Pitti Tondo by Michelangelo atThe Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

myminifactory

Pitti Tondo is a marble bas-relief of the Virgin and Child by Michelangelo. It was created between 1503 and 1504 and now resides in the Museo nazionale del Bargello in Florence. In the Tondo Pitti group, commissioned by Bartolomeo Pitti, any formal frame is disregarded, and this outline is slightly oval. The Madonna and Child are simpler and more clearly formed than in the Tondo Taddei. With her left hand she embraces the infant Jesus, who leans his whole weight against her, bracing his head with a bent arm resting on the open book lying on her lap. The Madonna sits on a low block of stone, filling the entire composition. But due to the slightly oval format, and to her head breaking the tondo's edge, she does not appear crowded. Her features are more sharply defined here than those of Michelangelo's earlier Madonnas. Full locks of hair frame her angular face, with its deep dimples and more prominent chin. She wears an unusual ornamental head covering – the first in a series later employed by the master – which heightens the expression of watchfulness in her face. As in the Tondo Pitti, the approaching figure of Saint John also plays a subordinate role and is unfinished. He appears to have caught the Madonna's attention as she looks back over her shoulder. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open-source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help. Scanned: Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)