Caped man, Prophet?

myminifactory

This is one of several intricately carved reliefs by Baccio Bandinelli (1493-1560), designed to adorn the Cathedral's sanctuary in Santa Maria del Fiore, the world's third-largest church after St. Peter's and St. Paul's. The monumental eighty-six reliefs were commissioned by Cosimo I de'Medici to revamp the cathedral according to the prevailing Mannerist aesthetic of that era. Each relief showcases a unique saint, represented in antique attire or nude, with identities uncertain but likely depicting patriarchs, prophets, and Greco-Roman heroes, much like Michelangelo's figures on the Sistine Chapel ceiling forty years prior. The meaning behind these choir sculptures was ultimately completed by the mural painted on the inner dome's surface. Bandinelli was a skilled sculptor and astute courtier, but his tendency to appease his patron often hindered him from reaching the pinnacle of truly remarkable art. His style took cues from Michelangelo, but he focused more on imposing muscular bodies rather than abstract heroic concepts.