roughed out. There were also many carvings of foliate decoration and trophies and weapons. At this stage, some of the figures had already been stolen, sold, or placed elsewhere. Since Vasari gave this description, the tomb has suffered further losses.

The surviving elements comprise:

1. The effigy, transferred to the Museo Archeologico in Milan in 1806, now in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (V&A cast 1884-666)

2. Seven reliefs, with scenes from the life of Gaston de Foix in the Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, known to have arrived there prior to 1672 (V&A casts 1884-652 to 658)

3. Six fragmentary statues of Virtues, and other fragments of the monument also at Catellazzo. These entered the Villa between 1673 and 1712 (not represented at the V&A in casts)

4. Four decorative panels, showing weapons and trophies, in the Museo Civico in Turin (not represented at the V&A in casts)

There are three marble reliefs (museum nos. 7527-1860, 400-1854 and 7260-1857) depicting mythological scenes, in the style of Bambaia, and three figures of Virtues, attributed to Bambaia (museum nos. 4912-1858, 7100-1860 and 332-1903) in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both the reliefs of the figures have been connected with the tomb of Gaston de Foix.

The Battle of Ravenna

The Battle of Ravenna About 1884 Plaster cast Height 96.5 cm 1884-653

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1884 for £4

Original:

The Battle of Ravenna
Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia (about 1483-1548)
1515-21/2
Marble
Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, near Milan, Italy

One of seven reliefs (museum nos. 1884-652 to 658) from the tomb of Gaston de Foix showing scenes from his life. This scene depicts the Battle of Ravenna. The Spanish forces were defeated by the French at the Battle of Ravenna, on Easter Day, April 11, 1512, and Gaston de Foix was fatally wounded there. Gaston de Foix (1489-1512) was a nephew of king Louis XII of France, and the grandson of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. He died in the battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512. At the time of his death, he was governor general of the French forces in Italy, and Viceroy of Milan. His tomb was completed after the entry of King Francois I of France into Milan, on 14 September 1515, but work on the monument was abandoned in 1521/2, when Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X took Milan. In his will of September 1528, Bambaia left the remaining marble intended for the tomb to the church of S. Marta in Milan, but the project was never to be completed. In the mid-sixteenth century, Vasari saw the unfinished tomb in S. Marta. He described how there were ten reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of Gaston de Foix lying on the floor, not yet built into the monument. While there were many large finished figures, there were also some only half finished, or roughed out. There were also many carvings of foliate decoration and trophies and weapons. At this stage, some of the figures had already been stolen, sold, or placed elsewhere. Since Vasari gave this description, the tomb has suffered further losses.

The surviving elements comprise:

1. The effigy, transferred to the Museo Archeologico in Milan in 1806, now in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (V&A cast 1884-666)

2. Seven reliefs, with scenes from the life of Gaston de Foix in the Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, known to have arrived there prior to 1672 (V&A casts 1884-652 to 658)

3. Six fragmentary statues of Virtues, and other fragments of the monument also at Catellazzo. These entered the Villa between 1673 and 1712 (not represented at the V&A in casts)

4. Four decorative panels, showing weapons and trophies, in the Museo Civico in Turin (not represented at the V&A in casts)

There are three marble reliefs (museum nos. 7527-1860, 400-1854 and 7260-1857) depicting mythological scenes, in the style of Bambaia, and three figures of Virtues, attributed to Bambaia (museum nos. 4912-1858, 7100-1860 and 332-1903) in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both the reliefs of the figures have been connected with the tomb of Gaston de Foix.

The Funeral of Gaston de Foix

The Funeral of Gaston de Foix About 1884 Plaster cast Height 96.5 cm 1884-654

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1884 for £4

Original:

The Funeral of Gaston de Foix
Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia (about 1483-1548)
1515-21/2
Marble
Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, near Milan, Italy

One of seven reliefs (museum nos. 1884-652 to 658) from the tomb of Gaston de Foix showing scenes from his life. Gaston de Foix (1489-1512) was a nephew of king Louis XII of France, and the grandson of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. He died in the battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512. At the time of his death, he was governor general of the French forces in Italy, and Viceroy of Milan. His tomb was completed after the entry of King Francois I of France into Milan, on 14 September 1515, but work on the monument was abandoned in 1521/2, when Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X took Milan. In his will of September 1528, Bambaia left the remaining marble intended for the tomb to the church of S. Marta in Milan, but the project was never to be completed. In the mid-sixteenth century, Vasari saw the unfinished tomb in S. Marta. He described how there were ten reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of Gaston de Foix lying on the floor, not yet built into the monument. While there were many large finished figures, there were also some only half finished, or roughed out. There were also many carvings of foliate decoration and trophies and weapons. At this stage, some of the figures had already been stolen, sold, or placed elsewhere. Since Vasari gave this description, the tomb has suffered further losses.

The surviving elements comprise:

1. The effigy, transferred to the Museo Archeologico in Milan in 1806, now in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (V&A cast 1884-666)

2. Seven reliefs, with scenes from the life of Gaston de Foix in the Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, known to have arrived there prior to 1672 (V&A casts 1884-652 to 658)

3. Six fragmentary statues of Virtues, and other fragments of the monument also at Catellazzo. These entered the Villa between 1673 and 1712 (not represented at the V&A in casts)

4. Four decorative panels, showing weapons and trophies, in the Museo Civico in Turin (not represented at the V&A in casts)

There are three marble reliefs (museum nos. 7527-1860, 400-1854 and 7260-1857) depicting mythological scenes, in the style of Bambaia, and three figures of Virtues, attributed to Bambaia (museum nos. 4912-1858, 7100-1860 and 332-1903) in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both the reliefs of the figures have been connected with the tomb of Gaston de Foix.

Gaston de Foix on the field of battle

Gaston de Foix on the field of battle About 1884 Plaster cast Height 96.5 cm 1884-655

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1884 for £4

Original:

Gaston de Foix on the field of battle
Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia (about 1483-1548)
1515-21/2
Marble
Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, near Milan, Italy

One of seven reliefs (museum nos. 1884-652 to 658) from the tomb of Gaston de Foix showing scenes from his life. This scene depicts Gaston de Foix on he field of battle.Gaston de Foix (1489-1512) was a nephew of king Louis XII of France, and the grandson of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. He died in the battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512. At the time of his death, he was governor general of the French forces in Italy, and Viceroy of Milan. His tomb was completed after the entry of King Francois I of France into Milan, on 14 September 1515, but work on the monument was abandoned in 1521/2, when Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X took Milan. In his will of September 1528, Bambaia left the remaining marble intended for the tomb to the church of S. Marta in Milan, but the project was never to be completed. In the mid-sixteenth century, Vasari saw the unfinished tomb in S. Marta. He described how there were ten reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of Gaston de Foix lying on the floor, not yet built into the monument. While there were many large finished figures, there were also some only half finished, or roughed out. There were also many carvings of foliate decoration and trophies and weapons. At this stage, some of the figures had already been stolen, sold, or placed elsewhere. Since Vasari gave this description, the tomb has suffered further losses.

The surviving elements comprise:

1. The effigy, transferred to the Museo Archeologico in Milan in 1806, now in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (V&A cast 1884-666)

2. Seven reliefs, with scenes from the life of Gaston de Foix in the Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, known to have arrived there prior to 1672 (V&A casts 1884-652 to 658)

3. Six fragmentary statues of Virtues, and other fragments of the monument also at Catellazzo. These entered the Villa between 1673 and 1712 (not represented at the V&A in casts)

4. Four decorative panels, showing weapons and trophies, in the Museo Civico in Turin (not represented at the V&A in casts)

There are three marble reliefs (museum nos. 7527-1860, 400-1854 and 7260-1857) depicting mythological scenes, in the style of Bambaia, and three figures of Virtues, attributed to Bambaia (museum nos. 4912-1858, 7100-1860 and 332-1903) in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both the reliefs of the figures have been connected with the tomb of Gaston de Foix.

Gaston de Foix entering Milan through the Porta Romana

Gaston de Foix entering Milan through the Porta Romana About 1884 Plaster cast Height 96.5 cm 1884-656

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1884 for £4

Original:

Gaston de Foix entering Milan through the Porta Romana
Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia (about 1483-1548)
1515-21/2
Marble
Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, near Milan, Italy

One of seven reliefs (museum nos. 1884-652 to 658) from the tomb of Gaston de Foix showing scenes from his life. This scene depicts Gaston de Foix entering Milan through the Porta Romana. Gaston de Foix (1489-1512) was a nephew of king Louis XII of France, and the grandson of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. He died in the battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512. At the time of his death, he was governor general of the French forces in Italy, and Viceroy of Milan. His tomb was completed after the entry of King Francois I of France into Milan, on 14 September 1515, but work on the monument was abandoned in 1521/2, when Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X took Milan. In his will of September 1528, Bambaia left the remaining marble intended for the tomb to the church of S. Marta in Milan, but the project was never to be completed. In the mid-sixteenth century, Vasari saw the unfinished tomb in S. Marta. He described how there were ten reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of Gaston de Foix lying on the floor, not yet built into the monument. While there were many large finished figures, there were also some only half finished, or roughed out. There were also many carvings of foliate decoration and trophies and weapons. At this stage, some of the figures had already been stolen, sold, or placed elsewhere. Since Vasari gave this description, the tomb has suffered further losses.

The surviving elements comprise:

1. The effigy, transferred to the Museo Archeologico in Milan in 1806, now in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (V&A cast 1884-666)

2. Seven reliefs, with scenes from the life of Gaston de Foix in the Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, known to have arrived there prior to 1672 (V&A casts 1884-652 to 658)

3. Six fragmentary statues of Virtues, and other fragments of the monument also at Catellazzo. These entered the Villa between 1673 and 1712 (not represented at the V&A in casts)

4. Four decorative panels, showing weapons and trophies, in the Museo Civico in Turin (not represented at the V&A in casts)

There are three marble reliefs (museum nos. 7527-1860, 400-1854 and 7260-1857) depicting mythological scenes, in the style of Bambaia, and three figures of Virtues, attributed to Bambaia (museum nos. 4912-1858, 7100-1860 and 332-1903) in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both the reliefs of the figures have been connected with the tomb of Gaston de Foix.

A cavalry charge

A cavalry charge About 1884 Plaster cast Height 96.5 cm 1884-657

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti, Milan in 1884 for £4

Original:

A cavalry charge
Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia (about 1483-1548)
1515-21/2
Marble
Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, near Milan, Italy

One of seven reliefs (museum nos. 1884-652 to 658) from the tomb of Gaston de Foix showing scenes from his life. This scene depicts a cavalry charge. Gaston de Foix (1489-1512) was a nephew of king Louis XII of France, and the grandson of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. He died in the battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512. At the time of his death, he was governor general of the French forces in Italy, and Viceroy of Milan. His tomb was completed after the entry of King Francois I of France into Milan, on 14 September 1515, but work on the monument was abandoned in 1521/2, when Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X took Milan. In his will of September 1528, Bambaia left the remaining marble intended for the tomb to the church of S. Marta in Milan, but the project was never to be completed. In the mid-sixteenth century, Vasari saw the unfinished tomb in S. Marta. He described how there were ten reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of Gaston de Foix lying on the floor, not yet built into the monument. While there were many large finished figures, there were also some only half finished, or roughed out. There were also many carvings of foliate decoration and trophies and weapons. At this stage, some of the figures had already been stolen, sold, or placed elsewhere. Since Vasari gave this description, the tomb has suffered further losses.

The surviving elements comprise:

1. The effigy, transferred to the Museo Archeologico in Milan in 1806, now in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (V&A cast 1884-666)

2. Seven reliefs, with scenes from the life of Gaston de Foix in the Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, known to have arrived there prior to 1672 (V&A casts 1884-652 to 658)

3. Six fragmentary statues of Virtues, and other fragments of the monument also at Catellazzo. These entered the Villa between 1673 and 1712 (not represented at the V&A in casts)

4. Four decorative panels, showing weapons and trophies, in the Museo Civico in Turin (not represented at the V&A in casts)

There are three marble reliefs (museum nos. 7527-1860, 400-1854 and 7260-1857) depicting mythological scenes, in the style of Bambaia, and three figures of Virtues, attributed to Bambaia (museum nos. 4912-1858, 7100-1860 and 332-1903) in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both the reliefs of the figures have been connected with the tomb of Gaston de Foix.

The departure of Gaston de Foix from the Porta Romana

The departure of Gaston de Foix from the Porta Romana About 1884 Plaster cast Height 96.5 cm 1884-658

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1884 for £4

Original:

The departure of Gaston de Foix from the Porta Romana
Agostino Busti, known as Bambaia (about 1483-1548)
1515-21/2
Marble
Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, near Milan, Italy

One of seven reliefs from the tomb of Gaston de Foix showing scenes from his life. This scene depicts the departure of Gaston de Foix from the Porta Romana. Gaston de Foix (1489-1512) was a nephew of king Louis XII of France, and the grandson of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. He died in the battle of Ravenna on 11 April 1512. At the time of his death, he was governor general of the French forces in Italy, and Viceroy of Milan. His tomb was completed after the entry of King Francois I of France into Milan, on 14 September 1515, but work on the monument was abandoned in 1521/2, when Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X took Milan. In his will of September 1528, Bambaia left the remaining marble intended for the tomb to the church of S. Marta in Milan, but the project was never to be completed. In the mid-sixteenth century, Vasari saw the unfinished tomb in S. Marta. He described how there were ten reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of Gaston de Foix lying on the floor, not yet built into the monument. While there were many large finished figures, there were also some only half finished, or roughed out. There were also many carvings of foliate decoration and trophies and weapons. At this stage, some of the figures had already been stolen, sold, or placed elsewhere. Since Vasari gave this description, the tomb has suffered further losses.

The surviving elements comprise:

1. The effigy, transferred to the Museo Archeologico in Milan in 1806, now in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (V&A cast 1884-666)

2. Seven reliefs, with scenes from the life of Gaston de Foix in the Villa Crivelli at Castellazzo, known to have arrived there prior to 1672 (V&A casts 1884-652 to 658)

3. Six fragmentary statues of Virtues, and other fragments of the monument also at Catellazzo. These entered the Villa between 1673 and 1712 (not represented at the V&A in casts)

4. Four decorative panels, showing weapons and trophies, in the Museo Civico in Turin (not represented at the V&A in casts)

There are three marble reliefs (museum nos. 7527-1860, 400-1854 and 7260-1857) depicting mythological scenes, in the style of Bambaia, and three figures of Virtues, attributed to Bambaia (museum nos. 4912-1858, 7100-1860 and 332-1903) in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both the reliefs of the figures have been connected with the tomb of Gaston de Foix.

The Coronation of a German Emperor as King of Italy

The Coronation of a German Emperor as King of Italy About 1869 Plaster cast Width 98 cm x length 281 cm 1869-49

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1869 for £12

Original:

The Coronation of a German Emperor as King of Italy
Workshop of Matteo da Campione (Campionesi) (d. 1396)
1350-60
Marble
In the right transept of the Cathedral (Basilica di S. Giovanni), Monza, Italy

The relief was originally placed on the Evangelicantorium or pulpit executed by Matteo di Campione and referred to in an inscription on his gravestone in the cathedral. The scene may be an ideal rather than a historically accurate representation of a German emperor receiving the Lombard crown. Although the Emperor is not identified, the subject of the scene and the identity of the other protagonists are recorded in inscriptions on the relief. The scene shows, from the left, the Archpresbyter of Monza, attended by two deacons, crowning the emperor, while on the right are the Archbishop of Trier, a Landgrave, the Archbishop of Mainz and the Marquis of Brandenburg who is handing a scroll conferring privileges upon them to the citizens of Monza who are standing in a group to the right.

Monument of Jacopo Stefano Brivio

Monument of Jacopo Stefano Brivio 1895 Plaster cast Width 257 cm x height 544 cm 1895-8

Purchased from Carlo Campi in 1895 for £47 5s 3d (1250 lire)

Original:

Monument of Jacopo Stefano Brivio
Begun by Francesco Cazzaniga (active 1467-86) and completed by his brother Tommaso Cazzaniga (active 1481-1504) and Benedetto Briosco
About 1486-8
Marble
Church of S. Eustorgio, Milan, Lombardy, Italy

On 13 May 1486, the sons of the deceased man, Jacopo Stefano Brivio (d. 1484) commissioned Tommaso Cazzaniga and Benedetto Briosco to complete the tomb of their father, which had been begun by Francesco Cazzaniga. The monument was to be ready by September, 1488. Above the sarcophagus is a figure of the Virgin and Child, while below this figure is God the Father flanked by two angels. The sides of the sarcophagus are carved with scenes from the Infancy of Christ, from left to right: the Annunciation, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Presentation and Flight into Egypt. The bases of the pillars supporting the sarcophagus are decorated with medallions containing classical subjects.

The Nymph of Fontainebleau

The Nymph of Fontainebleau About 1864 Plaster cast Width 198.5 cm x length 410 cm 1864-104

Purchased from Monsieur Desachy in 1864 for £36

Original:

The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Benvenuto Cellini (1500-71)
Commissioned 1542
Bronze
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Part of a scheme for the principal entrance to the palace at Fontainbleau commissioned from Cellini by Francois I of France. Cellini intended the subject of the lunette to be both an allegory of Fontainebleau and to show the stag, a device of Francois I, as a reference to the King. Above the Nymph of Fontainebleau, there were to have been two torch bearing Victory figures crowned by a salamander, the emblem of the King. The gate was to have been supported by two great satyrs. Due to the death of the King, in 1547, this project was left unfinished. The satyrs, executed as models, were never cast, and the pose of one of them is recorded in a drawing in the Ian Woodner family collection in New York and in a related bronze in a private collection in Geneva. The Nymph of Fontainebleau was never installed, and was subsequently presented by Henri II of France to his Mistress, Diane de Poitiers who replaced it, together with the Victories, over the entrance to the Chateau d'Anet. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Nymph of Fontainebleau was replaced by a cast at Anet, and the original transferred to the Louvre. The Victory figures were lost by the end of the nineteenth century, and are now known only through casts in the Louvre.

Perseus with the head of Medusa

Perseus with the head of Medusa About 1882 Plaster cast Width 24.5 cm x height 71.5 cm at base 1882-238

Purchased from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1882 for £1 5s

Original:

Perseus with the head of Medusa
Benvenuto Cellini (1500-71)
About 1545
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

This is a model for the large statue of Perseus commissioned in 1545 by Grand Duke Cosimo I of Tuscany (1519-74). The finished statue was installed in the Loggi de' Lanzi in Florence in September, 1554.

The Assumption of the Virgin

The Assumption of the Virgin About 1890 Plaster cast Height 152.5 cm x length 160 cm 1890-80

Purchased from Messrs Jean Pouzadoux in 1890 for £12 (300 francs)

Original:

The Assumption of the Virgin
Executed under Pierre de Chelles (active about 1287; d. 1320)
Between 1296 and 1316
Stone
Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France

The original carving was on the north side of the exterior of the apse of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.

The Coronation of the Virgin

The Coronation of the Virgin About 1890 Plaster cast Height 155 cm x length 135 cm 1890-81

Purchased from Messrs Jean Pouzadoux in 1890 for £12 (300 francs)

Original:

The Coronation of the Virgin
Executed under Pierre de Chelles (active about 1287; d. 1320)
After 1296 and before 1316
Stone
Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France

The original carving was on the north side of the exterior of the apse of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.

The Death of the Virgin

The Death of the Virgin About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 86 cm x length 90 cm A.1916-3152

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

The Death of the Virgin
Executed under Pierre de Chelles (active about 1287; d. 1320)
Between 1296 and 1316
Stone
Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France

The original carving was on the north side of the exterior of the apse of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.

The Entombment of the Virgin

The Entombment of the Virgin About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 53.5 cm x height 61.5 cm A.1916-3153

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

The Entombment of the Virgin
Executed under Pierre de Chelles (active about 1287; d. 1320)
Between 1296 and 1316
Stone
Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France
.
Original sculpture was on the North side of the exterior of the apse of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.

Canopy

Canopy About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 201 cm x height 363.5 cm A.1916-3162

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Canopy
Pierre de Chelles (active about 1287-1320), Jean Ravy (active about 1300-50) and Jean de Bouteillet
Early 14th century
Stone
Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France

This canopy is in the ambulatory in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.

Christ appearing to the three Maries

Christ appearing to the three Maries About 1850-1900 Plaster cast A.1916-3162:A

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Christ appearing to the three Maries
Pierre de Chelles (active about 1287-1320), Jean Ravy (active about 1300-50) and Jean de Bouteillet
Early 14th century
Stone
Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France

This canopy is in the ambulatory in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.

Angel

Angel About 1899 Plaster cast Height 92.1 cm 1899-53

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1899

Original:

Angel
Matteo Civitali (1436-1501)
1473-6
Marble
On the altar of the Cappella del Sacramento, Lucca Cathedral, Lucca, Italy

The two angels formerly adorned the altar of the Chapel of the Sacrament, commissioned from Matteo Civitali by Domenico Bertini in 1473, which included a marble tabernacle, unfinished in 1476. Shortly after 1567, this altar was dismantled, when construction of a new Chapel of the Sacrament was undertaken in the right transept by Vincenzo Civitali. The angels and tabernacle were moved to the altar of the new chapel, where the angels remain today. After 1581, the tabernacle was replaced by a tabernacle by Vincenzo Civitali. Matteo Civitali's original tabernacle, signed OPVS MATTHAEI CIVITAL, is in now in the Victoria and Albert Museum (museum no. 7569-1861).

Angel

Angel About 1899 Plaster cast Height 100.5 1899-54

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1899

Original:

Angel
Matteo Civitali (1436-1501)
1473-6
Marble
On the altar of the Cappella del Sacramento, Lucca Cathedral, Lucca, Italy

The two angels formerly adorned the altar of the Chapel of the Sacrament, commissioned from Matteo Civitali by Domenico Bertini in 1473, which included a marble tabernacle, unfinished in 1476. Shortly after 1567, this altar was dismantled, when construction of a new Chapel of the Sacrament was undertaken in the right transept by Vincenzo Civitali. The angels and tabernacle were moved to the altar of the new chapel, where the angels remain today. After 1581, the tabernacle was replaced by a tabernacle by Vincenzo Civitali. Matteo Civitali's original tabernacle, signed OPVS MATTHAEI CIVITAL, is in now in the Victoria and Albert Museum (museum no. 7569-1861.

St Sebastian

St Sebastian About 1866 Plaster cast Width of base 57.2 cm 1866-22

Given by Messrs Franchi and Son in 1866

Original:

St Sebastian
Matteo Civitali (1436-1501)
1482-4
Marble
Cappella del Voto Santo, Lucca Cathedral, Italy

In 1482, Matteo Civitali was commissioned by Domenico Bertini to replace the existing Cappella del Volto Santo, a chapel which housed a venerated wooden Crucifix dating from the 12th century. The new structure was also to contain a portrait of the donor, together with his arms, and a figure of St Sebastian. Matteo Civitali made models of both the chapel and of St Sebastian. The latter was life-size and made of clay; in his will of 1492, the sculptor bequeathed this model to the church of Monte S. Quirico, and it is still there today. The contract stated that the St Sebastian was to be of the purest white marble, with a base of inferior marble, with a halo and arrows of gilded bronze on wood. Some of these arrows are still preserved on the figure in Lucca, together with a gilded loin cloth which was not mentioned in the contract and has not been reproduced in this cast. For his pains Matteo received 750 ducats, together with a house with a loggia, a garden and a well in Lucca.

Virgin and Child (Madonna delle Tosse)

Virgin and Child (Madonna delle Tosse) About 1864 Plaster cast Width 74.5 cm x height 87 cm 1864-129

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1864 for £3

Original:

Virgin and Child (Madonna delle Tosse)
Matteo Civitali (1436-1501)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble
Church of S. Trinità, Lucca, Italy

The original is in the Church of S. Trinità, Lucca, and was formerly in the church of S. Ponziano, Lucca.

Faith adoring the Holy Sacrament

Faith adoring the Holy Sacrament About 1899 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 105.8 cm 1899-58

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1899

Original:

Faith adoring the Holy Sacrament
Matteo Civitali (1436-1501)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

This panel was acquired in 1830 from Jacopo Mazzoni. Prior of S. Stefano at Paterno for the Uffizi Gallery, and was subsequently transferred to the Museo Nazionale.

Summer

Summer About 1890 Plaster cast Width 43.5 cm x height 112 cm 1890-206

Purchased from the Union Centrale des Arts decoratifs, Paris in 1890 for 50 francs

Original:

Summer
Claude Michel, called Clodion (1738-1814)
Late 18th century
Stone
Formerly in a house in the Rue de Bondy, Paris, France

Arch

Arch About 1871 Plaster cast Width 430 cm x height 1200 cm 1871-60

Purchased from Juan F. Riaño in 1871 for £147

Original:

Arch
Built by David ben Salomon ben Ali Darham
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone and stucco
In the central nave of the Synagogue known as S. Maria la Blanca at Toledo, Spain.

