BUST OF A BOY, PROBABLY SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

This spirited bust of a young boy is seemingly unique and previously unpublished. It bears parallels with Donatello’s spiritello and portraits of the young Christ child, dating from when he was working in Florence from around 1415, and was himself influenced by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The almond-shaped eyes and thick curls of hair of the present bust are comparable to the putti atop the Annunciazione Cavalcanti at Santa Croce and figures of the Madonna and Child in the Detroit Institute of Art (see L. Bellosi, ‘Donatello e il recupero della scultura in terracotta’, in Donatello-Studien, Munich, 1989, pp. 135-139). Donatello’s statue of Saint George (Bargello Museum, Florence, 1415-17) appeares to have been a major influence. However, the open mouth and raised brow suggest the inspiration of Donatello and Luca della Robbia’s singing Cantoria figures from the 1430s. The form and subject of the bust bears similarities to the work of Donatello's follower Desiderio da Settignano (1430-1464).