Madonna of the Candelabra

studio of Antonio Rossellino (1427 - circa 1479)

Leighton House Museum

late 15th Century

This terracotta relief from the studio of the Florentine sculptor Antonio Rossellino shows the Virgin seated with the Christ Child on her lap, holding a bird in his hands. It is named for the candelabra festooned with garlands behind the figures. The relief was in the collection assembled by the Victorian classical painter Frederic, Lord Leighton, at his Holland Park house and studio, one of the most famous 19th-century interiors in London. Leighton was profoundly influenced by Italian Renaissance art of the 15th and 16th centuries. The relief is the second important example of Renaissance art to be returned to the house, following the dispersal of Leighton's collection after his death.

• Medium: polychrome terracotta
• Dimensions: 70 x 48cm
• Art Fund Grant: £48000 ( Total: £96,000)
• ArtFunded in: 2006
• Vendor: Sotheby's

Provenance

Collection of Frederic, Lord Leighton at Leighton House, London; posthumous sale of Leighton's collection, Christie's, 1896; purchased at the sale by the art critic Harry Quilter (1851-1907)...Collection of Mr Maricrini; by descent in a private collection (purchased between 1915 and 1925); Sotheby's, 2006.

Add your comments about this artwork Hide this form

Have your say