Monument to Carlo Marsuppini

Monument to Carlo Marsuppini 1890 Plaster cast Width 361 cm x height 778 cm at base 1891-129

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1891 for £210 (5333 lire). This was for three copies: one each for the Museums at South Kensington, Edinburgh and Dublin

Original:

Monument to Carlo Marsuppini
Desiderio da Settignano (about 1429-64)
About 1453-60
Marble with traces of pigment
Church of S. Croce, Florence, Italy

Carlo Marsuppini (d. 1453), the humanist scholar, succeeded Filelfo to teach at the Studio in Florence, and was chancellor of Florence from 1444-53. The placement of the laurel wreath on his head, the book clasped to his breast, and the hat by his left shoulder, probably echoes the way in which the body was laid out in the tomb.

Bust of a child

Bust of a child About 1895 Plaster cast Width 26 cm x height 27 cm x depth 15.5 cm 1895-103

Given by Gustave Dreyfus in 1895

Original:

Bust of a child
Desiderio da Settignano (about 1429-64)
1455-60
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., USA

This bust was purchased in Italy in 1848 by Eugene Piot and passed through the collections of Paul van Cuyck, Charles Timbal and Gustave Dreyfus, before entering the National Gallery of Art with the Andrew Mellon Collection. Traditionally ascribed to Donatello (1386-1466), the attribution to Desiderio, first suggested by Perkins in 1869, is now generally accepted. The bust is dated to 1455-60 because of stylistic analogies with the putti on Desiderio's Marsuppini tomb of c.1453-60 in S. Croce, Florence (of which a cast, museum no. 1891-129, is in the V&A's collections), and with the Blessing Christ Child of S. Lorenzo Tabernacle of 1461.

Virgin and Child (Panciatichi Madonna)

Virgin and Child (Panciatichi Madonna) 1890 Plaster cast Width 58.5 cm x height 79.5 cm 1890-21

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 16s (20 lire)

Original:

Virgin and Child (Panciatichi Madonna)
Desiderio da Settignano (about 1429-64)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Formerly thought to be by Donatello (1386-1466), the Panciatichi Madonna has been ascribed to Desiderio since 1887 (Tschudi, Bode). The relief derives its name from the fact that, prior to its arrival in the Bargello, the Panciatichi Madonna was housed in a baroque tabernacle on the corner of the Palazzo Panciatichi on the Via Cavour, in Florence. This cannot have been its original location, as the Palazzo Panciatichi was not built until the mid-17th century. Because it was displayed outside, the surface of the original is in bad condition, and there is also a break on the top left hand corner. There was a painted stucco version of this relief in Berlin, which was destroyed in 1945.

Youthful St John the Baptist

Youthful St John the Baptist About 1864 Plaster cast Width 24.5 cm x height 51 cm 1864-12

Purchased from Signor Stiattesi in 1864 for 4s (5 francs)

Original:

Youthful St John the Baptist
Ascribed to Desiderio da Settignano (about 1429-64)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Pietra serena figure with residual pigmentation and gilding
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Formerly in the Badia a Settimo near Florence, the relief was purchased by Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany for the Uffizi Gallery in 1784, and passed to the Bargello during the 19th century. At the time that this cast was purchased (1864), this relief was attributed to Donatello (1386-1466). In 1903 the Youthful St John was ascribed to Desiderio by Fabriczy. A version in painted stucco exists in the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris, and there is a derivative tondo of marble and alabaster in the Museo Horne in Florence.

Virgin and Child

Virgin and Child About 1890 Plaster cast Width 38 cm x height 64 cm 1890-37

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 8s 4d

Original:

Virgin and Child
Ascribed to Desiderio da Settignano (about 1429-64)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Marble
Galleria Sabauda, Turin, Italy

The original relief was acquired in Florence by the Galleria Sabauda in 1850. At least twelve other versions of this composition exist, made from painted and gilded stucco and dating from the fifteenth century. One of these stucco reliefs, deriving from the Madonna in Turin, is also in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum (museum no. 5767-1859).

St George

St George About 1864 Plaster cast Width 74.5 cm x height 213.5 cm 1864-36

Purchased from Monsieur Desachy in 1864 for £7 4s (180 francs)

Original:

St George
Donatello (1386-1466)
1415-17
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Executed for the niche of the Arte dei Corazzai, the Armourers' guild, on the church of Or San Michele, Florence. The original figure was transferred from Or San Michele to the Museo Nazionale in 1892 and replaced in the niche by a bronze copy.

Marzocco lion

Marzocco lion About 1896 Plaster cast 1896-2

Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1896 for £14 10s 10d

Original:

Marzocco lion
Donatello (1386-1466)
1418-20
Sandstone the shield inlaid with coloured stones
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Both the lion itself and the lily on the shield are symbols of Florence, the red lily on the white ground being the emblem of the Guelph party. The origin of the term 'Marzocco' is obscure, but it has been suggested that it derives from Mars (Marte), the pagan protector of Florence. It is conjectured that when the statue of Mars was swept from the Ponte Vecchio in the flood of 1333, it was replaced by a lion called Martocus, or the little Mars. The Marzocco originally decorated the staircase in the apartments in S. Maria Novello which were built for the visit of Pope Martin V in 1419-20. The lion was removed from this position when the staircase was demolished, possibly as early as 1515. During the restoration of the Palazzo Vecchio in 1812, Donatello's Marzocco was used to replace another earlier image of the Marzocco outside the Palazzo Vecchio. In 1885, Donatello's lion was transferred to the Museo Nazionale, and replaced by a copy.

Base for the Marzocco lion

Base for the Marzocco lion About 1895 Plaster cast Width 67 cm x height 129.5 cm x length 196 cm 1895-2

Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1895 for £37 14s 1d

Original:

Base for the Marzocco lion
Donatello (1386-1466)
15th century
Marble
In front of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy

The base was formerly ascribed to Donatello and thought to be the original pedestal designed by him for the Marzocco, but there is no documentary evidence to support these conclusions. The base is, however, thematically linked with the Marzocco, the emblem of Florence, as the decoration of the base is entirely composed of coats of arms representing the city of Florence. The Florentine lily in red on white, the stemma of the Guelph party, on the shield supported by Donatello's lion is repeated on one side of the base, while the shield on the other side, formerly coloured red and white, denoted the union of Florence with Fiesole. These arms are repeated around the top of the base, together with the arms of the four quarters of Florence (S. Croce, S. Maria Novella, S. Spirito and S. Giovanni) and the arms of the Florentine people. The coats of arms would originally have been painted in the appropriate colours.

David

David About 1885 Plaster cast Height 168 cm 1885-197

Given by the Rt. Hon. Sir J. Savile Lumley, Ambassador to Rome, in 1885

Original:

David
Donatello (1386-1466)
About 1428-30
Bronze
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Part of the Cantoria

Part of the Cantoria About 1877 Plaster cast Width 129.5 cm x height 328 cm x length 574.5 cm 1877-44

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli, Florence in 1877 for £195 12s

Original:

Part of the Cantoria
Donatello (1386-1466)
Documented 1433-56; main part carved 1433-8
Marble with mosaic inlay
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence, Italy

The Cantoria, or Singing Gallery, was probably designed as an organ loft, and may have acquired its name when, in 1688, the balustrade was replaced by a larger wooden structure to hold a choir to sing at Ferdinando de'Medici's wedding. The lower part remained in place until 1841/2, when a new organ loft was installed. The upper frieze was not reunited with the lower part until 1870, when all known fragments of the Cantoria were exhibited in the Museo Nazionale. The columns remained unrecognised in the courtyard of the Opera del Duomo. It was not until the recognition of these columns, and the discovery of a small part of the original cornice, that a reconstruction was effected by Luigi del Moro, after 1883.

The acquisition of the Victoria and Albert Museum's cast in two parts (lower part and frieze 1877 - see Museum no. 1877-43, upper cornice and columns 1894 - see Museum no. 1894-48) and its reconstruction after del Moro's design reflects the stages of research in Florence. There are still discrepancies between the present cast and the original appearance of the Cantoria. The blank tondi of the lowest register once contained two bronze heads by Donatello, documented in 1436, 1439 and 1456. These have tentatively been identified as two heads in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. There is uncertainty in the relationship of the columns to the frieze, and in the exact ornamentation of the top cornice, as it was reconstructed from only a small fragment.

Part of the Cantoria

Part of the Cantoria About 1894 Plaster cast Width 132 cm x height of column 109.5 cm x length of cornice 555.5 cm 1894-48

Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1894 for £54 5s

Original:

Part of the Cantoria
Donatello (1386-1466)
Documented 1433-56; main part carved 1433-8
Marble with mosaic inlay
Museo dell' Opera del Duomo, Florence, Italy

The original was formerly above the entrance to the South Sacristy of Florence Cathedral, a companion to Luca della Robbia's Cantoria, executed 1432-8, for the entrance to the North Sacristy. The Cantoria, or Singing Gallery, was probably designed as an organ loft, and may have acquired its name when, in 1688, the balustrade was replaced by a larger wooden structure to hold a choir to sing at Ferdinando de'Medici's wedding. The lower part remained in place until 1841/2, when a new organ loft was installed. The upper frieze was not reunited with the lower part until 1870, when all known fragments of the Cantoria were exhibited in the Museo Nazionale. The columns remained unrecognised in the courtyard of the Opera del Duomo. It was not until the recognition of these columns, and the discovery of a small part of the original cornice, that a reconstruction was effected by Luigi del Moro, after 1883.

The acquisition of the Victoria and Albert Museum's cast in two parts (lower part and frieze 1877, upper cornice and columns 1894) and its reconstruction after del Moro's design reflects the stages of research in Florence. There are still discrepancies between the present cast and the original appearance of the Cantoria. The blank tondi of the lowest register once contained two bronze heads by Donatello, documented in 1436, 1439 and 1456. These have tentatively been identified as two heads in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. There is uncertainty in the relationship of the columns to the frieze, and in the exact ornamentation of the top cornice, as it was reconstructed from only a small fragment.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:A

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:B

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:C

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:D

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:E

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:F

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:G

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:H

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:I

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:J

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

One of twelve angels

One of twelve angels About 1870 Plaster cast Width 21.5 cm x height 58.5 cm 1870-18:K

Purchased from Signor Pinti in 1870 for £12 12s

Original:

One of twelve angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

Donatello may originally have conceived a design with only ten angels. On 27 April, 1447, he and his associates contracted for ten bronze angels and four Evangelists in the form of animals. The ten angels were already cast at this stage, but not yet polished and gilded. At this point Donatello suggested that a frame could be placed around them if so desired. On 30 June, 1449, Donatello was paid for casting the two remaining angels, and for having adorned the four Evangelists and twelve angels. The reliefs of the angels were placed around the sides of the altar: a payment for cornices in 1455 makes it clear that they were placed below the free-standing figures, on a level with the four reliefs of Miracles performed by St Anthony, and the symbols of the Evangelists.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447.

Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

The miracle of the irascible son

The miracle of the irascible son About 1884 Plaster cast Width 122 cm x height 61.5 cm 1884-325

Purchased from Signor Tombola in 1884 for £1 7s 6d

Original:

The Miracle of the Irascible Son
Donatello (1386-1466)
1446-8
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

On 23 June, 1447, Donatello contracted for four reliefs depicting Miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua. At this stage three of the reliefs, including the Miracle of the Irascible Son, had already been cast. This relief illustrates the story of a young man who kicked his mother in a fit of temper and was told he deserved to have his leg cut off. In his remorse he did this, but, in response to his mother's prayers, the saint replaced the severed limb, which healed instantly.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447. Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

The miracle of the ass of Rimini

The miracle of the ass of Rimini About 1884 Plaster cast Width 122 cm x height 61.5 cm 1884-326

Purchased from Signor Tombola in 1884 for £1 7s 6d

Original:

The Miracle of the Ass of Rimini
Donatello (1386-1466)
1446-8
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

On 23 June, 1447, Donatello contracted for four reliefs depicting Miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua. At this stage three of the reliefs, including the Miracle of the Ass of Rimini, had already been cast. In this legend, St Anthony proves the real presence of the Eucharist to a heretic who has refused to believe in it unless the ass should leave its stable and kneel before the Eucharist. The ass is shown here kneeling, adoring the Sacrament, disregarding the food that is offered to it.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447. Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

The Miracle of the miser's heart

The Miracle of the miser's heart About 1884 Plaster cast Width 122 cm x height 61.5 cm 1884-327

Purchased from Signor Tombola in 1884 for £1 7s 6d

Original:

The Miracle of the Miser's Heart
Donatello (1386-1466)
1446-8
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

On 23 June, 1447, Donatello formerly contracted for the four reliefs depicting Miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua. Three of these reliefs were already cast by then, but the Miracle of the Miser's Heart had not yet been modelled. On 4 August 1447, it was given to the foundry to be cast. Payments for cornices in 1455 show that the four Miracle reliefs were originally placed lower than the seven freestanding figures, on a level with the symbols of the Evangelists and the angel reliefs. The scene relates to the text of Luke XII.34 'Where is your treasure, there is your heart'. The dead Miser's heart is found in a coffer with his gold.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447. Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

The miracle of the speaking babe

The miracle of the speaking babe About 1884 Plaster cast Width 122 cm x height 61.5 cm 1884-328

Purchased from Signor Tombola in 1884 for £1 7s 6d

Original:

The Miracle of the Speaking Babe
Donatello (1386-1466)
1446-8
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

On 23 June, 1447, Donatello contracted for four reliefs depicting Miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua. At this stage three of the reliefs, including the Miracle of the Speaking Babe, had already been cast. In this scene, St Anthony causes a week-old infant to name its father, thus saving its mother, who has been unjustly accused of adultery. On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447. Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

The dead Christ with two angels

The dead Christ with two angels About 1884 Plaster cast Width 122 cm x height 61.5 cm 1884-329

Purchased from Signor Tombola in 1884 for £1 7s 6d

Original:

The Dead Christ with Two Angels
Donatello (1386-1466)
1447-9
Bronze partly gilt
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

In the present, incorrect reconstruction of the altar, dating from 1895, the relief of the Dead Christ is placed centrally, on the front of the altar, flanked by eight angel reliefs. It is now generally agreed that this relief might have occupied the same position, but would have been flanked by two bronze reliefs showing miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua, with or without the intervention of two angel reliefs. On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447. Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

St Francis

St Francis About 1899 Plaster cast Height 152.5 cm 1899-56

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1899

Original:

St Francis
Donatello
1448
Bronze
Part of the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant' Antonio, Padua, Italy

This is one of seven figures in the round which stand upon the high altar. Their arrangement in the present reconstruction, dating from 1895, is incorrect. Modern critical opinion has not resolved the exact placement of these seven figures, but the proposed reconstructions all place the Madonna centrally, with St Francis and St Anthony flanking her.On 13 April 1446, a donation of 15,000 lire was accepted from a Paduan citizen, Francesco da Tergola, for the construction of the high altar of the Santo. The first payment to Donatello for the new altar occurs in February 1447. Although the altar was temporarily erected for the feast of St Anthony (June 13) 1448, and most of the major figures were cast by 1450, the project was still unfinished when Donatello left Padua in 1454. The altar originally stood at the end of the choir, close to the ambulatory, but was dismembered in 1579, when officials of the Arca decided to replace it with a larger structure, designed by Girolamo Campagna and Cesare Fianco. Although most of Donatello's sculptures were incorporated into the new altar by 1582, it was not until 1895 that all the surviving components were united in the present fanciful reconstruction by Camillo Boito. The original form of the altar remains controversial, due to the loss of almost all the original architectural elements, except for a pair of volutes (item 8 below).

The surviving components of the original altar are:

Preserved on the altar in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio:
1. Seven bronze figures in the round, comprising, the Virgin and Child enthroned, St Francis (V&A cast no. 1899-56), St Anthony of Padua, St Louis of Toulouse, St Daniel, St Justina, St Prosdocimus.
2. Four bronze reliefs depicting miracles performed by St Anthony of Padua (V&A cast nos. 1884-325 to 328).
3. Four bronze reliefs containing Symbols of the Evangelists.
4. Twelve bronze reliefs of angels (V&A cast nos. 1870-18 and 18 A to K).
5. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels (V&A cast no. 1884-329).
6. A limestone relief depicting the Entombment.
7. A bronze relief of the Dead Christ with seven angels, by an unidentified Venetian sculptor (V&A cast no 1884-330).

In the Museo Antoniano, Padua:
8. A pair of volutes, thought to have come from the canopy which once surmounted the altar.

In the Museo Salvatore, Romano, Florence:
9. Marble reliefs depicting the half-length figures of St Prosdocimus and another saint, possibly two of the four half-length saints seen by Marcantonio Michiel on the back of the altar, in the early 16th century.

St John the Baptist

St John the Baptist About 1888 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 190.5 cm 1888-518

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1888 at a cost of £4 10s (90 marks)

Original:

St John the Baptist
Donatello (1386-1466)
1457
Bronze
Siena Cathedral, Siena, Italy

In 1457, Donatello delivered the figure of St John to the Cathedral authorities in three parts, with its right forearm missing. The statue was recorded as in storage in the Cathedral in 1467, with its arm still lacking. It is uncertain when the right arm was made up and the figure installed in the Cathedral. It is evident, from the awkwardness of the reconstruction, that the arm was not designed to point upwards at this angle.

Annunciation tabernacle

Annunciation tabernacle About 1895 Plaster cast Width 269.5 cm x height 427 cm 1895-59

Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1895 for £169 16s 2d

Original:

Annunciation
Tabernacle
Donatello (1386-1466)
Second quarter of the 15th century
Original of limestone with residual gilding and polychromy
Church of S. Croce, Florence, against the South Wall, in the sixth bay

Removed to its present location in 1566. Sixteenth century sources give the location of this tabernacle as the Cavalcanti chapel in S. Croce, implying that it was commissioned by the Calvalcanti family. However, it is not certain which member of the Calvalcanti family was responsible for this commission, and the location of the Calvalcanti chapel within S. Croce during the 15th century has not yet been fully established. Today, in S. Croce, the tabernacle is crowned by six terracotta putti holding garlands by Donatello. When the cast was acquired in 1895, only four putti were in place. In 1894, two reclining putti were found in storage in S. Croce, and these were not restored to the tabernacle until 1900. Presumably, the final relationship between the six putti had not been sufficiently reconstructed by 1895 for them to be included in the reproduction.

Judith and Holofernes

Judith and Holofernes 1893 Plaster cast Height 540.3 cm 1893-486

Purchased via the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA in 1893 for £139 3s 11d

Original:

Judith and Holofernes
Donatello (1386-1466)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Bronze
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy

Signed on the cushion OPVS.DONATELLI.FLO and inscribed around the top of the pedestal EXEMPLVM.SAL.PVB.CIVES.POS.MCCCCXCV. The statue and its base were designed as the centre of a fountain, with water spouts in the corner of the pillow. Its earliest known location is the garden of the Palazzo Medici. The inscription on the pedestal was added after the fall of the Medici in 1494, when it was removed first into the Palazzo Vecchio and then placed outside it. The statue was taken back into the Palazzo Vecchio in 1980.

Judith and Holofernes (pedestal)

Judith and Holofernes (pedestal) 1893 Plaster cast Height 540 cm 1893-487

Purchased via the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in 1893 for £20 17s 5d

Original:

Judith and Holofernes
Donatello (1386-1466)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Bronze
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy

The statue and its base were designed as the centre of a fountain, with water spouts in the corner of the pillow. Its earliest known location is the garden of the Palazzo Medici. The inscription on the pedestal was added after the fall of the Medici in 1494, when it was removed first into the Palazzo Vecchio and then placed outside it. The statue was taken back into the Palazzo Vecchio in 1980. the cast of the pedestal is either by Oronzio or Giuseppe Lelli.

Baptismal font

Baptismal font About 1892 Plaster cast Width 121 cm x height 98.5 cm 1892-11

Purchased from Signor G. de Ricco in 1892 for £13 17s 3d (350 lire)

Original:

Baptismal font
Ascribed to Antonio Federighi dei Tolomei (1420-83)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble
Chapel of St John the Baptist in Siena Cathedral, Italy

When this cast was acquired this font was ascribed to Jacopo della Quercia (about 1374-1438). It has since been given to his pupil Antonio Federighi who was capomaestro (chief architect) of Siena cathedral during the period 1450-80. The programme of the font represents a fusion of scenes from the Old Testament and from classical mythology: The Creation of Adam, the Creation of Eve, the Temptation, the Fall of Man, Adam blaming Eve, the Expulsion, Hercules and the Nemean Lion, Hercules and the Centaur. Around the base is a border of classicizing scenes with putti.

Virgin and Child

Virgin and Child About 1884 Plaster cast Height 66.5 cm 1884-644

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1884 for 16s 8d (20 lire)

Original:

Virgin and child
Ascribed to Antonio Federighi dei Tolomei (b.?1420-83)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble
In the Seminario, Siena, Italy

Possibly based on a lost work by Donatello (1386-1466) who lived in Siena from 1457 to 1461.

Pediment of a doorway

Pediment of a doorway About 1897 Plaster cast Width 259.5 cm x height 573.5 cm 1897-8

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1897 for £52 16s 7d

Original:

Pediment of a doorway
Hans Fernach (active in Milan 1387-94)
About 1493-6
Marble
Along the South door of the South Sacristy of Milan Cathedral, Italy

Hans von Fernach was one of a group of German sculptors working in Milan Cathedral during the 14th and 15th centuries. His original design for the apex of the pediment was too ornate for the cathedral authorities and he left the work unfinished. In 1493, Giacomo da Campione and Giovannino de'Grass, (d. 1498) agreed that they would complete Hans' design with a single crucifix. In 1495/96 the finished work was painted and gilded by Porrino de'Grassi. At the apex: The Crucified Christ. On the arch: left to right - The Annunciation, the Visitation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation in the Temple, the Flight into Egypt, and the Massacre of the Innocents. In the tympanum: top register - The Virgin of Mercy; middle register - The Virgin and Child with SS. John the Baptist and Andrew; lower register - Lamentation over the Dead Christ. Above the entablature: The Ten Wise and Foolish Virgins and four unidentified figures.

Step from the monument to Alessandro Tartagni (d. 1477)

Step from the monument to Alessandro Tartagni (d. 1477) About 1890 Plaster cast Width 28 cm x length 201 cm 1890-20

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for £1 4s (30 lire)

Original:

Step from the monument to Alessandro Tartagni (d. 1477)
Francesco di Simone Ferrucci (1437-93)
1477
Marble
Church of S. Domenico, Maggiore, Bologna, Italy

The monument to Alessandro Tartagni is signed: OPERA FRANCIS SIMONIS FLOREN.

Tabernacle

Tabernacle About 1876 Plaster cast Width 213.5 cm x height 1830 cm 1876-104

Acquired in exchange from the Belgian Government in 1876

Original:

Tabernacle
Designed by Cornelis Floris II, Floris de Vriendt (b. about 1513/14-1575)
About 1550-2
Stone
Church of St Leonard, Zoutleeuw, near Brussels, Belgium

Fountain with a figure of Perseus

Fountain with a figure of Perseus About 1867 Plaster cast Diameter 165.5 cm x height 361 cm 1867-5

Purchased from S.N. Mark in 1867 for £175

Original:

Fountain with a figure of Perseus
Hubert Gerhard (about 1454/50-1620)
About 1590
Bronze
For the Grottenhof in the Residenz in Munich, Germany

The Sacrifice of Isaac

The Sacrifice of Isaac About 1871 Electrotype Width 38.5 cm x height 41 cm 1871-30

Purchased from Messrs Giovanni Franchi in 1871 for £7

Original:

The Sacrifice of Isaac
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455)
1401-2
Gilt bronze
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

In 1401, the Arte di Calimala (the guild of the merchants dealing in foreign cloth and export) decided to commission a second bronze door for the Baptistry of Florence, to accompany the door completed by Andrew Pisano sixty-four years earlier. A competition was held for which seven competitors submitted trial reliefs of the Sacrifice of Isaac. The copy here is of Ghiberti's competition entry which was chosen in preference to that of his nearest rival, Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446). On the strength of this, Ghiberti was awarded the commission for the Baptistry doors, which he executed between 1403 and 1424. It is likely that this electrotype copy was intentionally only partly gilt for educational purposes, to show the effect of gilding on one area of the relief.

