Renaissance Marble Relief - Emilia Romagna, 1470-80

The carved marble relief depicts the Virgin accompanied by a winged cherub standing behind her. The relief is set within a concave circle, where the Virgin's face occupies the deepest part. The lower portion of the panel rests on two vegetal volutes terminating in a compartmentalized rectangular base. The contemplative Virgin, with partially open eyelids, turns her gaze away from the viewer as she slightly tilts to her left; the slight inclination of the Virgin's face and the cherub appearing to her right create a triangular composition that harmoniously fits within the enclosing circle. The veil surrounding the Madonna's face is formed by almost fluid parallel folds; the fabrics and their undulations serve to attract and guide the viewer's gaze, creating plastic volumes that catch the light and deepen into shadows, thus structuring the representation's space. The drapery of the veil here serves to magnify Mary and amplify her presence.
Typical of late Quattrocento sculpture in central-northern Italy is the extraordinary craftsmanship of carved marble, which is folded and elegantly fluid. The reduced format of the panel suggests its origin either as a small anconette linked to private devotion or as a predella of a marble altarpiece. The work exhibits typical stylistic elements of Florentine culture from the early Renaissance in the Virgin's proud posture and in the judicious use of relief, deeper in the Virgin's face and less pronounced in the face of the angel in the background.
This relief was created during a pivotal period, the second half of the 15th century, considered the pinnacle of the Renaissance, when the new style invented by Donatello and the Florentine sculptors of the early 15th century reached maturity. Influenced by Donatello's teachings, this relief demonstrates a renewed attention to works of Antiquity. It is still attributed to Donatello to have shown that such models could effectively be adopted not only in subjects "à l'antique" but also in sacred subjects. The work embodies the main themes and trends that pervade Italy during the second half of the Quattrocento. It is imbued with serene grace; the pursuit of balance is manifested in an art intended for reflection and the pleasure of patrons. Ancient models, calmer and more harmonious, are brought up to date thanks to the emphasis placed on inner and emotional processes. The classicism of ancient sources and subjects is transcended by a poetic vision of beauty. This new stylistic orientation, characterized by soft and peaceful forms, draws inspiration from antiquity while quickly being surpassed by a great freedom of personal reinterpretation. Sculpture develops the search for a new harmony that transcends the naturalism of gestures and extreme sentiments. To move and convince become the two aims of religious sculpture in the second half of the Quattrocento, aiming to touch the intimate springs of the viewer's soul.