Bust of a Child

myminifactory

This is a plaster cast of an original marble portrait bust of a child, likely created by Desiderio da Settignano around 1455-1460 in Florence, Italy. Purchased in Italy in 1848 by Eugene Piot, the bust was passed through collections before entering the National Gallery of Art as part of the Andrew Mellon Collection. Traditionally attributed to Donatello, the attribution to Desiderio is now widely accepted, following Perkins' suggestion in 1869. The bust's date is estimated to be between 1455-60 due to stylistic similarities with putti on Desiderio's Marsuppini tomb in S. Croce, Florence, and with the Blessing Christ Child of S. Lorenzo Tabernacle from 1461. Desiderio da Settignano was a renowned Italian sculptor active during the Renaissance. Born around 1428 or 1430, he came from a family of skilled stone carvers and stonemasons. His work shows significant influence from Donatello, but it is likely that he received training in the large Florentine workshop run by Bernardo and Antonio Rossellino. During the 19th century, plaster casts were highly sought after as reproductions of great works of sculpture and architecture were considered essential for artist training. To create these casts, a separating substance was applied to the surface of the work, and a plaster mould was made from that. The mould was then used to produce multiple additional plaster copies, which were often sold to artists and later to art colleges for study purposes. The cast is located in the Cast Courts, Room 46b, in the Weston Cast Court, case FS, shelf NC of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.