The Temptation of Christ

The Temptation of Christ About 1882 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 61.5 cm 1882-20

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1882 for £2 1s 8d

Original:

The Temptation of Christ
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455)
1403-24
Gilt bronze
On the North door of the Baptistry of S. Giovanni, Florence, Italy

In 1401, the Arte dei Mercantanti di Calimala (the guild of the merchants dealing in foreign cloth and exporting cloth) decided to commission a second bronze door for the Baptistry of Florence, to accompany the door completed by Andrea Pisano (about 1295-1348/9) in 1336. A competition was held for which seven entrants submitted trial reliefs of The Sacrifice of Isaac. Lorenzo Giberti's entry was chosen in preference to that of his nearest rival, Filippo Brunelleschi. On 23 November 1403, the contract for the door was allotted to Ghiberti and his father, Bartolo di Michele, and the door was executed between 1403 and 1424. The format was intended to harmonize with that of the earlier door, comprising a similar scheme of twenty-eight panels, each containing a quatre-foil. The twenty upper reliefs containing scenes from the New Testament, and the eight lower panels containing single figures of the Evangelists and Church Fathers, complement Andrea Pisano's scheme of twenty scenes from the life of St John the Baptist above eight figures of Virtues. Ghiberti slightly altered the proportions of the panels, and replaced Andrea Pisano's dividing lattice of studs and rosettes with a rich foliate ornament. On Easter Sunday (19 April) 1424, the doors were set up at the East entrance to the Baptistry, facing the Cathedral. In 1452, they were moved to their present location, the North Entrance, when they were supplanted by Ghiberti's second bronze door, the Gates of Paradise.

St John the Evangelist

St John the Evangelist About 1882 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 61.5 cm 1882-21

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1882 for £2 1s 8d

Original:

St John the Evangelist
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455)
1403-24
Gilt bronze
On the North door of the Baptistry of S. Giovanni, Florence, Italy

In 1401, the Arte dei Mercantanti di Calimala (the guild of the merchants dealing in foreign cloth and exporting cloth) decided to commission a second bronze door for the Baptistry of Florence, to accompany the door completed by Andrea Pisano (about 1295-1348/9) in 1336. A competition was held for which seven entrants submitted trial reliefs of The Sacrifice of Isaac. Lorenzo Giberti's entry was chosen in preference to that of his nearest rival, Filippo Brunelleschi. On 23 November 1403, the contract for the door was allotted to Ghiberti and his father, Bartolo di Michele, and the door was executed between 1403 and 1424. The format was intended to harmonize with that of the earlier door, comprising a similar scheme of twenty-eight panels, each containing a quatre-foil. The twenty upper reliefs containing scenes from the New Testament, and the eight lower panels containing single figures of the Evangelists and Church Fathers, complement Andrea Pisano's scheme of twenty scenes from the life of St John the Baptist above eight figures of Virtues. Ghiberti slightly altered the proportions of the panels, and replaced Andrea Pisano's dividing lattice of studs and rosettes with a rich foliate ornament. On Easter Sunday (19 April) 1424, the doors were set up at the East entrance to the Baptistry, facing the Cathedral. In 1452, they were moved to their present location, the North Entrance, when they were supplanted by Ghiberti's second bronze door, the Gates of Paradise.

The Raising of Lazarus

The Raising of Lazarus About 1882 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 61.5 cm 1882-23

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1882 for £2 1s 8d

Original:

The Raising of Lazarus
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455)
1403-24
Gilt bronze
On the North door of the Baptistry of S. Giovanni, Florence, Italy

In 1401, the Arte dei Mercantanti di Calimala (the guild of the merchants dealing in foreign cloth and exporting cloth) decided to commission a second bronze door for the Baptistry of Florence, to accompany the door completed by Andrea Pisano (about 1295-1348/9) in 1336. A competition was held for which seven entrants submitted trial reliefs of The Sacrifice of Isaac. Lorenzo Giberti's entry was chosen in preference to that of his nearest rival, Filippo Brunelleschi. On 23 November 1403, the contract for the door was allotted to Ghiberti and his father, Bartolo di Michele, and the door was executed between 1403 and 1424. The format was intended to harmonize with that of the earlier door, comprising a similar scheme of twenty-eight panels, each containing a quatre-foil. The twenty upper reliefs containing scenes from the New Testament, and the eight lower panels containing single figures of the Evangelists and Church Fathers, complement Andrea Pisano's scheme of twenty scenes from the life of St John the Baptist above eight figures of Virtues. Ghiberti slightly altered the proportions of the panels, and replaced Andrea Pisano's dividing lattice of studs and rosettes with a rich foliate ornament. On Easter Sunday (19 April) 1424, the doors were set up at the East entrance to the Baptistry, facing the Cathedral. In 1452, they were moved to their present location, the North Entrance, when they were supplanted by Ghiberti's second bronze door, the Gates of Paradise.

Christ Among the Doctors

Christ Among the Doctors About 1882 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 61.5 cm 1882-25

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli, Florence in 1882 for £2 1s 8d

Original:

Christ among the Doctors
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455)
1403-24
Gilt bronze
On the North door of the Baptistry of S. Giovanni, Florence, Italy

In 1401, the Arte dei Mercantanti di Calimala (the guild of the merchants dealing in foreign cloth and exporting cloth) decided to commission a second bronze door for the Baptistry of Florence, to accompany the door completed by Andrea Pisano (about 1295-1348/9) in 1336. A competition was held for which seven entrants submitted trial reliefs of The Sacrifice of Isaac. Lorenzo Giberti's entry was chosen in preference to that of his nearest rival, Filippo Brunelleschi. On 23 November 1403, the contract for the door was allotted to Ghiberti and his father, Bartolo di Michele, and the door was executed between 1403 and 1424. The format was intended to harmonize with that of the earlier door, comprising a similar scheme of twenty-eight panels, each containing a quatre-foil. The twenty upper reliefs containing scenes from the New Testament, and the eight lower panels containing single figures of the Evangelists and Church Fathers, complement Andrea Pisano's scheme of twenty scenes from the life of St John the Baptist above eight figures of Virtues. Ghiberti slightly altered the proportions of the panels, and replaced Andrea Pisano's dividing lattice of studs and rosettes with a rich foliate ornament. On Easter Sunday (19 April) 1424, the doors were set up at the East entrance to the Baptistry, facing the Cathedral. In 1452, they were moved to their present location, the North Entrance, when they were supplanted by Ghiberti's second bronze door, the Gates of Paradise.

St Augustine

St Augustine About 1882 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 61.5 cm 1882-28

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli, Florence in 1882 for £2 1s 8d

Original:

St Augustine
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455)
1403-24
Gilt bronze
On the North door of the Baptistry of S. Giovanni, Florence, Italy

In 1401, the Arte dei Mercantanti di Calimala (the guild of the merchants dealing in foreign cloth and exporting cloth) decided to commission a second bronze door for the Baptistry of Florence, to accompany the door completed by Andrea Pisano (about 1295-1348/9) in 1336. A competition was held for which seven entrants submitted trial reliefs of The Sacrifice of Isaac. Lorenzo Giberti's entry was chosen in preference to that of his nearest rival, Filippo Brunelleschi. On 23 November 1403, the contract for the door was allotted to Ghiberti and his father, Bartolo di Michele, and the door was executed between 1403 and 1424. The format was intended to harmonize with that of the earlier door, comprising a similar scheme of twenty-eight panels, each containing a quatre-foil. The twenty upper reliefs containing scenes from the New Testament, and the eight lower panels containing single figures of the Evangelists and Church Fathers, complement Andrea Pisano's scheme of twenty scenes from the life of St John the Baptist above eight figures of Virtues. Ghiberti slightly altered the proportions of the panels, and replaced Andrea Pisano's dividing lattice of studs and rosettes with a rich foliate ornament. On Easter Sunday (19 April) 1424, the doors were set up at the East entrance to the Baptistry, facing the Cathedral. In 1452, they were moved to their present location, the North Entrance, when they were supplanted by Ghiberti's second bronze door, the Gates of Paradise.

Gates of Paradise (Porta del Paradiso)

Gates of Paradise (Porta del Paradiso) About 1867 Electrotype Width 473 cm x height 767.5 cm 1867-44

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Sons in 1867 for £950
Museum no. 1867-44

Original:

Door of the Baptistry of S. Giovanni, Florence known as the Porta del Paradiso, or Gates of Paradise
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455)
1425-52
Gilt bronze
Baptistry of S. Giovanni, Florence, Italy

This is the second Baptistry door commissioned from Lorenzo Ghiberti by the Arte dei Mercantoni di Calimala (the guild of the merchants dealing in foreign cloth, and exporting cloth). The first door, executed between 1403 and 1424, was decorated with reliefs containing scenes from the New Testament. For the second door, in which the scenes were to be drawn from the Old Testament, Leonardo Bruni (1370- 1444) submitted a programme at the invitation of the Calimala guild. This programme was rejected in favour of a new scheme, which may have been drawn up by Ambrogio Traversari (1386-1439). In July 1452, it was decided to set up the new doors, not at the North portal for which they had been intended, but 'because of their beauty', at the East entrance opposite the Cathedral. In order to achieve this, Ghiberti's first bronze doors were shifted from the East entrance to their present location, the North entrance.

The narrative reliefs represent:
LEFT DOOR:
1 - The Creation of Adam, the Creation of Eve, the Fall and the Expulsion from Paradise; 2 - The story of Noah; 3 - Essau and Jacob; 4 - The story of Moses; 5 - David and Goliath;
RIGHT DOOR:
1 - Cain and Abel; 2 - The story of Abraham; 3 - The story of Joseph; 4 - The story of Joshua; 5 - Solomon and The Queen of Sheba. Framing the reliefs are 24 heads and 24 figures of prophets in niches. The door surround contains a frieze of birds and sprays of fruit and flowers.

Shrine of St Zenobius

Shrine of St Zenobius About 1895 Plaster cast Width 76 cm x height 92 cm x length 191.5 cm 1895-60

Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1895 for £26 8s 4d

Original:

Shrine of St Zenobius
Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378/81-1455)
1432-43
Bronze
Beneath the altar in the Chapel of St Zenobius in the Cathedral, Florence, Italy

St Zenobius, bishop of Florence during the fifth century, is one of the principal Florentine patron saints. This shrine was made to hold the relics of the saint, as described in the inscription on the shrine: CAPVT BEATI ZENOBII FLORENTINI EPISCOPI IN CVIVS HONOREM HEC ARCA INSIGNI ORNATV FAVRICATA FVIT. On the front: St Zenobius restores a child of the Strozzi family to life. On the sides: St Zenobius rescues a child from under the wheels of a cart. St Zenobius restores to life the messenger of St Ambrose.

Crucifix

Crucifix About 1945 Plaster cast A.1968-1

Given by J. Sebastian Comper in 1968

Original:

Crucifix
Giambologna (Giovanni Bologna) (1529-1608)
1594-8
Bronze
In the funerary chapel of Giovanni Bologna, the Cappella del Soccorso, in the church of SS. Annunziata, Florence, Italy

Although Giovanni Bologna acquired the rights to the Cappella del Soccorso from the Dolci family in 1559 as his funerary chapel, he only commenced work upon its decoration in 1594, when he was in his sixties. He designed the chapel with great economy, incorporating sculptural compositions which he had originally designed for other locations. The Crucifix is a replica of the Crucifix which Giovanni Bologna had executed of the Duke of Bavaria in 1594 (in St, Michael's Church, Munich), while the six bronze reliefs of the Passion on the altar of the chapel are replicas of those he executed for the Grimaldi Chapel in San Francesco di Castelletto, Genoa, 1579-85 (now in Genoa University). The original cast of the crucifix was made by Belle Art Florence, and cast in bronze by Messrs Singer. Wax models by Giovanni Bologna for three of the six Passion Reliefs are also in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum (museum nos. 328 to 330-1879).

Tomb of St Peter Martyr

Tomb of St Peter Martyr About 1869 Plaster cast Width 160 cm x height 564.5 cm x length 274.5 cm 1869-68

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1869 for £240

Original:

Tomb of St Peter Martyr
Giovanni di Balduccio (active 1317/18-49)
1335-9
Marble
Church of Sant' Eustorgio, Milan, Italy

St Peter Martyr was a Dominican friar stabbed to death by a heretic on 26 April, 1252, and canonized by Pope Innocent IV on 24 March, 1253. In 1335, the friars of Sant' Eustorgio decided to honour St Peter Martyr with a tomb similar to that of St Dominic in S. Domenico Maggiore in Bologna, which had been executed to the design of Nicola Pisano between 1264 and 1267. The tomb of St Peter Martyr was completed in 1339 by Giovanni di Balduccio, who signed it 'IOHANNES BALDVCHI DE PISIS SCVLPSIT HANC ARCHAM.ANNO DOMINI MCCCXXXVIII'. In accordance with the friars' intentions, the tomb of this important Dominican saint is based on the tomb of St Dominic, but is more elaborate both in form and content. Parts of the monument were originally painted and gilded. The tomb stands in a chapel behind the apse of Sant' Eustorgio erected by the Medici agent in Milan, Pigello Portinari between 1462 and 1468 to provide a worthy setting for the relics of this saint. The chapel was frescoed with scenes for the life of St Peter Martyr by Biscenzo Foppa between 1462 and 1468.

Abundance

Abundance About 1883 Plaster cast Width 68 cm x height 162.5 cm 1883-115

Purchased from Monsieur L. Mathivet in 1883 for £1 12s (40 francs)

Original:

Abundance
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
Middle of the 16th century
Stone
Musée Carnavalet, Paris, France

Diana

Diana About 1883 Plaster cast Width 68 cm x height 162.5 cm 1883-116

Purchased from Monsieur L. Mathivet in 1883 for £1 4s (30 francs)

Original:

Diana
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
Middle of the 16th century
Stone
Musée Carnavalet, Paris, France

Diana

Diana About 1884 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 122 cm 1884-675

Purchased from the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in 1884 for £2 18s 4d (70 francs)

Original:

Diana
Arch
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
Middle of the 16th century
Stone
Musée Carnavalet, Paris, France

An arch carved with figures of Diana, Fame and Peace. The figure in the middle is Diana.

Fame

Fame About 1884 Plaster cast Height 96.5 cm x length 193 cm 1884-676

Purchased from the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in 1884 for £2 18s 4d (70 francs)

Original:

Fame
Arch
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
Middle of the 16th century
Stone
Musée Carnavalet, Paris, France

An arch carved with figures of Diana, Fame and Peace. The reclining figure to the left depicts Fame.

Peace

Peace About 1884 Plaster cast Height 99 cm x length 200.5 cm 1884-677

Purchased from the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in 1884 for £2 18s 4d (70 francs)

Original:

Peace
Arch
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
Middle of the 16th century
Stone
Musée Carnavalet, Paris, France

An arch carved with figures of Diana, Fame and Peace. The representation of Peace is to the right.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1864 Plaster cast Height 74.5 cm x length 196 cm 1864-106

Purchased from Monsieur Desachy in 1864 for £2 8s

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents, and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto

Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto About 1899 Plaster cast Width 112 cm x length 250 cm 1889-106

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1889 for £80

Original:

Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto
Jacopo della Quercia (about 1374-1438)
1406-7
Marble
North Transept of Lucca Cathedral, Lucca, Italy

The tomb was first attributed to Jacopo della Quercia by Vasari in 1550, and he also identified the subject as Ilaria del Carretto (d. December 1405), wife of Paolo Guinigi, the wealthy merchant and ruler of Lucca. He records that following the expulsion of Paolo Guinigi from Lucca in 1429, the tomb was removed from the Guinigi chapel and destroyed except the effigy and sarcophagus, which are all that remain of this monument. Since this cast was made, in 1899, the coat of arms of the Guinigi family quartered with those of Ilaria del Carretto has been removed, in 1911, and restored to the head of the sarcophagus. Some of the plinth with swags on the side of this sarcophagus appear to be by a different hand and have been tentatively ascribed to Jacopo's collaborator, Francesco Valdambrino, whose presence in Lucca is documented.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1864 Plaster cast Height 74.5 cm x length 196 cm 1864-107

Purchased from Monsieur Desachy in 1864 for £2 8s

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents, and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1864 Plaster cast Height 74.5 cm x length 196 cm 1864-108

Purchased from Monsieur Desachy in 1864 for £2 8s

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1882 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 229 cm 1882-4

Purchased from the Musée du Moulage, Paris in 1882 (amount unrecorded)

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (b. about 1510-d. about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents, and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1882 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 229 cm 1882-5

Purchased from the Musée du Moulage, Paris in 1882 (amount unrecorded)

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents, and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1882 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 229 cm 1882-6

Purchased from the Musée du Moulage, Paris in 1882 (amount unrecorded)

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents, and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1882 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 229 cm 1882-7

Purchased from the Musée du Moulage, Paris in 1882 (amount unrecorded)

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents, and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1882 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 229 cm 1882-8

Purchased from the Musée du Moulage, Paris in 1882 (amount unrecorded)

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents, and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents About 1882 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 229 cm 1882-9

Purchased from the Musée du Moulage, Paris in 1882 (amount unrecorded)

Original:

One of nine reliefs of water nymphs and putti from the Fontaine des Innocents
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
About 1547-9
Stone
Now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

There are in total nine casts of reliefs: 1864-106 to 108 and 1882-4 to 9. Originally placed against a wall, the fountain was moved in 1787 into the Marché des Innocents, and additional reliefs executed by Augustin Pajou (1730-1809). The original panels are now in the Musée du Louvre.

Lunette

Lunette About 1888 Plaster cast Width 366 cm x height 239 cm 1888-573

Purchased from Monsieur L. Mathivet in 1888 for £12 (300 francs)

Original:

Lunette with the figures of 'La Guerre desarm&eacutee' and 'La Paix'
Jean Goujon (about 1510-about 1565)
1556
Stone
Over a doorway in the façade of the Pavillon de l'Horloge in the Mus&eacutee du Louvre, Paris, France

Central doorway of S. Petronio

Central doorway of S. Petronio 1886 Plaster cast 1887-41

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1887 for £865 5s 9d (32000 lire). This was for two copies: one for South Kensington and one for Edinburgh (Edinburgh paid 1000 lire)

Original:

Central doorway of S. Petronio, Bologna
Jacopo della Quercia (about 1374-1438)
Between 1425-38 and completed after 1510
Verona marble and Istrian stone
S. Petronio, Bologna, Italy

In the lunette: The Virgin and Child with ST. Ambrose (left) and St. Petronius (right).
On the architrave (from left to right):
The Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Flight into Egypt.
On the archivolt and pilasters: God the Father, with 32 half-length prophets.
On the lateral pilasters:
1. The Creation of Adam/ The Offering of Cain and Abel
2. The Creation of Eve/ Cain slaying Abel
3. The Temptation of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden/ The Drunkenness of Noah
5. Adam and Eve condemned to Labour/ The Sacrifice of Isaac.

In a contract of 28 March, 1425, Cardinal Louis Aleman, Archbishop of Arles and papal legate in Bologna, commissioned Jacopo della Quercia to execute the central portal of S. Petronio according to a design submitted by Jacopo. There were to be fourteen narrative reliefs on the lateral pilasters, three scenes across the architrave, twenty-eight busts of prophets, and a lunette with the Virgin and Child flanked by St Petronius on one side and on the other side Pope Martin V with the kneeling figure of Louis Aleman. There were also to be two life-size lions, with figures of SS. Peter and Paul above the pilasters, and Christ on the Cross rising from the apex of the doorway. This programme seems to have been modified as work progressed and the iconography of the lunette was radically altered following the expulsion of Louis Aleman from Bologna in 1428 when it was decided that the group of Martin V and Louis should be replaced by the single figure of St Ambrose. The figures for the lunette, together with the upper portion of the doorway were not completed until the early sixteenth century, as Jacopo dell Quercia died in 1438, leaving the doorway unfinished. In 1510, Domemico da Varignana executed the St Ambrose for the lunette, while Antonio Minello (active 1484; d. 1527/28) and Antonio da Ostiglia executed fifteen marble prophets for the archivolt and a team of five other sculptors worked on the friezes and foliate ornaments for the portal.

St George Slaying the Dragon

St George Slaying the Dragon About 1864 Plaster cast Height 190.5 cm x length 20.8 cm 1864-113

Acquired in 1864, further details of acquisition are unrecorded

Original:

St George Slaying the Dragon
Cast by Martin and George of Kolozsvás
Dated 1373
Bronze
Formerly in a courtyard of the Hradschin Palace, Prague (formerly Bohemia), now in the National Gallery, Prague in the Czech Republic.

The fountain spout is a later addition

The Schreyer-Landauer Monument

The Schreyer-Landauer Monument About 1872 Plaster cast Height 274.5 cm x length 823 cm 1872-53

Purchased from Jacob Rotermundt in 1872 for £110

Original:

The Schreyer-Landauer Monument
Adam Kraft (about 1455/60-1509)
1490-2
Sandstone
On the exterior of the apse at the Church of St Sebaldus, Nuremberg, Germany

The monument has representations of Christ bearing his Cross, the Crucifixion and Entombment and the Resurrection. The monument was erected to commemorate the two families of Schreyer and Landauer.

Portrait of a woman

Portrait of a woman 1889 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 51 cm 1889-94

Purchased from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) 1889 for 15 marks

Original:

Portrait of a woman
Francesco Laurana (about 1430-1502)
About 1472
Marble painted and gilded
Formerly in Berlin, Germany, destroyed 1945

This cast represents one of nine female portrait busts ascribed to Laurana on the basis of their resemblance to a series of documented figures of the Virgin and Child in Sicily. Two of these busts, in the Frick Collection, New York, and in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., are closely related to the portrait in this cast as they appear to represent the same person, and have similar bases decorated with classicizing figures. The sitter has been tentatively identified as Ippolita Maria Sforza, the wife of King Alfonso II of Naples, but this theory is not based on any secure evidence. The lost portrait bust in Berlin had the remains of extensive pigmentation, and the faint incised decoration of the dress, was, on the original, a richly gilded pattern. The hole at the breast may once have been covered by a metal brooch or pendant and the cartouche might have originally contained the sitter's name. The original painted and gilded marble bust was formerly in Berlin, Germany, but was destroyed in 1945.

Socket for a standard

Socket for a standard 1861 Electrotype Diameter 122 cm x height 282 cm 1863-2

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son together with museum no. 1863-3 in 1863 for £205

Original:

Socket for a standard
Alessandro Leopardi (active 1482-1522)
Dated August 1505
Bronze
Piazza di S. Marco, Venice, Italy

One of three flagstaffs commissioned from Leopardi by Doge Leonardo Loredan (reigned 1501-21). The latter's portrait appears in four medallions on the flagstaff, and he is recorded in the inscription which runs around three bands on the original, but is not reproduced in this copy. It reads: OPTIMO PRINCIPE/LEONARDO LAVREDANO/DVCE VENETIAN. EIVS IIII./PROCVR.ECCLES./S.MARCI./PAVLO BARBO/M.ANTO.MAVROC.EQ/NICOL. TRIVISANO/ANNO DOMINI MCCCCCV MENS.ABG.OPVS ALEXANDRI LEOPARDI ((Given) by the great prince Leonardo Loredan, Doge of Venice in the fourth year of his reign (and supervised by) the procurators of the church of S. Marco, Paulo Barbo., M. Anto. Mauroc., knight, Nicol Trivisano, in the year of Our Lord 1505 in the month of August. The work of Alessandro Leopardi). The three flagstaffs all show the winged lion of St Mark, the emblem of the Venetian Republic, and around their bases are seascapes with classicizing figures. Here, allegorical figures of Wisdom, Charity and Justice are shown riding above the waves with attendants.

Effigy of Guidarello Guidarelli

Effigy of Guidarello Guidarelli About 1885 Plaster cast Width 53.5 cm x length 178 cm 1885-159

Presented by the Pinacoteca Comunale (Royal Academy of Fine Arts), Ravenna in 1885

Original:

Effigy of Guidarello Guidarelli
Tullio Lombardo (about 1455-1532)
Completed 1525
Marble
Galleria Nazionale, Ravenna, Italy

Guidanello Guidarelli (about 1455-1501) was a condottiere or mercenary leader who was fatally wounded in a quarrel over an elaborate shirt. In his will (1501) he stipulated the conditions for the execution of his tomb, naming a committee of Ravennate humanists to choose the best design from an artist from Florence or Venice on the basis of a preliminary model. It is uncertain when the commission was awarded to Tullio Lombardo, but a final payment was recorded in 1525. The effigy originally surmounted a recut early Christian sarcophagus and stood in the chapel of S. Liberio in the church of S. Francesco in Ravenna. By 1634, the effigy had been removed to the chapel of Braccioforte, and by 1707 the sarcophagus had been appropriated by the descendant of Guidarello, Bartolommeo del Sale, and is now in the left aisle of S. Francesco. Only parts of the architectural surround of the tomb remain in the chapel of S. Liberio, rededicated to the Immaculate Conception.

