Renaissance · National Gallery of Art · 124

Charity

Mino da Fiesole, 1475/1480

Carved in high relief in white marble, a woman and the baby she holds are framed within a curved arch. The woman’s body faces us, but she turns her face to look down at the baby tucked into her left arm, to our right. The woman’s long hair is pulled back under a twisted band, and a few tendrils fall on her face. Her nose is pointed, and she has full lips over a narrow chin. Her dress is fastened on the chest with a button or brooch and is tied across the chest and high around the waist. The garment has elbow-length sleeves, and it falls in a swag across her hips over a long skirt that stops just short of her sandaled feet. The fabric is sheer so the nipple we can see is visible, and the fabric gathers in fine, shallow folds. Her other elbow is bent and held by her side, and the fingers on both hands are noticeably long. The child turns a chubby face up to the woman and crosses his hands over his chest. He is covered only by a cloth across his middle, and he has short, wavy hair. Pudgy rolls make creases on his neck, arms, and especially chunky thighs. The niche in which they stand has a fluted shell in the rounded portion above molding. The remaining niche is smooth, and the entire sculpture is set into a tan-colored wall.

National Gallery of Art · National Gallery of Art, Washington · Andrew W. Mellon Collection · CC0 · Public domain

Artist: Mino da Fiesole
Date: 1475/1480
Medium: marble
Dimensions: 126 x 43 cm (49 5/8 x 16 15/16 in.)
Era: Renaissance

Why it matters

Charity, dated 1475/1480, is catalogued by National Gallery of Art as a work in marble. The museum attributes the work to Mino da Fiesole. The recorded dimensions are 126 x 43 cm (49 5/8 x 16 15/16 in.). This factual page is generated from the museum catalogue and links directly to its source record.

National Gallery of Art collection record