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Date : near 1460
Sizes : 27 cm x 31 cm x 16 cm
Material : Marble
Acquisition : Samuel H. Kress Collection (1943)
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Italian Painting
Sculpture
Area related
Florence (Italy)
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| Description |  |
The back of the bust was flattened so that it could be attached to the wall. It had a small hole drilled in the crown of its head to hold a metal halo. This evidence suggests that Desiderio's boy was intended to be an image of the Christ child. It is equally possible that the bust originated as a portrait of a Florentine child and was given sacred identity at a later date.
Desiderio was born in the quarry town of Settignano, where his father was a stone cutter. Perhaps trained in the Florentine studio of Bernardo Rossellino, Desiderio had established himself as an independent master in that city by 1453. His work, like that of the Rossellino brothers Antonio and Bernardo, filled a vigorous demand for portraits, religious images, and church furnishings. During his short career, Desiderio was celebrated for his skill in creating marble busts of women and young children.
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