Vitellius Caesar

Vitellius Caesar 1905 Plaster cast Diameter 107 cm 1905-2

Purchased from Lorenzo Giuntini together with museum no. 1905-1 in 1905 for £15

Original:

Roundel with the head of Vitellius Caesar within a border of military trophies
Giovanni da Maino (1486/7-about 1542/3)
1521
Terracotta, formerly coloured and gilded
In the Clock Court, Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court, England

This is one of a series of roundels containing portraits of emperors made for Cardinal Wolsey (about 1470/1-1530) which have been connected with a demand for arrears of payment, dated 18 June, 1521, addressed by Giovanni da Maiano to the Cardinal for 'octo rotundas imagines exterra depictas et deauratas pro pretio libarum duarum solidorum vj.et denarium octo quamlibet earum....' (for eight round images of terracotta painted and gilded at £2 6s 8d each) executed for 'Anon Cort' (Hampton Court).

Augustus Caesar

Augustus Caesar 1905 Plaster cast Diameter 107 cm 1905-3

Purchased from Lorenzo Giuntini in 1905 for £5

Original:

Roundel with the head of Augustus Caesar within a border of military trophies
Giovanni da Maino (1486/7- about 1542/3)
1521
Terracotta, formerly coloured and gilded
In the Clock Court, Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court, England

This is one of a series of roundels containing portraits of emperors made for Cardinal Wolsey (1470/1-1530) which have been connected with a demand for arrears of payment, dated 18 June, 1521, addressed by Giovanni da Maiano to the Cardinal for 'octo rotundas imagines exterra depictas et deauratas pro pretio libarum duarum solidorum vj.et denarium octo quamlibet earum...' (for eight round images of terracotta painted and gilded at £2 6s 8d each) executed for 'Anon Cort' (Hampton Court).

Lamentation over the dead Christ

Lamentation over the dead Christ About 1866 Plaster cast Width 229 cm x height 320.5 cm 1866-47

Purchased from Signor Pierotti in 1866 for £24

Original:

Lamentation over the dead Christ
Attributed to Antonio Mantegazza (active 1472; d. 1495?)
Last quarter of the 15th century
Marble with gilding
Over the altar of the Capitolo de Fratelli in the church of the Certosa, Pavia, Italy.

Pietà, the Dying Christ upheld by three angels

Pietà, the Dying Christ upheld by three angels About 1890 Plaster cast Width 77 cm x length 140 cm 1890-17

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for £4 (100 lire)

Original:

Pietà, the Dying Christ upheld by three angels
Lorenzo di Marrina (1476-1534)
Early sixteenth century
Marble
Church of Fontegiusta, Siena, Italy

This lunette forms part of an altarpiece by Lorenzo di Marrina which bears the date 1517.

Puerta de la Gloria

Puerta de la Gloria 1866 Plaster cast Width 1785 cm x height 1057 cm 1866-50

Commissioned by the Museum from Domenico Brucciani in 1866 at a cost of £2300

Original:

Portal known as the Puerta de la Gloria
Master Mateo (active 1168-?1217)
Dated 1188
Stone
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Portal, in stone, known as the Puerta de la Gloria, with representations of Christ in Majesty surrounded by the Evangelists, Angels bearing the Symbols of the Passion, the Apocalyptic Elders, St James the Greater, the Apostles and the Prophets, from the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The Master Mateo is shown crouching on the reverse of the central column.

A full account of the casting of this cast can be found in the article by Malcolm Baker, 'A Glory to the Museum', The Casting of the Portico de la Gloria', Victoria and Albert Museum Album, I, 1982, pp. 102-8.

The Virgin and Child with two angels

The Virgin and Child with two angels About 1858 Plaster cast Width 195.5 cm x height 195.5 cm 1858-279

Acquired in 1858, further details of acquisition are not recorded

Original:

Virgin and Child with two angels
Master of the Mascoli Altar (active about 1430)
After 1422
Istrian stone and marble
Above the doorway to the entrance of the Cornaro Chapel, outside the Church of S. Maria dei Frari, Venice, Italy

The sculptor derives his name from a marble altarpiece and antependium in the Mascoli chapel in the Basilica di S. Marco in Venice. The converging lines of the Madonna's throne are intended to compensate for the high viewpoint from which the relief is normally seen. In the original, the decoration of the throne is complemented by an elaborate Gothic frame, surmounted by a half-length figure of Christ the Redeemer.

Virgin and Child

Virgin and Child 1891 Plaster cast Width 68 cm x height 43.5 cm 1891-131

Purchased from Giuseppe de Ricco in 1891 for £2 18s 6d (20 lire)

Original:

Virgin and Child
Master of the Piccolomini Madonna (active ? 1450-1500)
Mid 15th century
Marble
Chigi-Saraceni Collection, Siena, Italy

This is one of a series of nine reliefs repeating the same central motif which have been grouped around a single artist, the Master of the Piccolomini Madonna. Seven of these reliefs differ so radically that they cannot be given to one artist. The attribution does, however, seem justified, when applied to the versions in the Louvre and in Siena (shown in this cast), which are identical in composition and appear to be by the same hand. They both bear the Piccolomini arms and have provenances linked with the Piccolomini family, as they came from Pienza and the Palazzo Piccolomini (delle Papesse) in Siena respectively. A lost model by Donatello (1386-1466) has been proposed for the motif of the Virgin and Child, but the composition is not particularly reminiscent of Donatello.

David

David About 1857 Plaster cast Width 213.5 cm x height 541.5 cm 1857-161

Given by Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany to Queen Victoria in 1857

Original:

David
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
1501-4
Marble
Accademia di Belle Arti, Florence, Italy

Michelangelo carved the David from a block which had already been started by AGOSTINO DI DUCCIO (1418-before 1498). The David was installed in place of Donatello's Judith and Holofernes, outside the Palazzo Vecchio, in 1504. It was removed to the Accademia di Belle Arti in 1873, and replaced by a copy. The cast belonging to the Victoria and Albert Museum was presented to Queen Victoria by Grand Duke Ferdinand III of Tuscany, in 1856.

Fig-leaf for Michelangelo's David

Fig-leaf for Michelangelo's David About 1857 Plaster cast Width 30 cm x height 40 cm x depth 17 cm 1857-161A

Acquired in 1857, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Fig-leaf for Michelangelo's David

This fig-leaf was hung on the David on the occasion of visits by royal ladies. It was last used in the time of Queen Mary (1867-1953).

Pitti Tondo: The Virgin and Child with St John the Baptist

Pitti Tondo: The Virgin and Child with St John the Baptist About 1876 Plaster cast Width 84.5 cm x height 96.5 cm 1876-106

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1876 (sum unrecorded)

Original:

Pitti Tondo: The Virgin and Child with St John the Baptist
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
1501-6
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

This unfinished relief is one of two tondi which Vasari (1550) states that Michelangelo blocked out, but did not complete, while working on the David (1501-4) in Florence. It was executed for Bartolommeo Pitti, nephew of the Florentine chancellor, Luca Pitti (1395-1472).

Taddei Tondo: The Virgin and Child with St John the Baptist

Taddei Tondo: The Virgin and Child with St John the Baptist About 1902 Plaster cast Diameter 104 cm 1902-98

Details of acquisition unrecorded, accessioned in 1902

Original:

Taddei Tondo: The Virgin and Child with St John the Baptist
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
1501-6
Marble
Royal Academy, London, England

This unfinished relief is one of two tondi which Vasari (1550) states that Michelangelo blocked out, but did not complete, while working on the David (1501-4) in Florence. It was executed for Taddeo Taddei (1470-1528), a patron of both Michelangelo and Raphael, and was originally in his house.

Madonna and child: Bruges Madonna

Madonna and child: Bruges Madonna About 1872 Painted plaster Width 64 cm x height 128 cm x depth 63 cm 1872-62

Acquired in exchange from the Royal Belgian Commission in 1872 for £40

Original:

Madonna and child
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
1504-6
Marble
Church of Notre Dame, Bruges, Belgium

Purchased by Jean and Alexandre Mouscron, cloth merchants of Bruges with establishments in Rome and Florence. They shipped the Madonna to Bruges in 1506. There it was installed on an altar in the church of Notre Dame, and framed by a tabernacle of black and white marble designed by Jan de Heere of Ghent and his son Lucas and completed by 1571.

The Dying Slave

The Dying Slave About 1863 Plaster cast Width 82 cm x height 229 cm 1863-15

Purchased from Monsieur Toquiere in 1863 (sum unrecorded)

Original:

The Dying Slave
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
About 1513
Marble
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

One of six 'slaves' executed by Michelangelo for the tomb of Pope Julius II (Pope 1503; d. 1513), of which two are now in the Louvre and four are in the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. This figure, together with the Rebellious Slave (V&A cast no. 1863-16), was executed for the second project (1513) for the tomb. In this scheme, Michelangelo planned to place them on either side of the Moses (V&A cast museum no. 1858-278). The project was never completed in this form. Around 1546, Michelangelo gave these two statues to Ruberto Strozzi, a Florentine exile in Lyon, who in turn presented them to King Francois I of France. They were given by King Francois I to Conétable Anne de Montmorency and thereafter passed through the hands of several members of the Montmorency and Richelieu families. In 1794, the Rebellious and Dying Slaves were purchased for the French state, and have been preserved in the Musée du Louvre ever since.

Rebellious Slave

Rebellious Slave About 1863 Plaster cast Width 82 cm x height 229 cm 1863-16

Purchased from Monsieur Toquiere in 1863 (sum unrecorded)

Original:

The Rebellious Slave
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
About 1513
Marble
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

One of a series of six 'slaves' executed by Michelangelo for the tomb of Pope Julius II (Pope 1503-13), of which two are now in the Louvre and four are in the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. This figure, together with the Dying Slave (V&A cast museum no. 1863-15), was executed for the second project (1513) for the tomb. In this scheme, Michelangelo planned to place them on either side of the Moses (V&A cast museum no. 1858-278). The project was never completed in this form. Around 1546, Michelangelo gave these two statues to Ruberto Strozzi, a Florentine exile in Lyon, who in turn presented them to King Francois I of France. They were given by King Francois I to Conétable Anne de Montmorency and thereafter passed through the hands of several members of the Montmorency and Richelieu families. In 1794, the Rebellious and Dying Slaves were purchased for the French state, and have been preserved in the Musée du Louvre ever since.

Moses

Moses About 1858 Plaster cast Width 109.5 cm x height 236.5 cm 1858-278

Purchased from Monsieur Desachy in 1858 for £45

Original:

Moses
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
1513-42
Marble
In the tomb of Pope Julius II (Pope 1503-13) in the church of S. Pietro in Vincoli, Rome, Italy

This figure was executed for the second project (1513) for Pope Julius' tomb, and was planned for the second zone, above the right niche of the front. This project was not realised, and the Moses was not completed until 1542. Michelangelo chose the present position for the Moses during the final project of 1542-45. As it was designed for a higher viewpoint, the statue's proportions seem awkward when seen in its present low location in the church.

Crouching boy

Crouching boy About 1884 Plaster cast Height 56.5 cm 1884-298

Purchased from Messrs Elkington & Co in 1884 for £10

Original:

Crouching boy
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
About 1524
Marble
The State Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia

The crouching boy was intended to form part of the decoration of the Medici Chapel in the New Sacristy of the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. A drawing by Michelangelo in the British Museum (Wilde No.27r) shows two similar crouching figures above the entablature on the left of the tomb of Lorenzo de'Medici (the Magnificent) (1449-92). This design was never realised and the crouching boy remained unfinished in the Medici Collection, eventually passing to the Hermitage Collection in 1851.

Lorenzo de'Medici, Duke of Urbino

Lorenzo de'Medici, Duke of Urbino About 1881 Plaster cast Width 77 cm x height 183 cm 1881-9

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli, Florence in 1881 for £50

Original:

Lorenzo de'Medici, Duke of Urbino
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
1526-34
Marble
The Medici Chapel (the New Sacristy) in the church of S. Lorenzo, Florence, Italy

The decoration of the Medici funerary chapel was commissioned from Michelangelo in 1520 by Cardinal Giulio de'Medici, afterwards Pope Clement VII (1478-1534). The figure of Lorenzo (1492-1519) is seated in a niche above his tomb on which recline allegorical figures of Dawn and Dusk. On the opposite wall is the companion figure of Lorenzo's uncle, Giuliano de'Medici, Duke of Nemours (1478-1516), with Night and Day on his tomb.

Guiliano de Medici, Duke of Nemours

Guiliano de Medici, Duke of Nemours About 1881 Plaster cast Width 77 cm x height 183 cm 1881-10

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1881 for £50

Original:

Giuliano de'Medici, Duke of Nemours
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
About 1526-34
Marble
The Medici Chapel (the New Sacristy) in the church of S. Lorenzo, Florence, Italy

The decoration of the Medici funerary chapel was commissioned from Michelangelo in 1520 by Cardinal Giulio de'Medici, afterwards Pope Clement VII (1478-1534). The figure of Giuliano (1479-1516) is seated in a niche above his tomb on which recline allegorical figures of Night and Day. On the opposite wall is the companion figure of Giuliano's nephew, Lorenzo de'Medici, Duke of Urbino (1492-1519), with Dawn and Dusk on his tomb.

Brutus

Brutus About 1864 Plaster cast Width 66.5 cm x height 96.5 cm 1864-14

Purchased from Signor Stiattesi in 1864 for £1 4s (30 francs)

Original:

Brutus
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
After 1539
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

According to Vasari (1550), Michelangelo executed the bust for Cardinal Niccolo Ridolfi, at the request of Donato Gianotti who entered Ridolfi's service in 1539.

Bishop Leonardo Salutati

Bishop Leonardo Salutati About 1888 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 57.5 cm 1888-663

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1888 for £16 (20 lire)

Original:

Bust of Bishop Leonardo Salutati
Mino da Fiesole (1429-1484)
Dated 1466
Marble
From the tomb of Bishop Salutati in the Cathedral, Fiesole, Italy

The base supporting the bust is signed OPVS MINI. The bust sits on the wall beneath the sarcophagus which is inscribed: OSSA/LEONARDVS SALVTATVS CIVILIS/ PONTIFIQ' IVRIS CONSVLTVS EPVSQ'/FESV VIVENS SIBJ POSVIT.VALE LECTOR/ET ME PRECIBVS ADIVVA.M.CCCCLXVI (Bones/Leonardo Salutati, civil and papal jurisconsult and bishop of Fiesole, while still living, placed (this monument) to himself. Farewell reader, and help me with prayers. 1466).

Piero di Cosimo de'Medici

Piero di Cosimo de'Medici About 1899 Plaster cast Height 55 cm 1899-57

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1899

Original:

Piero di Cosimo de'Medici
Mino da Fiesole (1429-84)
1453
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Piero di Medici (1416-69), nicknamed 'the Gouty', was the father of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and unofficial ruler of Florence from 1464-69. The diamond rings on the borders of his tunic (gamurra) are a Medicean device, symbolising strength and fidelity. The original location of the bust may have been the Medici Palace, as a bust of Piero is recorded in the 1492 inventory.

Virgin and child

Virgin and child About 1890 Plaster cast Width 47 cm x height 69 cm 1890-13

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for £1 4s (30 lire)

Original:

Virgin and Child
Mino da Fiesole (1429-84)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble with traces of gilding on the haloes and on the belt of the Virgin
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Tabernacle

Tabernacle About 1886 Plaster cast Width 142.5 cm x height 274.5 cm 1886-190

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1886 for £7 10s (150 marks)

Original:

Tabernacle
Mino da Fiesole (1429-84)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Marble
Church of S. Croce, Florence, Italy

Recorded by BOCCHI (1677) as being in the Convent of the Murate in Florence. In 1815, it was transferred from the cloister of that Convent to the Sacristy of S. Croce. The two inscriptions HIC EST PANIS VIVVS Q DECELO DESCENDIT (Here is the Living Bread which descends from Heaven) O SALVTARIS HOSTIA (O Host of Salvation) refer to the Host kept in the tabernacle behind the central door. It is this Host, symbolic of Christ's sacrifice upon the Cross, promising redemption, which the angels are adoring. Signed OPVS MINI.

Virgin and child with angels bearing instruments of the Passion

Virgin and child with angels bearing instruments of the Passion About 1886 Plaster cast Width 87 cm x height 122 cm 1886-188

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1886 for £2 10s (50 marks)

Original:

Virgin and Child with angels bearing instruments of the Passion
Mino da Fiesole (1429-84)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

This relief has been identified with a tondo described by Vasari (1550) above the main entrance to the church of the Badia in Florence. It is last recorded in this position by Uccelli in 1858. The composition is closely related to that of the Virgin and Child by Antonio Rossellino (1427-79) on the funerary monument to Francesco Nori (d. 1478) in the church of S. Croce in Florence.

Virgin and child

Virgin and child About 1889 Plaster cast Diameter 69 cm 1889-98

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1889 for 15 marks

Original:

Virgin and Child
Mino da Fiesole (1429-84)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble
Formerly in the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, Berlin, Germany

Formerly in the Palazzo Mozzi in Florence. The relief was acquired in 1885 by the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum and was destroyed in 1945.

Rinaldo della Luna

Rinaldo della Luna About 1885 Plaster cast Width 40.5 cm x height 38 cm 1885-135

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1885 for 8s 4d (10 lire)

Original:

Rinaldo della Luna
Mino da Fiesole (1429-84)
1461
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Inscribed around the base with the sitter's name, giving his age as 27 years, together with the artist's name and the date, 1461. RINALDO DELLA LVNA SVE ETATIS ANNO XXVII OPVS MINI NE MCCCCLXI.

Portrait of a young woman

Portrait of a young woman About 1899 Plaster cast Width 38 cm x height 46 cm 1889-93

Purchased from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) for 10 marks in 1889

Original:

Portrait of a young woman
Ascribed to Mino da Fiesole (1429-84)
Fifteenth century
Marble
Formerly in Berlin, destroyed 1945

Tabernacle

Tabernacle About 1886 Plaster cast Width 117 cm x height 290 cm 1886-189

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1886 for £10 (200 marks)

Original:

Tabernacle
Ascribed to Mino del Reame (active about 1460-80)
About 1460
Marble
Church of S. Maria in Trastevere, Rome, Italy

The tabernacle, signed OPVS MINI, is apparently by the same hand as the dismembered ciborium (canopy) of Cardinal d'Estouteville in S. Maria Maggiore, Rome, of which a section now in Cleveland is also signed OPVS MINI, and which forms the nucleus of a group of works in Rome which bear this signature. These sculptures differ markedly in style from works by the Florentine Mino da Fiesole (1429-84) who habitually used the same signature. A cast of a tabernacle by Mino da Fiesole in S. Croce in Florence signed OPVS MINI is also in the collections at the V&A (museum no. 1886-190) and the contrast in style between these two tabernacles effectively illustrates the problem of Mino da Fiesole and Mino de Reame. Vasari describes a sculptor, Mino del Regno or del Reame (ie. from the Kingdom of Naples), trained in Naples and active in Rome in the mid-15th century, who is distinct from Mino da Fiesole. Nevertheless, some authorities have identified this sculptor with Mino da Fiesole, who worked in Naples in 1455 and was later active in Rome. They explain the contrasting style of the group of signed works in Rome as due to an assistant of Central Italian formation employed by Mino da Fiesole's Roman workshop. However, the group of Roman works seem to date from about 1460, when Mino da Fiesole was documented active in Florence, and his period of independent activity in Rome dates only from the 1470s. It seems likely, therefore, that the group of signed Roman works are by another sculptor, not of Florentine origin, who happened to bear the same name.

A mason and stonecarvers at work

A mason and stonecarvers at work About 1862 Plaster cast Height 55 cm x length 152.5 cm 1862-1

Purchased from Mr Spence, Florence in 1862 for £10 10s

Original:

A mason and stonecarvers at work
Nanni di Banco (about 1370/80-1421)
Second decade of the 15th century
Marble
On the exterior of the church of Or San Michele, Florence, Italy

The original of this relief is set in the base of the niche containing 'Four Crowned Saints', executed for the ARTE DELLA PIETRA E DI. LEGNAME, The Guild of the Stonecarvers and Woodworkers.

The activities represented are, from left to right:
i. building a wall
ii. drilling the decoration of a twisted column
iii. measuring a carved capital
iv. using a pick to carve a putto

The tools hanging behind the four figures are, from left to right:
i. a braccio rule: a braccio, literally an arm, but signifying an arm's length, was a standard measure of slightly less than a yard.
ii. a plumb line and set square
iii. a pair of dividers
iv. a set square

Candelabrum

Candelabrum About 1869 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 173 cm 1869-6

Purchased from Raphael Pinti in 1869 for £12

Original:

Candelabrum
Maffeo Olivieri (1484-1543/4)
1527
Bronze inlaid with silver
Basilica di San Marco, Venice, Italy

One of a pair. The original is inscribed on two inlaid silver bands, not reproduced in this cast, which read: MAPHEVS OLIVIERIVS BRIXIANVS FACIEBAT and ALTOBELLVS AVEROLDVS BRIXIANVS EPIS.POLEN. VENET./ APOSTOLICVS DEO OPT. MAX. DEDICAVIT. The inscriptions relate that the candelabra were made by Maffeo Olivieri and that they were commissioned by Altobello Averoldo of Brescia, Bishop of Pola and Apostolic Legate in Venice. Marin Sanudo records in his diary that they were presented to San Marco on 24 December, 1527 and placed before the High Altar.

The Annunciation

The Annunciation About 1864 Plaster cast Width 74.5 cm x height 74.5 cm 1864-8

Purchased from Signor Stiattesi in 1864 together with museum no. 1864-8 for £2 (50 francs)

Original:

The Annunciation
Orcagna (Andrea di Cione) (about 1315/20-about 1368)
Documented 1352-60
Marble
On the tabernacle in the church of Or San Michele, Florence, Italy

This is one of a series of reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of the Virgin which are set around the base of Orcagna's tabernacle in Or San Michele, interspersed with hexagonal reliefs of the Virtues.

Marriage of the Virgin

Marriage of the Virgin About 1864 Plaster cast Width 74.5 cm x height 74.5 cm 1864-8:A

Purchased from Signor Stiattesi, Florence in 1864 together with 1864-8 for £2 (50 francs)

Original:

The Marriage of the Virgin
Orcagna (Andrea di Cione) (about 1315/20-about 1368)
Documented 1352-60
Marble
On the tabernacle in the church of Or San Michele, Florence, Italy

This is one of a series of reliefs depicting scenes from the Life of the Virgin which are set around the base of Orcagna's tabernacle in Or San Michele, interspersed with hexagonal reliefs of the Virtues.

The Marriage of the Virgin

The Marriage of the Virgin About 1864 Plaster cast Width 226.5 cm x height 323 cm 1894-64

Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1894 for £74 18s

Original:

Marriage of the Virgin
Portion of a tabernacle
Orcagna (Andrea di Cione) (about 1315/20-about 1368)
Documented 1352-60
Marble with inlay of coloured marble
Church of Or San Michel, Florence, Italy

Above: The Assumption of the Virgin, the Virgin seated in a mandorla, supported by flying angels, drops her girdle to St Thomas.
Below: The Death of the Virgin. At the bottom, the inscription: ANDREAS CIONIS PICTOR FLORENTIN'/ORATORII ARCHIMAGISTER EXTITIT HUI MCCCLIX (Andrea di Cione, Florentine painter, director of works of this oratory executed (this), 1359). The present cast comprises only the relief of the rear portion of Orcagna's tabernacle, which contains, in front, a painting of the Virgin and Child with eight angels, by Bernardo Daddi (documented 1312; d. 1348), painted 1346-47.

Christ

Christ About 1866 Electrotype Width 29.5 cm x height 105.5 cm 1866-20

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Sons in 1866 for £25

Original:

Christ
Felice Palma (1583-1625)
1618-21
Bronze
Pisa Cathedral, Pisa, Italy

The original of the pendant figure of St John the Baptist (museum no. 1866-21) stands above a marble holy water stoup opposite a group surmounted by a companion figure of Christ on either side of the nave of Pisa Cathedral. The electrotypes of both figures were purchased in 1866 as copies of works by Giambologna (Giovanni Bologna) (1529-1608), but they are signed on their bases FEL.PARMA SCVL. Both the groups and the figures of Christ and St John were commissioned by the operaio of the cathedral, Curzio Ceuli, who recorded in 1618 that he had commissioned the bronze figures from 'Felice Palma scultore in Firenze' (Felice Palma, sculptor in Florence) and that he had not yet received them. They must have been delivered in 1621 when he ordered two marble pedestals to support the figures above the groups from the marble carver, Francesco Cioli.

