Madonnas by Donatello and his circle

The present study is concerned with sculptures of the Virgin and Child, produced in the circle of Donatello during the Early Renaissance. Madonna reliefs and statues in media such as terracotta or stucco were a routine and inexpensive part of Florentine workshop production. Detailed analysis of compositional and qualitative differences among the many surviving versions after the master's designs has helped to define the development of Donatello's involvement with this genre. The systematic compendium of Madonnas, those which are autograph, casts after Donatello's designs, bronze plaquettes, later replicas as well as related compositions by contemporary Florentine artists serves to illustrate the relationship between the master and his various followers with a concrete series of casestudies.