Madonna and Child (Madonna of the Glass Eyes)

Abstract

This sculpture, originally located on the façade of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, was removed in the sixteenth century when plans were underway for a new façade for the cathedral to be created. The sculpture is made of marble, and the Madonna has glass eyes to make her look more realistic. Jesus' eyes, in contrast, are blank, but would have originally been painted. As for almost all marble sculpture until the time of Michelangelo, this work was at least partially painted, with details of the clothing, crown, hair, eyes, and lips picked out in color, to add to the realism and magnificence of the sculpture. Dated 1296, the work can be found today in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.