St John the Baptist

St John the Baptist About 1866 Electrotype Width 29.5 cm x height 105.5 cm 1866-21

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Sons in 1866 for £25

Original:

St John the Baptist
Felice Palma (1583-1625)
1618-21
Bronze
Pisa Cathedral, Pisa, Italy

The original of this figure of St John the Baptist stands above a marble holy water stoup opposite a group surmounted by a companion figure of Christ (museum no. 1866-20) on either side of the nave of Pisa Cathedral. The electrotypes of both figures were purchased in 1866 as copies of works by Giambologna (Giovanni Bologna) (1529-1608), but they are signed on their bases FEL.PARMA SCVL. Both the groups and the figures of Christ and St John were commissioned by the operaio of the cathedral, Curzio Ceuli, who recorded in 1618 that he had commissioned the bronze figures from 'Felice Palma scultore in Firenze' (Felice Palma, sculptor in Florence) and that he had not yet received them. They must have been delivered in 1621 when he ordered two marble pedestals to support the figures above the groups from the marble carver, Francesco Cioli.

The Three Graces

The Three Graces About 1862 Plaster cast Width 114.5 cm x height 287.5 cm 1862-2668

Possibly purchased from the Musée du Louvre, Paris in 1862 for £33

Original:

The Three Graces
Germain Pilon (about 1525-1590)
About 1560-3
Marble
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

From the monument destined for the heart of Henry II now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France.

Pulpit

Pulpit About 1865 Plaster cast Width 404.5 cm x height 462.5 cm x depth 579.5 cm 1865-52

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1865 for £320

Original:

Pulpit
Giovanni Pisano (about 1250-about 1314)
1302-10
Marble with columns of porphyry and other stones
On the left side of the nave, before the crossing in the Cathedral, Pisa, Italy

Originally located in the right forward corner of the choir. Following a fire in the Cathedral, the pulpit was dismantled in 1602. A new pulpit by Fancelli was installed in 1627, re-using some of the sculpture from the old pulpit, while the rest, including the narrative reliefs, were used elsewhere in the cathedral. Interest in the original appearance of Giovanni Pisano's pulpit was re-awakened in the nineteenth century, and a Pisan sculptor, Giovanni Fontana, began working on a reconstruction, executed in wood in 1872 and now preserved in the Museo Civico in Pisa. His efforts roused the interest of a group of bronze sculptors, who produced their own reconstruction by 1865, before the completion of Fontana's model and differing in detail from it. The cast in the Victoria and Albert Museum seems to be from this 1865 reconstruction, and a second copy of this cast was shown in the Exposition Universalle in Paris in 1867. The present pulpit in the Cathedral in Pisa is a reconstruction by Peleo Bacci, executed in 1926. It differs substantially from the earlier reconstructions.

The main differences between the cast in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the pulpit now at Pisa are as follows:
1.The Narrative Reliefs, showing scenes from the life of Christ and the Last Judgement. In the pulpit now at Pisa there are now nine reliefs (instead of one in the V&A cast reading from left to right instead of right to left in the V&A cast). The two scenes missing from this cast are:a.The Annunciation, Visitation and Birth and naming of the Baptist, from the beginning of the cycle.b.The Damned, from the end of the cycle. At Pisa, this panel, together with the panel showing the Elect, form the Last Judgement, with the Saviour in the centre.

2.The back of the pulpit and staircase. In the 1926 reconstruction, the two additional panels, forming the beginning and end of the narrative, project from the back of the pulpit, with two modern wooden doors between them to provide an entrance to the pulpit. The staircase, which had been created by Fancelli from arch-brackets of the pulpit, and had been maintained in the 1865 and 1872 reconstructions, has now been abolished at Pisa, and the arch-brackets with reliefs of Evangelists and Prophets have been restored to the pulpit.

3.The supporting figures and columns are now arranged in a different order. Although the central support of three Virtues over a base depicting the Liberal Arts remains constant, the two supports nearest the front in the cast (depicting Christ over the Four Evangelists and Ecclesia over the four Cardinal Virtues) now support the base of the gallery at the rear of the pulpit at Pisa, and the positions of the other supports have been switched around.

4.The base and inscription. The pulpit now stands on a raised circular base, and has two inscriptions running around a frieze beneath the narrative reliefs and round the base itself attesting to the authorship of Giovanni Pisano, and that the pulpit was completed by 1311.

Virgin and Child

Virgin and Child About 1888 Plaster cast Width 43.5 cm x height 132 cm 1888-517

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) for £4 10s (90 marks)

Original:

Virgin and child
Giovanni Pisano (about 1250-about 1314)
About 1305
Marble
Scrovegni Chapel in S. Maria dell'Arena, Padua, Italy

Signed DEO GRATIAS OPVS IOHIS MAGISTRI NICOLI DE PISIS (By the Grace of God, the work of Giovanni the son of Master Nicolo from Pisa). The Scrovegni chapel is the funerary chapel of Enrico Scrovegni, a wealthy merchant banker of Padua. The foundation stone of the chapel was laid in 1303 and in 1305 the chapel was consecrated. Between 1303 and 1312/13 Giotto decorated the Scrovegni chapel with frescoes depicting scenes from the New Testament. Giovanni Pisano's Virgin and Child stands on the altar, between two angels from the workshop of this sculptor.

Pulpit

Pulpit About 1864 Plaster cast Width 371 cm x height 415 cm x depth 295.5 cm 1864-83

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1864 for £116 13s 4d

Original:

Pulpit
Nicola Pisano (about 1220-before 1284)
Dated 1260
Marble
The Baptistry, Pisa, Italy

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.

The Virgin and child with angel and six saints

The Virgin and child with angel and six saints About 1865 Plaster cast Height 208.5 cm x length 384 cm 1865-40

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son, London in 1865 for £66 12s 4d

Original:

The Virgin and child with angel and six saints
Tommaso Pisano (active 1363-72)
14th century
Marble
Church of S. Francesco, Pisa, Italy

Tommaso Pisano was the son of the sculptor Andrea Pisano (about 1295-1348/9)and the brother and collaborator of Nino Pisano (d. by 1368). The altarpiece bears traces of colour and the remains of an inscription which states that Tommaso was the son of Andrea Pisano and that he executed this work. The predella shows scenes from the Life of Christ, from left to right: the Annunciation, the Nativity, Christ among the Doctors, the Dead Christ with angels, the Virgin and St John the Evangelist, the Baptism of Christ, the Resurrection and Pentecost.

The Deposition

The Deposition About 1889 Plaster cast Width 160 cm x height 96.5 cm 1889-100

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1899 at a cost of 50 marks

Original:

The Deposition
Follower of Nicola Pisano (about 1220-before 1284)
Late 13th/early 14th century
Marble
Lucca Cathedral, Lucca, Italy, in the lunette of the left portal

In Lucca, the Deposition sits above an architrave depicting the Adoration of the Magi which is closely based on Nicola Pisano's Pisa Pulpit of 1260. Vasari (1550) attributes the Adoration to Nicola himself, and the Deposition which is related in style, has also been given to Nicola. The condition of the lunette has deteriorated considerably since this cast was purchased. Natural erosion was accelerated in the earlier part of this century when the Fire Department of Lucca was detailed to clean the relief. The photograph shows the actual state of the Deposition, with the heads of the Virgin and St John missing.

Virgin and child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, St John the Baptist, James the Greater

Virgin and child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, St John the Baptist, James the Greater About 1869 Plaster cast Height 142.5 cm x length 244 cm 1869-12

Purchased from Messrs Salviati & Co in 1869 for £12 10s

Original:

The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, St John the Baptist, James the Greater, Christopher and Anthony Abbot
Niccolo Pizzolo (b. ? 1421-53) and Giovanni da Pisa (active 1444; d. about 1460)
1448-9
Terracotta with traces of paint and gilding
Ovetari Chapel in the church of the Eremitani, Padua, Italy

This altarpiece was damaged when the Eremitani was bombed during the war, and is now better preserved in the cast than in the original. In 1443, Antonio Ovetari left 700 ducats in his will for the decoration of his chapel. This sum was divided equally between four painters: Giovanni d'Alemagna (d. 1450) working in partnership with Antonio Vivarini (active 1440, d. between 1476/84) and Niccolo Pizzolo working with Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). An arbitration of 7 September, 1449 states that 'master Niccolo alone is to make and complete, decorate and gild the altarpiece together with a specified portion of the frescoes, making it clear that of the four painters, Niccolo along was responsible for the execution of the altar. On 8 July 1448, Giovanni da Pisa paid L68 8s for work on the altarpiece. As Giovanni da Pisa was a sculptor, who, together with Niccolo Pizzolo, had assisted Donatello (1386-1466) in the execution of the High altar for the Santo, it seems probable that he assisted in the production of the terracotta relief for the Ovetari altarpiece, while Niccolo Pizzolo would have been responsible for its design together with the painted decoration and gilding.

Portrait of a man

Portrait of a man About 1867 Plaster cast Width 30.5 cm x height 50 cm 1867-181

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1867 for £1

Original:

Portrait of a man
Attributed to Antonio Pollaiuolo (about 1432-98)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

The original terracotta bust is coloured to resemble bronze.

Copy of Raphael's 'School of Athens' in the Vatican

Copy of Raphael's 'School of Athens' in the Vatican 1755 Oil on canvas Width 840 cm x height 425 cm P.36-1926

Transferred to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1917 and formally accessioned as a gift from The Duke of Northumberland in 1926

Original:

Philosophy, 'School of Athens'
Raphael (1483-1520)
Oil painting
Stanza della Segnatura in the papal apartments in the Vatican, Rome, Italy

Inscribed: PHILOSPH.OPVS RAPHAELIS EX. AUTOGRAPHO PINX. RAPH. MENGS. MD CCLV.

Philosophy is one of a series of five copies of famous Italian frescoes commissioned from Mengs and other artists by the Earl of Northumberland in 1752 to hang in the long gallery in Northumberland House (for the other four see C.M. Kauffmann, Catalogue of Foreign Paintings, vol I, London, 1973, pp. 189-90). When Northumberland House was demolished in 1874, the painting was moved to 2 Grosvenour Place. In 1917, it was transferred to the Victoria and Albert Mueum, and given to this Museum in 1926. Raphael's fresco of Philosophy, known as the School of Athens, was executed between 1508 amd 1511 and fills a lunette in the Stanza della Segnatura in the papal apartments in the Vatican. In order to adapt this enormous painting to a rectangular format without diminishing the size of the figures, Mengs has truncated and compressed the architectural elements and sculptural forms at the top, while inserting additional figures at the side. Where the original fresco is disturbed (on the left) by the top of a door, Mengs has inserted a plinth bearing his signature, the title and date, while repositioning the painted reliefs to suit this addition.

Monument to Prince-Bishop Rudolph von Scherenberg, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg

Monument to Prince-Bishop Rudolph von Scherenberg, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg About 1906 Plaster cast Width 158 cm 1906-1

Purchased from Josef Semmelmayr in 1906 for £39 3s 7d (800 marks)

Original:

Monument to Prince-Bishop Rudolph von Scherenberg, Prince Bishop of Würzburg (d. 1495)
Tilman Riemenschneider (about 1460-1531)
1496-9
Sandstone and red Salzburg marble, partly gilt and painted
Würzburg Cathedral, Würzburg, Germany

The canopy and base with the angels are of sandstone and the rest of red Salzburg marble, partly gilt and painted.

Lamentation over the dead Christ

Lamentation over the dead Christ About 1904 Plaster cast Width 55 cm x height 45.5 cm 1904-34

Purchased from Josef Semmelmayr in 1904 for £1 8s

Original:

Lamentation over the dead Christ
Tilman Riemenschneider (about 1460-1531)
Early 16th century
Wood
Manfränkisches Museum, Würzburg, Germany

St Barbara

St Barbara About 1906 Plaster cast 1906-2

Purchased from Josef Semmelmayr in 1906 for £3 3s 6d

Original:

St Barbara
School of Tilman Riemenschneider (about 1460-1531)
Early 16th century
Wood
Manfränkisches Museum, Würzburg, Germany

St Stephen

St Stephen About 1906 Plaster cast Height 78 cm 1906-3

Purchased from Josef Semmelmayr in 1906 for £3 3s 6d

Original:

St Stephen
School of Tilman Riemenschneider (about 1460-1531)
Early 16th century
Wood
Manfränkisches Museum, Würzburg, Germany

Virgin and Child

Virgin and Child About 1906 Plaster cast 1906-4

Purchased from Josef Semmelmayr in 1906 for £4 17s 11d (100 marks)

Original:

Virgin and child
School of Tilman Riemenschneider (about 1460-1531)
Early 16th century
Limewood
Manfränkisches Museum, Würzburg, Germany

The Annunciation

The Annunciation About 1888 Plaster cast Width 290 cm x height 160 cm 1888-514

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1888 for £26 7s (2000 lire). This was the total for three copies: one each for Museums at South Kensington, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Original:

Annunciation
Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525)
Second half of 15th century
Glazed terracotta
In the Ospedale di S. Maria degli Innocenti, Florence, Italy above the door leading from the courtyard to the chapel of the Hospital

The Annunciation, mistakenly attributed to Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-82), is recorded by Vasari (1550) in the Cappella de' Pugliesi, in the Hospital, above an altarpiece by Piero di Cosimo (b. 1402; d.1521(?)). This altarpiece, depicting the Madonna and Child with four Saints, was removed from the Pugliesi chapel during redecoration in 1786, and is now in the Gallery of the Hospital. As the Annunciation is recorded in its present location by 1790, it is likely that it too was moved in 1786.

Bust of a child

Bust of a child About 1867 Plaster cast Width 30.5 cm x height 34.5 cm 1867-182

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1867 for £1

Original:

Bust of a child
Ascribed to Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525)
Second half of the 15th century
Glazed terracotta
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

This bust may represent the youthful Christ and may once have had a pendant figure of the young St John the Baptist similar to the companion figure of a child (museum no. 1888-509).

Bust of a child

Bust of a child About 1888 Plaster cast Width 33 cm x height 39.5 cm 1888-509

Purchased from Messrs Jean Pouzadoux in 1888 for 6s 6d (8 francs)

Original:

Bust of a child
Ascribed to Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525)
Second half of the 15th century
Glazed terracotta
Musée National de la Renaissance, Chateau d'Écouen, France

This bust may represent the young St John the Baptist and may once have had a pendant figure of the youthful Christ similar to the companion figure (museum no. 1867-182).

Cantoria (part of)

Cantoria (part of) About 1877 Plaster cast Height 333 cm 1877-43

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1877 for £195 12s

Original:

Cantoria (part of)
Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482)
Documented 1432-8
Marble
In the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence, Italy. Formerly above the entrance to the North Sacristy of Florence Cathedral, a companion to Donatello's Cantoria (documented 1433-56) for the entrance to the South Sacristy.

The Cantoria, or Singing Gallery, was probably designed as an organ loft, and may have acquired its name when, in 1688, the balustrade was replaced by a larger wooden structure to hold a choir to sing at Ferdinando de'Medici's wedding. It was not until 1891 that the reliefs and the surviving lower part were reunited by Luigi del Moro in an erroneous reconstruction, with single, fluted pilasters dividing the reliefs. The discovery, in 1899, of a selection of the original paired Corinthian pilasters and a retrieval of part of the architrave and of the upper inscription in 1941 permitted a more accurate reconstruction of the Cantoria in 1954. The cast in the Victoria and Albert Museum was purchased in 1877, in separate parts, consisting of the reliefs and the lower part only (see museum no.1877-44). The reconstruction which was carried out in this Museum seems to be a bland reflection of Luigi del Moro's reconstruction of 1891.

Notable differences from the later reconstructions include: single pilasters, with plain surfaces dividing the reliefs; the omission of the architrave and of the inscription on the frieze beneath the architrave. The inscription illustrated in the ten reliefs, was Psalm 150, of which the top line should read here: LAUDATE DOMINUM IN SANCTIS EIUS. LAUDATE EUM IN FIRMAMENTO VIRTUTIS EIUS. LAUDATE EUM SECUNDUM MULTITDINEM MAGNITUDINIS EIUS. Missing from both this and subsequent reconstructions are the two bronze angels holding candlesticks, which Lucca della Robbia added to the balustrade after 1438. These were removed in 1688 and are now in the Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris.

The Visitation

The Visitation About 1883 Plaster cast Width 151.5 cm x height 119.5 cm 1883-177

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1883 for £32

Original:

The Visitation
Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482)
Extant by 1445
Glazed terracotta
Church of S. Giovanni Fuoricivitas, Pistoia, Italy

The group is thought to have existed before 1445, when a sum was donated to the sodality (religious guild) of the Visitation for an oil lamp to be burnt before the figure of 'the Virgin of the Visitation'. A tabernacle was placed over the sculpture in 1513/14. The figures are glazed in white, with the irises picked out in colour, while the hair, together with the borders of the garments, bears traces of gilding. The lower halves of the figures have been damaged and made up.

Monument to Benozzo Federighi, Bishop of Fiesole

Monument to Benozzo Federighi, Bishop of Fiesole About 1888 Plaster cast Width 198.5 cm x height 221 cm 1888-520

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1888 for £20 (400 marks)

Original:

Monument to Benozzo Federighi, Bishop of Fiesole
Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482)
1454-7
Marble and glazed terracotta
Church of S. Trinità, Florence, Italy

The tomb for Benozzo Federighi, Bishop of Fiesole (d. 1450), was commissioned for the north wall of the transept beside the Federighi chapel in the church of S. Pancrazio, where it was set high in the wall. It was moved to near the side door, then removed to the Federighi chapel of S. Francesco di Paola, and was only set up in its present location in 1896. The main part of the tomb is of marble, while the frieze of flowers around it is of terracotta enamelled in colours over a layer of gold leaf.

St Ambrose attended by two angels

St Ambrose attended by two angels About 1864 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 61.5 cm 1864-5

Purchased from Signor Stiattesi in 1864 for £16 (20 francs)

Original:

St Ambrose attended by two angels
Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482)
1464-72
Bronze
Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy, on the door of the North Sacristy

St Ambrose, together with the comparison relief of St Augustine(1864-6) are two of ten reliefs on the North Sacristy door which depict: the Virgin and Child, St John the Baptist, the four Evangelists and the four Doctors of the Church. On 28 February, 1446, a pair of doors for the entrance to the North Sacristy of Florence Cathedral were formerly commissioned from Michelozzo, Luca della Robbia and Maso di Bartolomeo. Between 1464 and 1472, Luca della Robbia executed the ten reliefs and the doors were set in place in the first half of 1475.

St Augustine attended by two angels

St Augustine attended by two angels About 1864 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 61.5 cm 1864-6

Purchased from Signor Stiattesi, Florence in 1864 for £16 (20 francs)

Original:

St Augustine attended by two angels
Luca della Robbia (b. 1399/1400; d. 1482)
1464-72
Bronze
Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy, on the door of the north Sacristy

St Augustine, together with the comparison relief of St Ambrose (1864-5) are two of ten reliefs on the North Sacristy door which depict: the Virgin and Child, St John the Baptist, the four Evangelists and the four Doctors of the Church. On 28 February, 1446, a pair of doors for the entrance to the North Sacristy of Florence Cathedral were formerly commissioned from Michelozzo, Luca della Robbia and Maso di Bartolomeo. Between 1464 and 1472, Luca della Robbia executed the ten reliefs and the doors were set in place in the first half of 1475.

Angel with candlestick

Angel with candlestick About 1890 Plaster cast Width 25.5 cm x height 91.5 cm x depth 61.5 cm 1890-10

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for £3 4s (80 lire)

Original:

Angel with candlestick
Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482)
15th century
White-glazed terracotta
Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy

The angels were commissioned in June 1448 to flank a tabernacle, now lost, in the Chapel of the Sacrament established in 1446 in the north tribune of Florence Cathedral, and in February 1449 wooden wings were provided for them which have since disappeared. Covered with a plain white glaze with the eyes and eyebrows only picked out in blue, they were decorated on the borders of their dress with surface painting and gilding.

Angel with candlestick

Angel with candlestick About 1890 Plaster cast Width 25.5 cm x height 91.5 cm x depth 61.5 cm 1890-11

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for £3 4s (80 lire)

Original:

Angel with candlestick
Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482)
15th century
White-glazed terracotta
Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy

The angels were commissioned in June 1448 to flank a tabernacle, now lost, in the Chapel of the Sacrament established in 1446 in the north tribune of Florence Cathedral, and in February 1449 wooden wings were provided for them which have since disappeared. Covered with a plain white glaze with the eyes and eyebrows only picked out in blue, they were decorated on the borders of their dress with surface painting and gilding.

Battle scene

Battle scene About 1884 Plaster cast Width 170.5 cm x height 137.5 cm 1884-669

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1884 for £12 (300 lire)

Original:

Battle scene from the tomb of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan (d. 1402)
Workshop of Gian Cristoforo Romano (about 1465-1512)
1491-7
Marble
In the west lobe of the South transept in the church of Certosa, Pavia, Italy

One of a series of six reliefs decorating the attic story of the tomb, depicting worthy deeds by Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Inscribed: IMPERIO AVSPICIOQVE SVO HOSTILES EXERCITVS DEBELLAT (By his authority and command he subdues the enemy armies). Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the founder of the Certosa of Pavia, died of the plague in 1402 and was buried in the Abbey of Viboldone. It was some ninety years later that Ludovico Sforza (Il Moro, 1452-1508) commissioned a tomb for Gian Galeazzo in the Certosa, in accordance with the latter's will. Gian Cristoforo Romano does appear from the documents to have been in charge of the project for the tomb. However, it is not possible to ascribe this relief to Gian Cristoforo himself, on account of the lack of any comparable material which is certainly his hand.

Virgin and child

Virgin and child About 1869 Plaster cast Width 14 cm x height 19 cm 1869-71

Acquired in 1869, further details of acquisition are not recorded

Original:

Virgin and Child
Antonio Rossellino (1427-79)
1450s
Marble
The Morgan Library and Museum, New York, USA (formerly the Pierport Morgan Library)

There is a variation of this relief in brownish marble in the Victoria and Albert Museum, museum no. 108-1878, and there are versions in stucco in the Museo Nazionale (Bargello) in Florence, in the Musée du Louvre in Paris, in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and elsewhere.

Youthful St John the Baptist

Youthful St John the Baptist About 1895 Plaster cast Height 98 cm 1895-4

Purchased from Giuseppe Lelli in 1895 for £5 13s 1d

Original:

Youthful St John the Baptist
Antonio Rossellino (1427-79)
1477
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

The Baptist holds a scroll inscribed AGITE PENETENTIAM, calling for repentance. This figure, for which Antonio Rossellino received payment in 1477, originally stood over the door of the Opera di S. Giovanni on the Piazza del Duomo in Florence. There is also a bust length version of this St John, made of stucco, in the Museo Nazionale.

Virgin and child

Virgin and child About 1890 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 66.5 cm 1890-25

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 12s (15 lire)

Original:

Virgin and Child
Style of Antonio Rossellino (1427-79)
Second half of the 15th century
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

The Nativity

The Nativity About 1888 Plaster cast Diameter 122 cm 1888-521

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1888 for £5 (100 marks)

Original:

The Nativity
Antonio Rossellino (1427/8; d. 1479)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

There are no documents relating to the commission or original location of this relief and it is ascribed to Antonio Rossellino on stylistic grounds. It was purchased for the Bargello in 1815 from Avvocato Raffaello Maldura. In 1837-44, the Nativity was copied by Lorenzo Bartolini for his monument to Countess Zamoyska in the church of S. Croce, Florence. There is a full-scale nineteenth century marble copy of the Bargello tondo in the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. A terracotta variant of the original composition which was formerly in the Königliche Museen in Berlin, was believed at one time to be the model for Rossellino's Nativity.

Virgin and child

Virgin and child About 1890 Plaster cast Width 53.5 cm x height 69 cm 1890-42

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 16s 8d

Original:

The Virgin and Child
Ascribed to Antonio Rossellino (1427-79)
Third quarter of the 15th century
Marble
The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia

Tomb of Cardinal Ascanio Sforza

Tomb of Cardinal Ascanio Sforza 1852-4 Plaster cast A.1938-12

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Tomb of Cardinal Ascanio Sforza
Andrea Sansovino (about 1467/70-1529)
1505-9
Marble
On the left wall of the choir in the church of S. Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy

Signed ANDREAS SANSOVINVS FACIEBAT. Pope Julius II (1503-13) erected this tomb to the memory of his erstwhile adversary Ascanio Sforza (d. 28 May 1505), the son of Francesca Sforza and brother of Ludovico il Moro, the Duke of Milan (1452-1508). In the corresponding position on the right wall of the choir, the Pope commissioned from Andrea Sansovino a closely similar tomb for his nephew, Cardinal Girolamo Basso della Rovere (d. 1507). The project for the tomb of Ascanio Sforza was first mentioned in a papal brief of 12 June, 1505, less than three weeks after his death. Both the Sforza and Basso monuments must have been completed by 3 June, 1509, when they were praised by Francesco Albertini. Because of their close resemblance, it has been suggested that Julius II projected the two monuments together from before the death of his nephew in 1507, as part of the re-modelling of the choir of S. Maria del Popolo undertaken by Bramante (1443/4-1514) at this time.

