Lot 42: ATTRIBUTED TO BENEDETTO BUGLIONI (1459/60-1521), ITALIAN, FLORENCE, CIRCA 1490

ATTRIBUTED TO BENEDETTO BUGLIONI (1459/60-1521), ITALIAN, FLORENCE, CIRCA 1490 RELIEF WITH THE VIRGIN AND THE YOUNG ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ADORING THE CHRIST CHILD glazed and polychromed terracotta 94 by 70cm., 37 by 27½in.

I Della Robbia e l'arte nuova della scultura invetriata, Basilica di Sant'Alessandro, Fiesole, 29 March-1 November 1998, no. VI.1

G. Gentilini, I Della Robbia. La scultura invetriata nel Rinascimento, Milan, 1992, p. 404

Contini Bonaccorsi, Florence
Orsini collection, Milan

In addition to the prolific work created in the workshop of the Della Robbia, glazed polychrome terracotta sculptures were produced by the workshop of Benedetto Buglioni as well. Buglioni was the son of sculptor Giovanni di Bernardo and was possibly a pupil of Andrea Verrocchio, who undoubtably influenced his style.

The present relief can be closely compared to one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, also illustrated in Gentilini (op.cit.). A circular relief with a similar representation of the Adoring Virgin and the Child but including singing angels is in the Museo di Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome. Other examples of this tender scene were sold at Sotheby's New York on 25 November 1986 (lot 190) and 26 January 2006 (lot 416).