1442th century, Circle of Benedetto da Maiano (1497-XNUMX), Madonna with Christ Child

Circle of Benedetto da Maiano (Maiano, 1442 – Florence, 27 May 1497)

Madonna with Christ Child

Terracotta and gold leaf, 67 x 37 x 23 cm

The refined and elegant terracotta sculpture depicting the Madonna and Child, clearly of Florentine origin from the second half of the 1442th century, can be attributed to the circle of Benedetto da Maiano (1497-XNUMX).

Benedetto da Maiano, also known as Benedetto di Leonardo, was an Italian architect and sculptor. His artistic training took place within his family, thanks to the guidance of his carver father Leonardo d'Antonio and contact with his two brothers Giuliano da Maiano and Giovanni. He began his artistic activity as a sculptor, especially of carved wood, and with this technique he soon became famous, so much so that he decorated the ceilings of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. In the 1474s he was one of the most sought-after sculptors in Florence, thanks to his soft and harmonious style, where naturalism, idealization and technical virtuosity coexisted in the right amount. He received important commissions, especially busts for the city's aristocracy, among which the bust of Pietro Mellini (1476) and that of Filippo Strozzi (XNUMX) stand out. In the Florentine artistic environment Bernardo was certainly held in high regard; it is also noted by Vasari, who, citing him on several occasions, also depicts him among the best and first creators of our art to participate in beautiful speeches and important disputes.

The sculpture appears as a true model of the elegant and learned Renaissance figurative culture, particularly evident in the refined decoration of the Madonna's mantle edged in gold leaf, in the monumental and delicate modeling of the figures, in the sweetness of the Virgin's face, in the delicate foreshortening of the head of the Child. The sculpture presents a composed, calm pyramidal structure, precious in its full forms, with soft and very refined modeling, and in the warm color of the very fine terracotta. The Madonna, with a long-sleeved dress covered by a cloak, delicately holds the Child, who in turn places his small hand on that of the mother, in a gesture of great naturalness that demonstrates an elegant intimacy, typical of Madonnas and Child made in Florence towards the end of the fifteenth century. The Virgin's fingers, leaning on the body of her Son, press the surface of her, sinking the tender skin, creating a sincere and vibrant effect. A series of comparisons can be made with the large Madonna of the Olive preserved in the Cathedral of Prato (which recalls the gestures and movements of the sculpture in question), with the Madonna and Child of the Archconfraternity of Mercy of Florence, (room of the chiefs on guard). As regards the features, a similar surface treatment can be observed in the bust of St. John as a child preserved at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu (inv. 2298.1; Hawaii, USA).

Countless works more or less closely referable to Bernardo and his workshop could still be cited in churches and collections especially in Tuscany and in various collections in Europe and America. It should be remembered that many of his works have been lost: we have information not only from Vasari, but also, more reliably, from the inventory of the marbles, stones, figures, and other objects found in his workshop in via de' Servi place called Castellaccio, later taken over by Leonardo del Tasso.

Ultimately, Benedetto da Maiano presents himself as a very notable representative of the Florentine culture of that last thirty years of the fifteenth century. His refined and elegant lines combined with an accurate attention to descriptive detail were able to influence a large circle of artists orbiting around his figure. Starting from the pure source of Rossellinian art, he tried to give his figures a more intense and dramatic life, his forms a greater breadth.

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