Virgin and child with a female martyr, St James the Great, St Francis and St Catherine of Siena

Virgin and child with a female martyr, St James the Great, St Francis and St Catherine of Siena About 1889 Plaster cast Width 112 cm x height 91.5 cm 1889-99

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1889 for 15 marks

Original:

Virgin and child with a female martyr St James the Great, St Francis and St Catherine of Siena
Jacopo Sansovino (about 1486-1570)
1527-35
Terracotta with traces of paint and gilding
Bode Museum, Berlin, Germany

The relief was formerly in a Venetian church, and was purchased in Venice by the Berlin Museum in 1841. It must have been executed after the arrival of Sansovino in Venice from Rome in 1527 and before the execution of the altarpiece of St Roch by his pupil, Tiziano Minio (about 1517-52) in the Museo Civico at Padua, which was commissioned on 25 March, 1535, as the figure of St Barbara in this altarpiece is based on the Virgin in Sansovino's relief shown here.

Font

Font 1875-7 Plaster cast Width 193 cm x height 534 cm 1886-187

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1886

Original:

Font
Stefano di Giovanni, known as Sassetta (active 1428; d. 1450) and Sano di Pietro
1416-34
Marble and bronze
Baptistry of S. Giovanni, Siena, Italy

The font was executed by four Sienese and two Florentine sculptors and goldsmiths, working with assistants between 1416 and 1434. Two Sienese painters were also involved. In 1427, Stefano di Giovanni, known as Sassetta (active 1428; d.1450) produced a drawing for the font, while in 1429, his pupil, Sano di Pietro (about 1405-81) was paid for ornamenting the font with blue and gold. This cast was given to the Victoria and Albert Museum by the Königliche Museen zu Berlin in 1886.

The cast differs from the original in Siena in two respects:
1. Damaged parts: The imitation bronze reliefs show damage not suffered by the originals as the cast is made from more vulnerable material.
2. Putti: Of the original six putti around the top of the tabernacle, only the front four remain at Siena. A fifth putto, holding a tambourine (no.11) was acquired by the Königliche Museen zu Berlin in 1902, and is now in the Staatliche Museen, West Berlin, museum.no. 2653. A sixth putto, which appears on the cast (no.12) is no longer on the font, but is preserved in the Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence. The presence of this putto on the cast (first noted by Wilhelm Bode) provides the only direct evidence to support the view that the putto in the Bargello once stood on the font in Siena.

Beatrice d'Este

Beatrice d'Este About 1893 Plaster cast Width 79.5 cm x length 214 cm 1893-488

Purchased from Edoardo Pierotti in 1893 for £20

Original:

Beatrice d'Este
Cristoforo Solari (active 1489-1520)
1497-9
Marble
Church of the Certosa, Pavia, Italy

Beatrice d'Este (1475-97) was the wife of Ludovico Sforza, known as Il Moro, the Duke of Milan (1452-1508). This effigy formed part of a joint funerary monument to Beatrice and Ludovico, commissioned from Cristoforo Solari after Beatrice's death in January 1497, and completed before Ludovico il Moro fled from Milan in 1499. The original location of the monument was the church of S. Maria delle Grazie in Milan. The effigies were removed to the Certosa in Pavia in 1564, and set up in their present position in 1891. Beatrice's elaborate dress is reminiscent of a description of a dress worn by her in 1493, with alternating bands of velvet and cloth of gold, with lattice work of silver threads.

Tomb of Filippo Decio

Tomb of Filippo Decio About 1865 Plaster cast Width 187 cm x height 259.5 cm 1865-56

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1865 for £65

Original:

Tomb of Filippo Decio
Stagio Stagi (1496-1563)
1534
Marble
Campo Santo, Pisa, Italy

The inscription records the career of the celebrated lawyer, Filippo Decio (d. 1535), who lectured at the universities (studi) of Florence, Siena, Padua and Pavia, and also taught in France. He ended his career in Florence, providing for this monument with the handsome stipend he earned there.

Boy blowing a trumpet

Boy blowing a trumpet About 1884 Electrotype Height 112 cm 1884-82

Purchased from Elkington & Co in 1884 for £80

Original:

Boy blowing a trumpet
Ascribed to Pietro Tacca (1577-1640)
16th century
Bronze
The State Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia

The origin of the bronze, which was acquired for the Hermitage before 1852, is not known. It has been stated that it once surmounted a fountain in Florence, and it has been conjectured that the fountain was the one now in the Victoria and Albert Museum (museum no. 7676-1861) removed from the garden of the Palazzo della Stufa (formerly Casa dell' Antella) in Piazza S. Croce, Florence in 1860. This fountain was described in the seventeenth century as being surmounted by a bronze statue by Giambologna (Giovanni Bologna) (1529-1608). When placed on the fountain recently, this copy did not fit well, and the St Petersburg bronze is clearly not the work of Giovanni Bologna. The fountain must date from after the competition of the Palace in 1619, eleven years after the death of Giovanni Bologna. It is ascribed to his former assistant and successor, Pietro Tacca, to whom the bronze in St Petersburg is in consequence also conjecturally ascribed.

Tomb of Emperor Henry VII of Luxemburg

Tomb of Emperor Henry VII of Luxemburg About 1865 Plaster cast Width 218.5 cm x length 384 cm 1865-50

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1865 for £66 13s 4d

Original:

Tomb of Emperor Henry VII of Luxemburg
Tino da Camaino (about 1280-1337)
1315
Marble, pigmented and gilded
In the right transept of Pisa Cathedral, Pisa, Italy

Henry VII died near Siena on St Bartholomew's Day (August 24th) 1313. His tomb was completed in February 1315 and was completed within the stipulated six months. It was installed in the tribune behind the high altar, but has suffered slow dismemberment through several removals. The original appearance of the monument was far more elaborate than either the cast in the Victoria and Albert Museum, or the present arrangement at Pisa. In both cases, only the effigy and the arcading containing eleven (originally twelve) apostles are preserved in their original relationship. Here, as in Pisa, the inscriptions and the consoles of the lower part date from 1494, when the tomb was removed to the chapel of San Ranieri. In the cast shown here, the lateral saints, Peter and Francis, probably date from the early 15th century and the originals of these figures are now in the Cathedral repository. At Pisa, their place is occupied by an Annunciation group from Tino di Camaino's workshop: the Virgin and Gabriel had been installed on either side of the effigy as early as 1829. The Annunciation may have formed part of the original monument, but would not initially have occupied this position, which most likely held angels drawing back curtains to reveal the effigy.

Among the principal figures which have been identified as belonging to the original scheme are a group comprising the seated figure of Henry VII and four standing Councillors, now in the Camposanto, but which might once have been arranged above the gisant. It has also been established that there was below the tomb a related altar dedicated to St Bartholomew. which might have supported a group by Tino da Camaino including a central Madonna and Child (in the Museo Civico, Pisa) and a figure of St Bartholomew (now in storage in the Cathedral).

Queen Eleanor of Castile

Queen Eleanor of Castile About 1858 Plaster cast Width 77 cm x length 213.5 cm 1858-277

Acquired in 1858, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Effigy of Queen Eleanor of Castile, first wife of Edward I (1241-90)
By William Torel (fl. 1291; d. 1303)
About 1291-3
Gilt bronze
Confessor's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London, England

After Eleanor's death in Harby, Lincolnshire, her body was transported with great pomp to Westminster. At the twelve resting-places of the funeral bier, 'Eleanor Crosses' were erected, each one displaying images of the Queen. Only three of these still survive, at Geddington, Hardingstone (Northampton) and Waltham: the figures from the Waltham Cross are presently on loan to the Museum.

Effigy of King Henry III of England

Effigy of King Henry III of England 1911 Plaster cast Width 91 cm x length 243 cm A.1912-1

Purchased from Titus Giuseppe Formilli in 1912 for £30

Original:

Effigy of King Henry III of England (1206-72)
William Torel (fl. 1291; d. 1303)
About 1292
Gilt bronze
Confessor's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London, England

The inscription in embossed Lombardic letters around the edge of the tomb slab reads: Ici gist henri jadis rey de engletere seygnur de hirlaunde educ de aquitayne lefiz lirey johan jadis rey de engletere akideu face merci amen. (Here lies Henry, formerly King of England, ruler of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine, the son of King John, formerly King of England; God have mercy on him, Amen).

Tomb effigy of Henry VII

Tomb effigy of Henry VII About 1858 Plaster cast with restored gilding Width 60 cm x length 221 cm 1858-276

Acquired in 1858, details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Tomb effigy of Henry VII
Pietro Torrigiano (1472-1528)
Commissioned 1512
Gilt bronze
Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London, England

The effigy of Henry VII (1457-1509) lies next to that of his Queen, Elizabeth of York, at the centre of the chapel which bears his name, at the extreme east end of Westminster Abbey.

Candelabrum

Candelabrum About 1872 Electrotype Width 48.5 cm x height 160 cm 1872-123

Purchased from Herr L. Wolter in 1872 for £37 10s

Original:

Candelabrum
Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88)
1468-80
Bronze
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This candelabrum was commissioned for the chapel of the Sala dell' Udienza in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Payments to Verrocchio for it are recorded in 1468 and 1469 and a final payment of 20 April, 1480 states that the candelabrum was installed in the chapel by that date. It is inscribed MAGGIO E GIVGNO MCCCCLXVIII around the base. By the early decades of the 19th century, the candelabrum was in the possession of the Hohenzollern in Berlin. Around 1935 it was sold by the Schloss Museum of Berlin to Mannheimer in Amsterdam, and by 1952 it had passed to the Rijksmuseum.

A vase, part of the tomb of Piero and Giovanni de'Medici

A vase, part of the tomb of Piero and Giovanni de'Medici About 1890 Plaster cast Width 33 cm x height 82 cm 1890-19

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 8s (10 lire)

Original:

A vase, part of the tomb of Piero and Giovanni de'Medici
Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88)
Dated 1472
Marble
Old Sacristy of the Church of S. Lorenzo, Florence, Italy

The tomb of Piero (d. 1469) and Giovanni di Cosimo (d. 1463) was erected by Piero's two sons, Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-92) and Giuliano (1479-1516) following their father's sudden death in 1469. This forms part of the decoration of the marble frame surrounding the tomb. The device of the diamond ring with feathers on the base of the vase is taken up on a larger scale in a repeating pattern on the arched marble frame and a diamond surmounts the sarcophagus itself. The device of the diamond ring with or without feathers is particularly associated with Piero di Cosimo, but also used by his brother, Giovanni.

Bartolommeo Colleoni

Bartolommeo Colleoni About 1885 Plaster cast Width 29 cm x depth 22.5 cm 1885-198

Presented by the Right Hon. Sir J. Savile Lumley, GCB in 1885

Original:

Bartolommeo Colleoni
Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88), cast by Alessandro Leopardi
Documented 1480-94
Bronze
Campo di Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice, Italy

This head is from the large equestrian monument to Bartolommeo Colleoni (d.1475), a condottiere or mercenary leader, who had commanded the Venetian troops. In his will, he bequeathed a sum of money for this monument. The commission was awarded to Verrocchio in April 1480, but he left the statue unfinished at his death in 1488. It was cast by Alessandro Leopardi of Ferrara, whose signature appears on the girth of the horse.

Putto with fish

Putto with fish About 1888 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 79.5 cm 1888-519

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1888 for £2 (40 marks)

Original:

Putto with fish
Workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88)
Second half of the 15th century
Bronze
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy

Made for a fountain for the Medici villa at Careggi. Vasari (1568) records that Grand Duke Cosimo I de'Medici of Tuscany (1519-74) brought this figure to Florence and had it set up on a new fountain in the first courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio. The original fountain included three bronze heads and four marble lion heads, while the replacement, designed by Vasari, was of porphyry and marble. In 1959, the Putto with a Fish was replaced by a bronze copy, and is now displayed inside the Palazzo Vecchio.

Lamentation

Lamentation About 1889 Plaster cast Width 43.5 cm x height 30.5 cm 1889-97

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1889 for 6s

Original:

Lamentation
Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88)
Second half of the 15th century
Terracotta
Kaiser-Friedrich Museum, Berlin, Germany, destroyed by fire in 1945

The relief was of unpainted terracotta, much damaged at the top, with cracks running through it. The subject matter of the Lamentation over the Dead Christ prior to His entombment indicates that this may have been the model for a relief destined for a funerary monument.

David with the head of Goliath

David with the head of Goliath About 1899 Plaster cast Height 126.5 cm 1899-55

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1889

Original:

David with the head of Goliath
Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88)
Second half of the 15th century
Bronze with traces of gilding
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

This work is documented as a Medici commission, although it is not certain whether it was ordered by Piero di Cosimo de 'Medici (1416-69) or by one of his sons, Lorenzo (the Magnificent) (1449-92) or Giuliano (1479-1516). In 1476, Lorenzo and his brother sold Verrocchio's David to the Florentine Signoria for the Palazzo Vecchio. In 1898, the figure passed into the Museo Nazionale.

Virgin and child

Virgin and child About 1888 Plaster cast Width 56 cm x height 87 cm 1888-522

Acquired in exchange from the former Königlichen Museen (Gipsformerei, Berlin) in 1888 for £2 10s (50 marks)

Original:

Virgin and child
Workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88)
About 1480
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

The composition of the relief is adapted in reverse with some variations from that of Verrocchio's only autograph Madonna relief, the painted terracotta, also now in the Bargello, from the Hospital of S. Maria Nuova, which probably dates from the early 1470s. At one time thought to be itself an autograph work of Verrocchio, the marble is now generally thought to be a product of his workshop. It has been suggested that it was carved by Francesco di Simone Ferrucci (1437-93), who from the late 1470s came heavily under the influence of Verrocchio.

Monument to Ernst, Duke of Saxony and Archbishop of Magdeburg

Monument to Ernst, Duke of Saxony and Archbishop of Magdeburg About 1904 Plaster cast Width 155 cm x length 333 cm 1904-55

Purchased from General Verwaltung der Königlichen Museen, Berlin in 1904 for £136 3s (2500 marks)

Original:

Monument to Ernst, Duke of Saxony and Archbishop of Magdeburg (1464-1513)
Peter Vischer the elder (1460-1529)
Dated 1497
Bronze
Magdeburg Cathedral, Magdeburg, Germany

Tomb of St Sebaldus

Tomb of St Sebaldus About 1869 Plaster cast Width 155 cm x height 442.5 cm x depth 272 cm 1869-14

Purchased from Jacob Rotermundt in 1869 for £245

Original:

Tomb of St Sebaldus
Peter Vischer the elder (1460-1529) and his workshop
Completed in 1519
Bronze
Church of St Sebaldus, Nuremberg, Germany

Monument to Elisabeth von Hehenzollern and Hermann VIII Graf von Henneberg

Monument to Elisabeth von Hehenzollern and Hermann VIII Graf von Henneberg About 1873 Plaster cast Height 131 cm 1873-580

Purchased from Jacob Rotermundt & Son in 1873 for £30

Original:

Monument to Elisabeth von Hohenzollern (1474-1507) and Hermann VIII Graf von Henneberg (d. 1535)
Peter Vischer the elder (1460-1529)
About 1510
Bronze
Church of Römhild, Thuringia, Germany

Based on a drawing by Albrecht Dürer in the church of Römhild.

Portrait of Apollonio Massa

Portrait of Apollonio Massa About 1884 Plaster cast Width 48.5 cm x height 80.5 cm 1884-322

Purchased from Signor Tombola, Venice in 1884 for £1 10d (25 lire)

Original:

Portrait of Apollonio Massa
Alessandro Vittoria (about 1525-1608)
Pre-1572
Terracotta
The Seminario, Venice, Italy

A cast of the terracotta model for a marble portrait of Apollonio Massa (d. 1590) formerly in the church of San Domenico di Castello in Venice, which was transferred to the Ateneo Veneto after the suppression of this church in 1807. Although the sitter is represented in contemporary dress in the model, in the final version he is shown wearing classicizing drapery. The terracotta model came from the church of the Maddalena on the Giudecca in 1822 (now the Fondamento delle Convertite or della Rotonda). Prior to its removal, the bust bore an inscription on its base: APPOLONIUS MASSA MEDICUS ET PROCURATOR MONASTERII MDLXXXVII (Apollonio Massa doctor and procurator of the monastery 1587). As the marble version is associated with an inscription of 1572, the date 1587 formerly on the base of the terracotta version must commemorate the date of its installation in the church of the Maddalena rather than that of its execution.

Mercury and Psyche

Mercury and Psyche About 1865 Plaster cast Height 254 cm 1865-48

Purchased from Van den Broeck, Brussels in 1865 for an unrecorded sum

Original:

Mercury and Psyche
Adriaen de Vries (about 1556-1626)
1593
Bronze
Executed in Rome for the Emperor Rudolf II in 1593 and now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Lectern

Lectern About 1872 Plaster cast Width 122 cm x height 198.5 cm 1872-65

Acquired in exchange from the Belgian Government in 1872 for £16

Original:

Lectern
Valley of the Meuse
Sculptor unknown
Late 15th century
Brass
Church of Notre Dame, Hal, Belgium

Lintel of a doorway carved with scenes from the Life of Samson

Lintel of a doorway carved with scenes from the Life of Samson About 1902 Plaster cast 1902-17

Acquired in exchange with the Belgian Royal Commission for Promoting the Reproduction of Works of Art in 1902 for £52 (together with museum nos. 1902-14 to 17)

Original:

Lintel of a doorway carved with scenes from the Life of Samson
Sculptor unknown
First half of the 11th century
Stone
Collegiate Church of St Gertrude, Nivelles, Belgium

Central portion of a rood-screen

Central portion of a rood-screen About 1901 Plaster cast Width 119.5 cm x height 195 cm 1902-70

Acquired in exchange with the Belgian Royal Commission for Promoting Reproductions of Works of Art in 1901 (museum nos. 1901-14 to 72 for £52)

Original:

Central portion of a rood-screen from Walcourt (jubé)
Sculptor unknown
Dated 1531
Stone
Church of Notre Dame, Walcourt, Belgium

The original stone roodscreen or jubé was presented by Charles V and was placed at the entry to the choir. It was subsequently removed but was replaced in its original position in 1888.

The South Doorway, St Mary's Church, Barfreston

The South Doorway, St Mary's Church, Barfreston About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 239 cm x height 320.5 cm A.1916-48

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

The South Doorway
Sculptor unknown
About 1180
Stone
St Mary's Church, Barfreston, Kent, England

Cross with representations of St John the Baptist, Christ in Majesty and St John the Evangelist

Cross with representations of St John the Baptist, Christ in Majesty and St John the Evangelist About 1922 Plaster cast Width 59 cm x depth 48 cm A.1923-1

Acquired in exchange with the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh in 1923

Original:

Cross with representations of St John the Baptist, Christ in Majesty and St John the Evangelist
Northumbrian
Sculptor unknown
Late 7th or early 8th century
Grey sandstone
St Cuthbert Church, Bewcastle, Cumbria, England

An angel

An angel About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 69 cm x height 117 cm A.1916-3822

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

An angel
Sculptor unknown
Late 10th century
Stone
East wall of the church of St Laurence, Bradford-upon-Avon, Wiltshire, England

This is one of a pair of angels.

Font carved with a representation of the Baptism of Christ, symbolical beasts, the figure of the sculptor, and a runic inscription

Font carved with a representation of the Baptism of Christ, symbolical beasts, the figure of the sculptor, and a runic inscription About 1863 Plaster cast Height 64 cm 1863-26

Given by F.B.L. Dykes, Esq in 1863

Original:

Font carved with a representation of the Baptism of Christ, symbolical beasts, the figure of the sculptor, and a runic inscription
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 12th century
Stone
St Bridget's Church, Bridekirk, Cumbria, England

The runic inscription reads: 'Richard wrought me and carefully brought me to this beauty'.

Candelabrum

Candelabrum About 1872 Electrotype Width 79.5 cm x height 236.5 cm 1872-430

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1872 for £110

Original:

Candelabrum
Unidentified Italian sculptor
About 1600
Bronze
Chester Cathedral, Chester, Cheshire, England

One of a pair of candlesticks presented to Chester Cathedral by the Duke of Westminster in about 1880. The candelabra are said to have come from the Church of S. Tommaso in Milan, but are related to three pairs of candelabra in Rome by Orazio Censore (d. 1622): one in S. Trinità dei Pellegrini and two in S. Andrea della Valle.

The Raising of Lazarus

The Raising of Lazarus About 1864 Plaster cast Width 117 cm x height 122 cm 1864-56

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1864 together with museum no. 1864-57 for £30

Original:

The Raising of Lazarus
Sculptor unknown
Second quarter of the 12th century
Stone
Chichester Cathedral, Chichester, West Sussex, England

Christ at Bethany

Christ at Bethany About 1864 Plaster cast Width 112 cm x height 135 cm 1864-57

Bought from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1864 together with museum no. 1864-56 for £30

Original:

Christ at Bethany
Sculptor unknown
Second quarter of the 12th century
Stone
Chichester Cathedral, Chichester, West Sussex, England

Effigy to Lady Fitzalan

Effigy to Lady Fitzalan About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 82 cm x height 112 cm x length 221cm A.1916-206

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Effigy to Lady Fitzalan
Sculptor unknown
About 1280
Stone
North aisle of Chichester Cathedral, Chichester, West Sussex, England

Original in the north aisle of Chichester Cathedral.

Font with the Creation and the Fall of Man

Font with the Creation and the Fall of Man About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 99 cm x height 43.5 cm x length 99 cm A.1916-44

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Font with the Creation and the Fall of Man
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 12th century
Tournai marble
East Meon Church, East Meon, Hampshire, England

The arrangement of the side panels differs from the original.

Tympanum, from the 'Prior's Doorway'

Tympanum, from the 'Prior's Doorway' About 1852-4 Plaster cast A.1938-17

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Tympanum, from the 'Prior's Doorway'
Sculptor unknown
About 1140
Stone
Ely Cathedral, Ely, Cambridgeshire, England

The Minstrel's Gallery

The Minstrel's Gallery About 1865 Plaster cast Height 193 cm x length 493 cm 1865-39

Purchased from Mr J. Gendall in 1865 for £90 7s

Original:

The Minstrel's Gallery
Sculptor unknown
About 1330-40
Stone
Exeter Cathedral, Exeter, Devon, England

Pillar cross, moulded at Gosforth on behalf of the museum

Pillar cross, moulded at Gosforth on behalf of the museum 1882 Plaster cast Height 442.5 cm 1882-258

Commissioned by the Museum in 1882

Original:

Pillar cross carved with the Crucifixion and scenes from the Scandinavian legend of Rangnarok
Anglo-Danish
Sculptor unknown
Late 9th century
Red sandstone
Churchyard at Gosforth, Cumbria, England

The Arms of Cardinal Wolsey

The Arms of Cardinal Wolsey About 1905 Plaster cast Width 124.5 cm x height 147.5 cm 1905-1

Purchased from Lorenzo Giuntini in 1905 for £15 together with museum no. 1905-2

Original:

The Arms of Cardinal Wolsey
Unidentified Florentine sculptor
1525
Terracotta
In the Clock Court, Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court, England (over Anne Boleyn's Gateway and beneath the Astronomical clock)

The motto of Cardinal Wolsey (1471-1530), 'DOMINVS MICHI ADIVTOR', is incised beneath the arms at Hampton Court. When Henry VIII (reigned 1509-47) took possession of Wolsey's palace, he superimposed his own arms and motto over Wolsey's. The latter's arms remained concealed until the early 19th century (pre 1845), when the king's arms were taken down for restoration. At the time of their discovery, the arms were surmounted by a lunette containing the monogram of TW with a cord and tassels and the date 1525, shown in the engraving (from the Gentleman's Magazine, XXIV, 1845, facing page 593). This lunette disappeared at some time before 1894.

Tombstone

Tombstone About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 74.5 cm x length 206 cm A.1916-803

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Tombstone
Sculptor unknown
First half of the 13th century
Stone
Hereford Cathedral, Hereford, Herefordshire, England

Cross

Cross 1936 Plaster cast Width 37 cm x depth 28 cm A.1936-2

Commissioned by the Museum in 1936

Original:

Cross
Sculptor unknown
About 740
Sandstone
Formerly at the head of the grave of Acca, Bishop of Hexham (709-32; d. 740), in Hexham Abbey, and now standing in the South transept of Hexham Abbey, Hexham, Northumbria, England.

