Firenze's Bargello Museum:
A Treasure Trove of Exquisite Renaissance
Sculpture, Bronzes, Tapestries and More

 

Current Exhibit - Desiderio da Settignano: Sculptor With a Gift for Capturing Life-Like Expressions
Everyone recognizes the names of such Italian artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. So, who is Desiderio da Settignano? Visit the Bargello Museum (Via del Proconsolo 4, 50122 Florence) before June 3, 2007 to find out! The Discovery of Grace in Renaissance Sculpture brings together a fine selection of Desiderio da Settignano's major works from all over the world. Descriptive guides are available in English, and tickets also grant you free entry into the Church of Santa Croce and Church of San Lorenzo to see Desiderio's two other great works.

Desiderio da Settignano (Desiderio from Settignano) is named for his native hillside town of Settignano at the outskirts of Florence. During the early half of the 15th century, he studied with Donatello and learned to sculpt marble. His true artistry lies in his attention to detail and his ability to capture life-like expressions in his works.

The photos to the left are of the Bargello Museum, The Christ Child (1460-1464), Laughing Boy (1460-1464) and Madonna and Child (early 1460s). The photo above also captures the Bargello Museum.

 

 

The compact nature of this exhibit allows the viewer to linger over each work without feeling overwhelmed. The "Madonna and Child" from the Philadelphia Museum of Art uses a mixture of high and low relief to great effect. The viewer is drawn to the tender interlacing of the Madonna's fingers as they caress the pudgy feet of the infant. Their faces, with their mouths slightly open, look as if they are about to speak or are sharing a private giggle. Using low relief in the background, Desiderio creates ethereal angels that seem to float lightly around the two figures.

Two other works worth noting are the busts of the "The Christ Child" and "The Laughing Boy." The expression on the face of "The Christ Child" from the National Gallery of Art from Washington, DC, is that of contemplation tinged with sadness. His downward glancing eyes do not directly connect with the viewer's. However, he has a capricious swag of a curl in the middle of his forehead that expresses an endearing and vulnerable child-like quality. "The Laughing Boy," from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, depicts pure joy. With his small head turned slightly to the left and his lips parted in an expansive smile revealing his tongue and teeth, it is as if we can almost hear his laughter. His plump cheeks and raised eyebrows add to the overall expression of delight and surprise. Perhaps he has just turned his head in hopes to catch sight of the person who just tickled him.

The Bargello Museum itself is a work of art. Located in an impressive structure built for the Capitano del Popolo in the mid-13th century, the palazzo has housed the Museum since 1865. Its treasures include many Renaissance sculpture masterpieces by Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Verrocchio, Michelangelo and Cellini. And, it later acquired collections of bronzes, majolica, waxes, enamels, metals, seals, ivories, amber, tapestries, furniture and textiles from the Medici collections and other private donors.

Location: Via del Proconsolo 4, 50122 Florence. Click here for more details.