Madonna and Child

Abstract

This is one of several glazed terracotta half-length reliefs of the Madonna and Child that Benedetto Buglioni reproduced using a mold. This composition is based on an unglazed terracotta relief attributed to the workshop of Andrea Verrocchio, known as the Birmingham Madonna. The relatively low relief of the sculpture, without any undercuts, facilitated such mechanical reproduction. The glazing could then be customized for each version. Such half-length images of the Madonna and Child were used for domestic devotion. Seeing an image of the naked baby Jesus was also thought to help women conceive beautiful boys. The relief is currently housed in the Museo di Santa Croce in Florence. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.