Cross-shaft, moulded at Irton on behalf of the museum

Cross-shaft, moulded at Irton on behalf of the museum August 1882 Plaster cast Width 71.5 cm x height 31.5 cm 1882-259

Commissioned by the Museum in 1882

Original:

Cross-shaft
Northumbrian; sculptor unknown
First half of the 9th century
Stone
Irton churchyard, Irton, Cumbria, England

Cross

Cross About 1866 Plaster cast Width 56 cm x height 145 cm 1866-35

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1866 for £3

Original:

Cross with a runic inscription
Sculptor unknown
11th century
Slate
Graveyard of Kirk Braddan, Isle of Man, England

Shaft of a cross

Shaft of a cross About 1866 Plaster cast Width 30.5 cm x height 84.5 cm 1866-36

Purchased from Messrs Franchi and Son in 1866 for £1 12s 6d

Original:

Shaft of a cross with part of a runic inscription
Sculptor unknown
11th century
Slate
Graveyard of Kirk Braddan, Isle of Man, England

An apostle

An apostle About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Height 74.5 cm A.1916-10

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Apostle
Sculptor unknown
About 1150
Stone
Chancel arch in the church of St Mary and St David, Kilpeck, Herefordshire, England

An apostle

An apostle About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Height 74.5 cm A.1916-11

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Apostle
Sculptor unknown
About 1150
Stone
Chancel arch in the church of St Mary and St David, Kilpeck, Herefordshire, England

Tomb-slab of Gundrada

Tomb-slab of Gundrada About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x length 196 cm A.1916-8

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Tomb-slab of Gundrada
Sculptor unknown
1142-7
Tournai marble
Church of St John the Baptist in Southover, originally in the Cluniac Priory of St Pancras, Lewes, East Sussex, England

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 59 cm x height 69 cm A.1916-433

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre
Sculptor unknown
About 1290-1300
Stone
Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 66.5 cm A.1916-434

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre
Sculptor unknown
About 1290-1300
Stone
Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 59 cm x height 71.5 cm A.1916-435

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Relief from the Easter Sepulchre
Sculptor unknown
1290-1300
Stone
Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

Effigy of possibly Gilbert Marshal, Earl of Pembroke (d. 1241)

Effigy of possibly Gilbert Marshal, Earl of Pembroke (d. 1241) About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 212 cm A.1938-8

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of possibly Gilbert Marshal, Earl of Pembroke (d. 1241)
Sculptor unknown
Middle of the 13th century
Reigate stone
Temple Church, London, England

Effigy of possibly William Marshal, the Younger, fifth Earl of Pembroke (about 1190-1231)

Effigy of possibly William Marshal, the Younger, fifth Earl of Pembroke (about 1190-1231) About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 211.5 cm A.1938-9

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of possibly William Marshal, the Younger, fifth Earl of Pembroke (about 1190-1231)
Sculptor unknown
Middle of the 13th century
Reigate stone
Temple Church, London, England

Effigy of William Marshal the elder, fourth Earl of Pembroke

Effigy of William Marshal the elder, fourth Earl of Pembroke About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 221 cm A.1938-7

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of William Marshal the elder, fourth Earl of Pembroke (about 1146-1219)
Sculptor unknown
Purbeck marble
Third quarter of the 13th century
Temple Church, London, England

Effigy of Robert de Ros

Effigy of Robert de Ros About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 194 cm A.1938-10

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of Robert de Ros (about 1182-1226/7)
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Purbeck marble
Temple Church, London, England

His effigy is described by Gough, in 'Sepulchral Monuments', as 'the most elegant of all the figures in the Temple Church, representing a comly young knight in mail, and a flowing mantle with a kind of cowl; his hair neatly curled at the sides; his crown appears shaved. His hands are elevated in a praying posture, and on his left arm is a short, pointed shield charged with three water-bougets. He has on his left side a long sword, and the armour of his legs, which are crossed, has a ridge, or a seam up the front, continued over the knee. At his feet is a lion, and the whole figure measures six feet two inches.'

Left-hand jamb

Left-hand jamb About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 34 cm A.1916-277

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Left-hand jamb
Sculptor unknown
About 1250
Stone
From the doorway to the Chapter-House, Westminster Abbey, London, England

Right-hand jamb

Right-hand jamb About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 32.5 cm A.1916-278

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Right-hand jamb
Sculptor unknown
About 1250
Stone
From the doorway to the Chapter-House, Westminster Abbey, London, England

Censing angel

Censing angel About 1931 Plaster cast A.1931-7

Bought from the Department for the Sale of Casts in 1931 for £50

Original:

Censing Angel
Sculptor unknown
About 1255
South transept of Westminster Abbey, London, England

Weepers from the tomb of John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall

Weepers from the tomb of John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Height 550 cm x length 93.5 cm A.1916-307

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Weepers from the tomb of John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall (1316-36)
Sculptor unknown
About 1340
Westminster Abbey, London, England

Corbel figure of an angel

Corbel figure of an angel About 1922 Plaster cast A.1922-14

Original:

Corbel figure of an angel
Sculptor unknown
About 1410
Oak
Westminster Hall, London, England

Effigy of Sir Ralph Fitzherbert

Effigy of Sir Ralph Fitzherbert About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 53.5 cm x 208.5 cm A.1916-214

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Effigy of Sir Ralph Fitzherbert (d. 1483)
Sculptor unknown
Late 15th century
Alabaster
Norbury Church, Norbury, Derbyshire, England

Effigy of Elizabeth, wife of Sir Ralph Fitzherbert

Effigy of Elizabeth, wife of Sir Ralph Fitzherbert About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x length 203.5 cm A.1916-215

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Effigy of Elizabeth, wife of Sir Ralph Fitzherbert (d. 1483)
Sculptor unknown
Late 15th century
Alabaster
Norbury Church, Norbury, Derbyshire, England

The Prior's Door

The Prior's Door About 1865 Plaster cast Width 338 cm x height 432 cm 1865-60

Purchased from Domenico Brucciani in 1865 for £120

Original:

The Prior's Door
Sculptor unknown
About 1310
Stone
The Cloister of Norwich Cathedral, Norwich, Norfolk, England

St Mary Magdalen

St Mary Magdalen About 1852-4 Plaster cast Width 49 cm A.1938-21

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

St Mary Magdalen
Sculptor unknown
About 1541
Stone
From the west doorway of the chapel, Magdalen College, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

The Hedda; Offa's Stone

The Hedda; Offa's Stone About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 30.5 cm x height 74.5 cm x length 101.5 cm A.1916-1

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

The Hedda or 'Offa's' Stone carved with figures of the Apostles and the Virgin
Sculptor unknown
First half of the 9th century
Stone
Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England

The Hedda Stone is an important example of early Anglo-Saxon stone carving.

Roger, Bishop of Salisbury

Roger, Bishop of Salisbury About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 201.5 cm A.1938-22

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Memorial slab of possibly Roger, Bishop of Salisbury (d. 1139)
Sculptor unknown
About 1140-50
Marble
In the Nave of Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

Thirteen voussoirs

Thirteen voussoirs About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 445 cm x height 328 cm A.1916-506

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Thirteen voussoirs with representations of the Virtues and Vices
Sculptor unknown
About 1280
Stone
From the doorway of the Chapter-House of Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

The cycle of seven virtues, sometimes paired with appropriate vices (not necessarily the seven Deadly Sins) was widely represented in medieval sculpture and fresco, often associated with the Last Judgment.

Tympanum

Tympanum About 1852-4 Plaster cast Width 165 cm A.1938-16

Given by the Trustees of Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Tympanum
Sculptor unknown
About 1140
Stone
From the church at Shobdon later removed and re-erected in Shobdon Park, Herefordshire, England

Shobdon Church was demolished in the 18th century and its two doorways with their tympana and the chancel arch were re-erected in Shobdon Park as a folly and are now decayed from weathering. The plaster cast, made in the 1850s for the Crystal Palace, was slightly worked-up by the caster.

Episodes from the story of the Apple Stealers

Episodes from the story of the Apple Stealers About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Height 45 cm A.1916-352

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Capital depicting episodes from the story of the Apple Stealers
Sculptor unknown
About 1220
Stone
South transept of Wells Cathedral, Wells, Somerset, England

Episodes from the story of the Apple Stealers

Episodes from the story of the Apple Stealers About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Height 43.5 cm A.1916-353

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Capital depicting episodes from the story of the Apple Stealers
Sculptor unknown
About 1220
Stone
South transept of Wells Cathedral, Wells, Somerset, England

John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford

John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x length 213.5 cm A.1916-213

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Effigy of John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford (b. about 1387-1453)
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 15th century
Stone
Church of St Alkmund's, Whitchurch, Shropshire, England

Font with scenes from the Life of St Nicholas

Font with scenes from the Life of St Nicholas About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 101.5 cm x height 38 cm x length 101.5 cm A.1916-43

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Font with scenes from the Life of St Nicholas
Tournai, Belgium
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 12th century
Marble
Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England

Cross shaft, moulded at Wolverhampton on behalf of the museum

Cross shaft, moulded at Wolverhampton on behalf of the museum About 1880 Plaster cast Height 610 cm 1880-117

Commissioned by the Museum in 1880

Original:

Cross shaft
Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia
Sculptor unknown
Middle of the 9th century
Stone
St Peter's Gardens, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England

Effigy of King John

Effigy of King John About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 101 cm A.1938-11

Given by the Trustees of Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of King John (d. 1216)
Sculptor unknown
About 1240
Purbeck marble
Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, Worcestershire, England

The two small figures of bishops represent St Oswald and St Wulfstan, between whose shrines the King was buried.

Virgin and child

Virgin and child About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 39.5 cm x height 70 cm LOST.217

Details of acquisition not recorded

Original:

Virgin and Child
Sculptor unknown
About 1150
Tadcaster stone
Original in York Minster, York, Yorkshire, England

Effigy of Walter de Grey, Archbishop of York

Effigy of Walter de Grey, Archbishop of York About 1858 Plaster cast Width 132 cm x height 457.5 cm x length 279.5 cm 1858-271

Acquired in 1858, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Effigy of Walter de Grey, Archbishop of York (b. about 1188-1255)
Sculptor unknown
Middle of the 13th century
Stone
South transept of York Minster, York, Yorkshire, England

Arches

Arches About 1858 Plaster cast Width 88 cm 1858-273

Acquired in 1858, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Arches
Sculptor unknown
Middle of the 13th century
Stone
York Minster, York, Yorkshire, England

Part of an Arcade

Part of an Arcade About 1858 Plaster cast Width 203.5 cm x height 351 cm 1858-274

Acquired in 1858, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Part of an arcade enclosing an arch of a piscina
Sculptor unknown
Middle of the 13th century
Stone
North transept of York Minster, York, Yorkshire, England

Central pier with statues of Christ and St David

Central pier with statues of Christ and St David About 1888 Plaster cast Width 84.5 cm x height 808.5 cm x depth 91.5 cm 1888-666

Purchased from Messrs Pouzadoux in 1888 for £76

Original:

The central pier with statues of Christ and St David of the central doorway of the West Portal
Sculptor unknown
About 1220-35
Stone
West Portal of Amiens Cathedral, Amiens, France

Socle figure

Socle figure About 1883 Plaster cast Width 8.5 cm x height 52.5 cm 1883-155

Given by the Musée de la Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1883

Original:

Socle figures representing (from the left) Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, Grammar, Philosophy, Dialectic and Rhetoric
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone
From the Baptist portal of Auxerre Cathedral, Auxerre, France

Socle figure

Socle figure About 1883 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 52.5 cm 1883-156

Given by the Musée de la Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1883

Original:

Socle figures representing (from the left) Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, Grammar, Philosophy, Dialectic and Rhetoric
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone
From the Baptist portal of Auxerre Cathedral, Auxerre, France

Socle figure

Socle figure About 1883 Plaster cast Width 41 cm x height 52.5 cm 1883-157

Given by the Musée de la Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1883

Original:

Socle figures representing (from the left) Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, Grammar, Philosophy, Dialectic and Rhetoric
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone
From the Baptist portal of Auxerre Cathedral, Auxerre, France

Socle figure

Socle figure About 1883 Plaster cast Width 48.5 cm x height 52.5 cm 1883-158

Given by the Musée de la Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1883

Original:

Socle figures representing (from the left) Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, Grammar, Philosophy, Dialectic and Rhetoric
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone
From the Baptist portal of Auxerre Cathedral, Auxerre, France

Socle figure

Socle figure About 1883 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 52.5 cm 1883-159

Given by the Musée de la Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1883

Original:

Socle figures representing (from the left) Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, Grammar, Philosophy, Dialectic and Rhetoric
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone
From the Baptist portal of Auxerre Cathedral, Auxerre, France

Socle figure

Socle figure About 1883 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 52.5 cm 1883-160

Given by the Musée de la Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1883

Original:

Socle figures representing (from the left) Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, Grammar, Philosophy, Dialectic and Rhetoric
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone
From the Baptist portal of Auxerre Cathedral, Auxerre, France

Socle figure

Socle figure About 1883 Plaster cast Width 38.5 cm x height 52.5 cm 1883-161

Given by the Musée de la Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1883

Original:

Socle figures representing (from the left) Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, Grammar, Philosophy, Dialectic and Rhetoric
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone
From the Baptist portal of Auxerre Cathedral, Auxerre, France

Socle figure

Socle figure About 1883 Plaster cast Width 30.5 cm x height 52.5 cm 1883-162

Given by the Musée de la Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1883

Original:

Socle figures representing (from the left) Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, Astronomy, Grammar, Philosophy, Dialectic and Rhetoric
Sculptor unknown
Third quarter of the 13th century
Stone
From the Baptist portal of Auxerre Cathedral, Auxerre, France

Part of the Portal

Part of the Portal About 1893 Plaster cast Width 173 cm x height 783 cm 1893-2

Purchased from Messrs Pouzadoux & Daughters in 1893 for £71 14s 3d

Original:

Part of the portal
Sculptor unknown
About 1300
Stone
From the north transept of the Cathedral of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

A statue of Bertrand de Goth, Archbishop of Bordeaux, afterwards in 1305 Pope Clement V, occupies the large niche.

King Henry II of England

King Henry II of England About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 231.5 cm A.1938-1

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of King Henry II of England (1133-89)
Sculptor unknown
Early 13th century
Stone
Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, France

Effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of Henry II of England (b. about 1122-1204)

Effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of Henry II of England (b. about 1122-1204) About 1852-4 Plaster cast with restored pigmentation Length 223.5 cm A.1938-2

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of Henry II of England (b. about 1122-1204)
Sculptor unknown
Early 13th century
Stone
Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, France

Richard I, King of England

Richard I, King of England About 1852-4 Plaster cast with restored pigmentation Length 226.5 cm A.1938-3

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of Richard I, King of England (1157-99)
Sculptor unknown
Early 13th century
Stone
Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, France

Effigy of Isabella of Angouleme, Queen of John of England (about 1188-1246)

Effigy of Isabella of Angouleme, Queen of John of England (about 1188-1246) About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 206 cm A.1938-4

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of Isabella of Angouleme, Queen of John of England (about 1188-1246)
Sculptor unknown
Middle of the 13th century
Wood
Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, France

Effigy of Berengaria, Queen of King Richard I of England (1165-1230)

Effigy of Berengaria, Queen of King Richard I of England (1165-1230) About 1852-4 Plaster cast, painted and gilt Length 226.5 cm A.1938-5

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of Berengaria, Queen of King Richard I of England (1165-1230)
Sculptor unknown
Second quarter of the 13th century
Stone
In the abbey of L'Éepau, Le Mans

Capital

Capital About 1862 Plaster cast Height 42.5 cm 1862-2678

Acquired in 1862, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Capital
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
From the Cloister of the Abbey of Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne, Moissac, France

Capital

Capital About 1862 Plaster cast 1862-2679

Acquired in 1862, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Capital
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
From the Cloister of the Abbey of Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne, Moissac, France

Capital

Capital About 1862 Plaster cast 1862-2680

Acquired in 1862, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Capital
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
From the Cloister of the Abbey of Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne, Moissac, France

Capital

Capital About 1862 Plaster cast 1862-2681

Acquired in 1862, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Capital
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
From the Cloister of the Abbey of Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne, Moissac, France

Capital

Capital About 1862 Plaster cast 1862-2682

Acquired in 1862, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Capital
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
From the Cloister of the Abbey of Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne, Moissac, France

Colonnette

Colonnette About 1862 Plaster cast Height 197 cm 1862-2671

Acquired in 1862, further details of acquisition unrecorded

Original:

Colonnette
Sculptor unknown
About 1137-40
Stone
Door jamb originally one of the lateral portals of the West façade at Saint-Denis, now in the Musée de Cluny, Paris, France

Retable

Retable About 1890 Plaster cast Height 381.5 cm x length 66.5 cm 1890-79

Purchased from Messrs Pouzadoux in 1890 for £14 (350 francs)

Original:

Retable
Sculptor unknown
About 1259-67
Stone
Originally in the Church of St Germer-de-Fly, Oise, now in the Musée de Cluny, Paris, France

The retable (part of an altar holding decorative panels) shows the Crucifixion, with on either side, Mary and John, Ecclesia and Synagogue, Peter and Paul, and the Annunciation and Visitation; the remaining figures presumably depict incidents from the legend of St Geremar, but the interpretation is uncertain.

Chimney-piece

Chimney-piece About 1864 Plaster cast Width 231.5 cm x height 457.5 cm 1864-144

Purchased from Monsieur Toquière in 1864 for £44

Original:

Chimney-piece
Sculptor unknown
Dated 1570
Stone
From the Château of the Seigneur de Villeroy and now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Arcading

Arcading About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 358.5 cm x height 272 cm A.1916-3163

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Arcading
Sculptor unknown
1210-20
From the Porte de la Vierge in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France

Arcading with small panels in relief representing (from the left) Pope Leo III crowning Charlemayne (?), the Fall of the Angels, the Martyrdom of St Denis, St Michael victorious over the dragon, and Mare (the sea).

Arcading

Arcading About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 358.5 cm x height 272 cm A.1916-3164

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Arcading
Sculptor unknown
1210-20
Stone
From the Porte de la Viere in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France

Arcading with small panels in relief representing (from the left), Terra, the Beheading of John the Baptist, the Stoning of St Stephen, a scene concerning St Genevieve, and Pope Leo III.

St Stephen being stoned

St Stephen being stoned About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 77 cm x height 77 cm A.1916-3161

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

St Stephen being stoned
Sculptor unknown
1260-5
Stone
From the tympanum of the door of the South transept of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris, France

Draper's Pillar

Draper's Pillar About 1890 Plaster cast Width 77 cm x height 109.5 cm 1890-76

Purchased from Messrs Pouzadoux in 1890 for £60 (1500 francs)

Original:

Base of the 'Draper's Pillar'
Sculptor unknown
About 1230
Stone
In the doorway of the North transept, Rheims Cathedral, Rheims, France

Effigy of King Richard I of England

Effigy of King Richard I of England About 1852-4 Plaster cast Length 229 cm A.1938-23

Given by the Trustees of the Crystal Palace in 1938

Original:

Effigy of King Richard I of England (1157-99) commemorating the burial of the King's heart in Rouen Cathedral
Sculptor unknown
Early 13th century
Stone
Rouen Cathedral, Rouen, France

Commemorating the burial of the King's heart in Rouen Cathedral, early 13th century.

Personification of The Synagogue

Personification of The Synagogue About 1908 Plaster cast Height 190.5 cm 1908-1

Purchased from August Gerber in 1908 for £9 15s 7d

Original:

Personification of The Synagogue
Sculptor unknown
About 1230-5
Sandstone
Originally in the south doorway of Strasbourg Cathedral, now in the Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame, Strasbourg, France

Personification of The Church

Personification of The Church About 1908 Plaster cast Height 201 cm 1908-2

Purchased from August Gerber in 1908 for £9 15s 7d

Original:

Personification of The Church
Sculptor unknown
About 1230-5
Sandstone
Originally on the south doorway of Strasbourg Cathedral, now in the Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame, Strasbourg, France

Main Western Portal

Main Western Portal About 1892 Plaster cast Width 569.5 cm x height 508.5 cm 1892-3

Purchased from Messrs Pouzadoux & Daughters in 1892 for £190 16s 4d

Original:

Main western portal
Sculptor unknown
Portal was begun in 1477, and the wooden doors were executed in 1504
Wood and stone
Cathedral of St Sauveur, Aix-en-Provence, France

Scenes from the Old Testament and Signs of the Zodiac

Scenes from the Old Testament and Signs of the Zodiac About 1874 Electrotype Width 427 cm x height 244 cm 1874-136

Bought from Messrs Elkington & Co in 1874 for £288

Original:

Doors
Sculptor unknown
First quarter of the 11th century
Bronze
Augsburg Cathedral, Augsburg, Germany

The doors are decorated with scenes from the Old Testament, signs of the Zodiac and other subjects.

Lion

Lion About 1872-3 Plaster cast Height 295 cm x length 168 cm 1873-383

Purchased from Georg Howalett in 1873 for £29 11s 1d (200 thalers)

Original:

Lion
Sculptor unknown
About 1166
Bronze
Cathedral Square, Brunswick, Germany

Part of the left doorway

Part of the left doorway About 1873 Plaster cast Width 112 cm x height 170.5 cm 1873-369

Purchased from Cesare Leers in 1873 for £12

Original:

Part of the left doorway
Sculptor unknown
About 1065
Walnut
From the North Transept of the Church of S. Maria im Kapitol, Cologne, Germany

The doorway is decorated with scenes showing the Annunciation and Visitation, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the Nativity, the Magi before Herod, and the Adoration of the Magi.

Doors

Doors About 1874 Electrotype Width 244 cm x height 488 cm 1874-44

Purchased from Giovanni Franchi in 1874 for £380

Original:

Doors
Sculptor unknown
Set up in 1015
Bronze
Originally in St Michael's Church, Hildesheim, later removed to the Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany

The doors are decorated with (on the left, top to bottom) representations of the Creation of Eve, the Presentation of Eve to Adam, the Temptation, the Fall, the Expulsion, the Labours of Adam and Eve, the Sacrifice of Abel and Cain, the Murder of Abel, (on the right, top to bottom) the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation to Simeon, Christ before Pilate, the crucifixion, the Maries at the Sepulchre, and Christ appearing to St Mary Magdalen. The doors were made at the order of St Bernward, Bishop of Hildesheim (993-1022) and set up by him in 1015 in St Michael's Church, Hildesheim. His successor, St Godehard, removed them to the Cathedral.

Tombstone for Presbyter Bruno

Tombstone for Presbyter Bruno About 1873 Plaster cast Width 77 cm x height 218.5 cm 1873-380

Purchased from F. Künsthardt in 1873 for £6

Original:

Tombstone for Presbyter Bruno (d. 1194)
Sculptor unknown
After 1194
Stone
Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany

Font

Font About 1874 Plaster cast Diameter 99 cm x height 183 cm 1874-29

Purchased from F. Künsthardt in 1874 for £19

Original:

Font
Sculptor unknown
About 1220
Cast brass
Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany

The font is decorated with representations on the cover of Moses and Aaron on either side of an altar, an Allegory of Pity, the Anointing of Christ by St Mary Magdalen, and the Passage through the Read Sea of the Israelites, the Ark of the Covenant, the Baptism of Christ, and the Virgin and Child between two bishops and the Provost Wilbernus at her feet; the figures supporting the font represent the Rivers of Paradise. The font was given to the Cathedral of Hildesheim by Wilbernus, Provost of Hildesheim (1216-20).

Christ, St. Godehard and St. Epiphanius

Christ, St. Godehard and St. Epiphanius About 1874 Plaster cast Width 213.5 cm x height 107 cm 1874-45

Purchased from F. Künsthardt in 1874 for £9

Original:

Christ, St. Godehard and St. Epiphanius
Tympanum
Sculptor unknown
About 1200
Stucco
Over the north door of the Church of St Godehard, Hildesheim, Germany

Scenes from the Life of Christ

Scenes from the Life of Christ About 1874 Plaster cast Width 84.5 cm x height 427 cm x depth 84.5 cm x diameter 61.5 cm 1874-39

Purchased from F. Künsthardt in 1874 for £18

Original:

Scenes from the Life of Christ
Column
Sculptor unknown
About 1020
Bronze
Church of St Michael, Hildesheim, Germany

Cast for Archbishop Bernward of Hildesheim and set up in the Church of St Michael.

