Renaissance-style bust of the boy Christ
Unknown Artist
probably 19th century
Medium
Stucco, remains of polychromy; base: carved and gilt wood
Dimensions
H. 13-3/8 in. (34 cm.)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1913
Accession Number
13.157.1a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate Renaissance-style bust depicts the boy Christ, capturing the tender innocence of the child savior with soft, rounded features and a serene gaze. Crafted in Florence, Italy—cradle of the Renaissance—the emulates the refined naturalism of 15th- and 16th-century like Donatello or Desiderio da Settignano, though it dates to the 19th century. Likely produced during the Neo-Renaissance revival, it a nostalgic admiration for Italy's artistic golden age amid growing interest in historicism among collectors. Fashioned from stucco, a versatile plaster medium favored for its moldability an...