Choir Screen

Choir Screen About 1873 Plaster cast Height 793 cm x length 320.5 cm 1873-561

Purchased from F. Künsthardt in 1873 for £162 10s

Original:

Choir screen
Sculptor unknown
About 1197
Stucco
Church of St Michael, Hildesheim, Germany

The choir screen is decorated with scenes showing figures of (from the left) St Benedict, St James, St Peter, the Virgin and child, St Paul, St John and Bishop Bernward.

Respresentation of Christ in Majesty

Respresentation of Christ in Majesty About 1890 Plaster cast Width 96.5 cm x length 274.5 cm 1890-73

Bought from Dr C. Curtius in 1890 for £4

Original:

Representations of Christ in Majesty
Tympanum
Sculptor unknown
Late 13th century
Stone
Between two Angels in the porch of the Cathedral, Lübeck, Germany

Count Ekkehard

Count Ekkehard About 1875 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 198.5 cm 1875-16

Purchased from F. Künsthardt in 1875 for £7 10s

Original:

Count Ekkehard
Sculptor unknown
Between 1250-60
Sandstone
Choir of the Cathedral of Naumburg, Naumburg, Germany

Regilindis, wife of Hermann, Margrave of Meissen

Regilindis, wife of Hermann, Margrave of Meissen About 1875 Plaster cast Width 61.5 cm x height 198.5 cm 1875-17

Purchased from F. Künsthardt in 1875 for £7 10s

Original:

Regilindis, wife of Hermann, Margrave of Meissen
Sculptor unknown
Between 1250-60
Sandstone
Choir of the Cathedral of Naumburg, Naumburg, Germany

The Virgin Mary

The Virgin Mary About 1900 Plaster cast Height 150 cm 1900-30

Purchased from the Royal College of Art, London in 1900 (amount unrecorded)

Original:

The Virgin Mary
Sculptor unknown
About 1520
Wood, painted and gilt
From the side of a crucifix in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg, Germany

Cross

Cross About 1903 Plaster cast Width 220 cm x height 536.5 cm 1903-25

Purchased from the Dublin Museum in 1903 for £32 10s. The taking of the cast by Messrs Goodfellow was organised by the Dublin Museum

Original:

Cross
Sculptor unknown
Early 10th century
Green sandstone
Churchyard of Monasterboice, Louth, Ireland

Carve with scenes from the Old and New Testaments, Signs of the Zodiac, and other subjects, to commemorate Muiredach, Abbot of Monasterboice (d. 923).

Capital

Capital About 1930 Plaster cast Height 43.5 cm A.1930-1

Purchased from the Musée de Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1930 together with museum nos. A.1930-1 to 3 for £52 8s

Original:

Capital
Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem; sculptor unknown
About 1160
Stone
Said to have belonged to the doorway of the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, and now in the Museum of the Franciscan Convent, Nazareth,

The capital is carved with representations of the Miraculous Draught of Fishes and the Raising of Tabitha.

Capital

Capital About 1930 Plaster cast Height 43.5 cm A.1930-2

Purchased from the Musée de Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1930 together with museum nos. A.1930-1 to 3 for £52 8s

Original:

Capital
Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem; sculptor unknown
About 1160
Stone
Said to have belonged to the doorway of the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, and now in the Museum of the Franciscan Convent, Nazareth

The capital is carved with a representation of the Incredulity of St Thomas.

Capital

Capital About 1930 Plaster cast Height 61 cm A.1930-3

Purchased from the Musée de Sculpture Comparée, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris in 1930 together with museum nos. A.1930-1 to 3 for £52 8s

Original:

Capital
Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem; sculptor unknown
About 1160
Stone
Said to have belonged to the doorway of the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, and now in the Museum of the Franciscan Convent, Nazareth

The capital is carved with representations of Faith leading an Apostle who is being attacked by demons.

Tablet

Tablet About 1891 Plaster cast Width 122 cm x height 87 cm 1891-128

Purchased from Carlo Campi in 1891 for 7s (30 lire)

Original:

Tablet
Unidentified Lombard sculptor
16th century
Stone
On the rear wall of Como Cathedral, Como, Italy

The inscription records the building of the Cathedral, and the completion of the facade.

Portrait of Francesco di Tommaso Sassetti

Portrait of Francesco di Tommaso Sassetti About 1890 Plaster cast Height 54.8 cm 1890-5

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 17s 6d

Original:

Portrait of Francesco di Tommaso Sassetti (1421-90)
Unidentified Florentine sculptor
1460s
Marble
Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, Italy

Francesco Sassetti was the director general of the Medici bank from 1459-90. The sitter has been identified through the resemblance of this bust to the portrait of Sassetti in the fresco by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1448/9-94) in the church of S. Trinità, Florence (1483-5). When the cast was purchased, the original was thought to be by Benedetto da Maiano (1442-97), and has since been ascribed to Antonio Rossellino (1427-79) but there is no firm basis for either attribution. This type of portrait, depicting the sitter in classicizing costume based on Roman portrait busts, became popular during the 15th century and was employed in 1464 by Mino da Fiesole for his bust of Dietisalvi Neroni in the Louvre.

Medallion of Giovanni Pietro d'Avenza

Medallion of Giovanni Pietro d'Avenza About 1890 Plaster cast Diameter 46 cm 1890-27

Purchased from Oronzio Lelli in 1890 for 6s 6d (8 lire)

Original:

Medallion of Giovanni Pietro d'Avenza
Unidentified Luccan sculptor
About 1500
Marble
Lucca Cathedral, Lucca, Italy

Portrait of Giovanni Pietro Vitelli, a humanist born in Avenza, who taught at the universities of Brescia, in Venice and in Lucca, where he died in 1457. Inscribed: IOANNES PETRUS LVCEN DOCTVS GRAECE ET LATINE INGENIO MITI+PROBO Q. (Giovanni Pietro of Lucca learned in Greek and Latin, with a gentle and virtuous nature). The medallion was attributed to Matteo Civitali (1436-1501) by Ridolfi (1882). This attribution was refuted in 1977 by Ulrich Middeldorf, who showed that the medallion derived from a bronze medal by Pisanello in a private collection. The roundel conforms to the medal both in the sitter's features and the text of the inscription. If the attribution of the bronze medal is correct, it can be dated to before 1450, the year of Pisanello's death. The marble roundel seems, however, to be of a later date than the medal as the costume in the former is dateable to circa 1500.

Doorway

Doorway About 1892 Plaster cast Width 318 cm x height 371 cm 1892-69

Purchased from Carlo Campi in 1892 for £34 10s 3d

Original:

Doorway
Unidentified Lombard sculptor
Late 15th century
Istrian stone
Formerly the doorway to no. 39 Corso Magenta, Milan, now in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, Italy

Formerly the doorway to no. 39 Corso Magenta in Milan, this doorway entered the Museo Archeologico in 1892 and was replaced by a copy in the Corso Magenta. The monogram IHS beneath the architrave was probably added during the 17th century, when the doorway was transferred to the Corso Magenta for an unknown location to serve as the entrance to a small road leading to the church of S. Gerolamo, which has since been suppressed.

Recumbent woman

Recumbent woman About 1894 Plaster cast Width 120.8 cm x height 240.9 cm 1894-62

Purchased from Carlo Campi in 1894 for £16 19s 8d

Original:

Recumbent effigy of a woman
Unidentified Lombard sculptor
Late 14th century
Marble
Castello Sforzesco, Milan, Italy

This slab once formed the lid of a tomb and comes from the Convent of the Clares in Pavia. It entered the Brera Museum in 1834, and thence passed to the Castello Sforzesco. Because the deceased woman is dressed as a Clare and because the effigy can be dated stylistically to the late 14th century, an identification with the mother of Gian Galleazzo Visconti, Bianca of Savoy (d. 1387) who founded the convent of the Clares in Pavia has been suggested.

The Dead Christ on the tomb with angels

The Dead Christ on the tomb with angels About 1884 Plaster cast Width 122 cm x height 61.5 cm 1884-330

Purchased from Signor Tombola in 1884 for £1 7s 6d

Original:

The Dead Christ on the tomb with angels
Unidentified Venetian sculptor
1493/4
Bronze
On the High Altar of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padua, Italy

This relief is almost certainly the tabernacle door for the High Altar which was ordered from Venice in 1493, and for which the last payment is recorded in 1494.

The Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem

The Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem 1869-70 Mosaic LOST.190

Commissioned from Rosario Riolo at a cost of £324 1s 1d in 1869

Original:

The Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem
Unidentified Venetian sculptor
1140-50
Marble
Capella Palatina in the Royal Palace, Palermo, Italy

This scene forms part of the New Testament cycle in the North and South transepts of the Cappella Palatina on the South wall of the south transept. The Capella Palatina was the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily, erected during the reign of Roger II (1105-54) by about 1132-40, with superb mosaic decoration extending into the second half of the 12th century. The mosaics have undergone several campaigns of restoration, and the Entry into Jerusalem was among the scenes to suffer during the 19th century at the hand of Rosario Riolo according to Otto Demus (The Mosaics of Norman Sicily, London, 1949, p. 36). The same Rosario Riolo was also responsible for this copy, executed between 1869-70, which therefore can be considered a faithful replica of the original.

This scene forms part of the New Testament cycle in the North and South transepts of the Cappella Palatina on the South wall of the south transept. The Capella Palatina was the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily, erected during the reign of Roger II (1105-54) by about 1132-40, with superb mosaic decoration extending into the second half of the 12th century. The mosaics have undergone several campaigns of restoration, and the Entry into Jerusalem was among the scenes to suffer during the 19th century at the hand of Rosario Riolo according to Otto Demus (The Mosaics of Norman Sicily, London, 1949, p. 36). The same Rosario Riolo was also responsible for this copy, executed between 1869-70, which therefore can be considered a faithful replica of the original.

Arcade portion

Arcade portion About 1867 Plaster cast Width 340.5 cm x height 254 cm 1867-33

Purchased from Pietro Pierrotti in 1867 for £16

Original:

Arcade portion
Unidentified Lombard sculptor
Terracotta
Second half of the 15th century
Great Cloister of the Certosa, Pavia, Italy

Arcade portion

Arcade portion About 1867 Plaster cast Width 305 cm x height 284.5 cm 1867-34A

Purchased from Pietro Pierotti in 1867 for £12 together with museum no. 1867-34B

Original:

Arcade portion
Unidentified Lombard sculptor
15th century
Terracotta
Church of St Lanfranc, Pavia, Italy

Arcade portion

Arcade portion About 1867 Plaster cast Width 305 cm x height 284.5 cm 1867-34B

Purchased from Pietro Pierotti in 1867 for £12 together with museum no. 1867-34A

Original

Arcade portion
Unidentified Lombard sculptor
15th century
Terracotta
Church of St Lanfranc, Pavia, Italy

Virgin and child

Virgin and child About 1864 Plaster cast Width 46 cm x height 60 cm 1864-75

Purchased from Messrs Franchi & Son in 1864 for £1 10s

Original

Virgin and Child
Unidentified Pisan sculptor
15th century
Marble
Campo Santo, Pisa, Italy

Found at Luni. Given to the Campo Santo by Carlo Lasinio in the early 19th century.

Bust of a woman

Bust of a woman About 1869 Plaster cast Width 34.5 cm x height 47.5 cm 1869-8

Purchased for in 1869 for £12, further details of acquisition are not recorded

Original:

Bust of a woman
Unidentified Ravello sculptor
13th century
Marble
Museo del Duomo di Ravello, Ravello, Italy

Until 1973, this bust was on the parapet of a staircase leading up to the pulpit signed by Nicola di Bartolomeo da Foggia, dated 1272, in the Cathedral at Ravello. An inscription records that the pulpit was commissioned by a wealthy merchant of Ravello, Nicolo Rufolo and his wife, Sigligaita. The head is recorded on the pulpit from 1540, and was thought at that time to represent the Virgin. More recently, attempts have been made to identify this regal head with Sigligaita herself, or to see it as a personification of the Church. In support of the latter interpretation its function has been likened to that of allegorical heads on the triumphal gate of Frederick II at Capua and a parallel has been drawn between this and a female bust formerly in Berlin (destroyed 1945), which is known to have been placed upon a pulpit at Scala, near Ravello. There is, however, no secure evidence to confirm that the bust in the Museo del Duomo was originally designed to sit upon Nicolo di Bartolomeo da Foggia's pulpit, so that some doubt remains concerning the above interpretations.

Capital with impost block and part of the shaft

Capital with impost block and part of the shaft About 1906 Plaster cast Width 74.5 cm x height 104 cm 1906-7

Purchased from Prospero Mantani in 1906 for £13 18s 10d

Original:

Capital with impost block and part of the shaft
Unidentified Ravenna sculptor
Byzantine, before 547
Marble
Church of S. Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

The building of S. Vitale was commenced around 525 and was consecrated by Maximian, Bishop of Ravenna (546-56), in 547. It was financed by a local banker, Julianus Argentarius, whose monogram appears on the impost block of this capital. The marble for the columns, capitals and chancel furnishings in S. Vitale was quarried and carved near Constantinople and the decoration of the capitals is analogous to that of the capitals in the church of SS. Sergios and Bacchos (527-36), Constantinople.

Capital with impost block and part of the shaft

Capital with impost block and part of the shaft About 1906 Plaster cast Width 79.5 cm x height 112 cm 1906-133

Purchased from Signor A. Zarabbini, legal representative of the late Prospero Mantani, in 1906 for £15 1s 8d (350 lire)

Original:

Capital with impost block and part of the shaft
Unidentified Ravenna sculptor
Byzantine, before 547
Marble
Church of S. Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

The building of S. Vitale was financed by a local banker, Julianus Argentarius. It was commenced around 525 and was consecrated in 547 by Maximian, Bishop of Ravenna (546-56). The monogram of his predecessor Victor (Bishop of Ravenna 537-44), + VICTOR EPISCOPUS, appears on the impost block of this capital. The marble for the columns, capitals and chancel furnishings of S. Vitale was quarried and carved near Constantinople and the decoration of the capitals is analogous to that of the capitals in the church of SS. Sergios and Bacchos (527-36), Constantinople.

Trajan's column

Trajan's column About 1864 Plaster cast Diameter 422.5 cm x height 523.5 cm 1864-128

Purchased from M. Oudry in 1864 for £2,498 11s 2d

Original:

Trajan's column in two parts carved with representations of incidents in the Dacian campaigns of Trajan
Sculptor unknown
AD 113
Marble
The Forum, Rome, Italy

Trajan's column was erected to commemorate the successful campaigns of the Emperor against the Dacians of the Danube frontier in AD 101-2 and 105-6. It stood at the focal point of the Emperor's Forum in Rome and takes the form of a hollow shaft built of Parian marble, 3.83 metres in diameter at the base and rising to a height of 38 metres including the square plinth upon which it stands and the capital that surmounts it. The continuous frieze of low relief depicting the history of Trajan's campaigns winds up and round the column for a total length of over 200 metres, and shows 2500 figures.

In antiquity, placed as it was between the two libraries of the Forum, the reliefs could be studied at close quarters up to a certain height, and the whole sculpted surface was picked out in colour and enriched with metal accessories. Originally the column was topped by a colossal bronze statue of Trajan; this was replaced at the end of the 16th century by the present bronze of Saint Peter, made by Bastiano Torrigiano.

Despite the large proportions of the gallery, the height of 83 feet is not large enough to accommodate the column in one piece, as it may be seen in Rome: our cast is also minus the surmounting figure of St. Peter. The cast is displayed in two separate sections in what is now gallery 46A, the Northern European and Spanish Cast Court. In this respect, it is rather a misfit, as reproductions of Italian sculpture are displayed together in the gallery adjacent (46B). In the original catalogue of 1974, the display of the column in two sections was seen as a distinct bonus, providing as it does the opportunity to see much of the detail of the reliefs not clearly visible on the original. Commenting on the opening of the Architectural Courts in 1873, The Art Journal remarked on the cast, 'the march of the warriors of Rome will come to a sudden conclusion at the glass ceiling, but will recommence on the floor of the court'. The column is made up of pieces of relief that were cast in sections from metal moulds held in the Louvre which had been cast under the direction of Napoleon III. The sections of plaster reliefs are each individually numbered to make up a giant jigsaw and these were attached to a brick inner chimney. The sections of relief are approx. four feet high, two feet wide, and about one inch thick.

Well-head

Well-head About 1868 Plaster cast Diameter 82 cm x height 94 cm 1868-139

Acquired in 1868, further details of acquisition are not recorded

Original:

Well-head
Unidentified Venetian sculptor
12th century
Marble
Courtyard of the Palazzo Croner-Gheltoff-Alvera, Venice, Italy

Virgin and child enthroned between a saint and a bishop saint presenting a kneeling donor

Virgin and child enthroned between a saint and a bishop saint presenting a kneeling donor About 1850-1900 Plaster cast Width 117 cm x height 222.3 cm A.1916-2958

Given by the Architectural Association in 1916

Original:

Virgin and Child enthroned between a saint and a bishop saint presenting a kneeling donor
Unidentified Venetian sculptor
Middle of the 14th century
Stone
On the wall of the Ducal Palace, Venice, Italy

The relief is inscribed; SEPVLC...(BARTH) OLOME...DVX... ET HEREDVM AC SVCCESSORVM SVORVM QVOD FIERI FECIT DOMINVS VBERTINVS (P)REFATI DOMINI BARTHOLOMEI A(VVNCVLVS) (The tomb of Bartolommeo... and of his heirs and successors, which Ubertino, the uncle(?) of the aforementioned Bartolommeo, has had made).

Part of the left door with scenes from the New Testament

Part of the left door with scenes from the New Testament About 1904 Plaster cast Width 178 cm x height 328 cm 1904-54

Purchased from Giacomo Bonizzato in 1904 for £63 15s 11s (1600 lire)

Original:

Part of the left door with scenes from the New Testament
Sculptor unknown
1135-40
Bronze
Church of S. Zeno in Verona, Italy

This cast was originally shown and purchased from the Italian Exhibition at Earls Court, London in 1904.

Christ in Majesty and the Symbols of the Evangelist

Christ in Majesty and the Symbols of the Evangelist About 1902 Plaster cast 1902-15

Purchased from the Belgian Royal Commission for Promoting the Reproduction of Works of Art in 1902 for £52 for museum nos. 1902-14 to 72

Original:

Christ in Majesty and the Symbols of the Evangelist
Lunette
Sculptor unknown
About 1180
Stone
Lunette over the door leading to the sacristy of the Church of St Servatius, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Doorway

Doorway About 1868 Plaster cast Width 175.5 cm x height 366 cm 1868-11

Purchased from Domenico Brucciani in 1868 for £6

Original:

Doorway
Sculptor unknown
Late 11th or early 12th century
Pinewood
From the wooden Church of Flaa, now in the Kunstindustriemuseet, Oslo, Norway

Doorway

Doorway About 1882 Plaster cast Width 183 cm x height 381.5 cm 1882-231

Given by the University of Christiania, Oslo in 1882

Original:

Doorway
Sculptor unknown
About 1150-75
Wood
From the Church of Ål, in Hallingdal, now in the Universitetets Oldsaksamling, Oslo, Norway

Door with two jambs and a pillar

Door with two jambs and a pillar About 1907 Plaster cast Height 274.5 cm 1907-58

Purchased from the Bergen Museum, Bergen, Norway in 1907 for £25 10s

Original:

Door with two jambs and a pillar
Sculptor unknown
Between 1050 and 1070
Wood
Built into the north side of the wooden church of Urnes in western Norway

Cross with representations of St Paul and St Anthony prostrate before the Host sent from Heaven, and other subjects

Cross with representations of St Paul and St Anthony prostrate before the Host sent from Heaven, and other subjects About 1894 Plaster cast Width 96.5 cm x height 225.5 cm 1894-66

Purchased from the Edinburgh Museum in 1894 for £10

Original:

Cross with representations of St Paul and St Anthony prostrate before the Host sent from Heaven, and other subjects
Pictish
Sculptor unknown
Second half of the 8th century
Stone
Churchyard at Nigg, Ross-shire, Scotland

Apprentice Pillar (Prentice Pillar)

Apprentice Pillar (Prentice Pillar) 1871 Plaster cast Width 137.5 cm x height 412.5 cm 1871-59

Commissioned by the Museum in 1871 at a cost of £76 5s

Original:

'Apprentice' or 'Prentice Pillar' and architrave
Sculptor unknown
About 1450
Stone
Rosslyn chapel, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland

Cross

Cross About 1894 Plaster cast Width 96.5 cm x height 527.5 cm 1894-61

Purchased from Leopoldo Arrighi in 1894 for £7 15s

Original:

Cross
Northumbrian
Sculptor unknown
First half of the 8th century
Red sandstone
Parish church of Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire, Scotland

The cross is carved with representations of the head of St John, St Matthew, a perched eagle, and a half figure of an archer; on one face of the shaft, St John the Baptist, Christ in Majesty, St Paul, St Anthony, and the Flight into Egypt; on the opposite face, the Visitation, St Mary Magdalen anointing the feet of Christ, the Healing of the Blind Man, the Annunciation and the Crucifixion. There are inscriptions in Latin and runes, with lines related to the Anglo-Saxon poem The Dream of the Rood.

Capital carved with a representation of the Maries at the Sepulchre

Capital carved with a representation of the Maries at the Sepulchre About 1926 Plaster cast A.1926-10

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Capital carved with a representation of the Maries at the Sepulchre
Sculptor unknown
Last quarter of the 12th century
Stone
Camara Santa, Orviedo, Spain

Capital carved with a representation from the New Testament

Capital carved with a representation from the New Testament About 1926 Plaster cast A.1926-11

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Capital carved with a representation from the New Testament
Sculptor unknown
Last quarter of the 12th century
Stone
Camara Santa, Orviedo, Spain

Pillar carved with the figures of St Peter and St Paul

Pillar carved with the figures of St Peter and St Paul About 1926 Plaster cast A.1926-12

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Pillar carved with the figures of St Peter and St Paul
Sculptor unknown
Last quarter of the 12th century
Stone
Camara Santa, Orviedo, Spain

Pillar carved with the figures of St James the Greater and St John the Evangelist

Pillar carved with the figures of St James the Greater and St John the Evangelist About 1926 Plaster cast A.1926-13

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Pillar carved with the figures of St James the Greater and St John the Evangelist
Sculptor unknown
Last quarter of the 12th century
Stone
Camara Santa, Orviedo, Spain

Capital carved with sphinxes

Capital carved with sphinxes About 1926 Plaster cast A.1926-9

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Capital carved with sphinxes
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
Cloister of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Silos, Spain

The Incredulity of St Thomas

The Incredulity of St Thomas About 1926 Plaster cast Width 111 cm A.1926-14

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Relief carved with the Incredulity of St Thomas
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
On a pillar in the cloister of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Spain

The Maries at the Sepulchre

The Maries at the Sepulchre About 1926 Plaster cast Width 97 cm A.1926-15

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Relief carved with the Maries at the Sepulchre
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
On a pillar in the cloister of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Silos, Spain

The Deposition

The Deposition About 1926 Plaster cast Width 111 cm A.1926-16

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Relief carved with the Deposition
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
On a pillar in the cloister of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Silos, Spain

The Pentecost

The Pentecost About 1926 Plaster cast Width 112 cm A.1926-17

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Relief carved with the Pentecost
Sculptor unknown
About 1100
Stone
On a pillar in the cloister of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Silos, Spain

Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Annunciation to the Shepherd and the Flight into Egypt

Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Annunciation to the Shepherd and the Flight into Egypt About 1926 Plaster cast Height 52 cm A.1926-8

Acquired in exchange from the Museo de Reproducciones Artisticus, Madrid in 1926

Original:

Capital carved with the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Annunciation to the Shepherd, and the Flight into Egypt
Sculptor unknown
Last quarter of the 12th century
Stone
Cloister of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, Silos, Spain

Angle of one of the cloisters

Angle of one of the cloisters About 1872 Plaster cast Width 442.5 cm x height 442.5 cm x length 503.5 cm 1872-261

Purchased from Senor Frilles in 1872 for £136 10s

Original:

Angle of one of the cloisters
Sculptor unknown
Late 15th century
San Juan de los Reyes at Toledo, Spain

Gravestone

Gravestone About 1885 Plaster cast Width 51 cm x height 56 cm x length 183 cm 1885-199

Purchased from the National Museum, Stockholm in 1885 for £6 17s

Original:

Gravestone
Karl
First half of the 12th century
Stone
Formerly in the churchyard of Botkyrka, in Södermanland, now in the National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

The gravestone is inscribed partly in Latin and partly in runes stating that it was made by Karl in honour of his relative Björn, brother of St Botvid, to whom the church of Botkyrka was dedicated by Björn.

Font

Font About 1885 Plaster cast Diameter 64 cm x height 69 cm 1885-201

Purchased from the National Museum, Stockholm in 1885 for £6 17s

Original:

Font
Sculptor unknown
12th century
Stone
Now in the National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden