DOI chapter:
Chapter XI: The Tornabuoni Relief
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62110#0243
THE TORNABUONI RELIEF 153
this subject, the latter part of the decoration, so clearly
specified in the Medicean Inventory as “ two marble heads
with busts,” have been confused with the three figures of
Virtues mentioned by Vasari as forming part of the
Minerva Monument, and with curious inexactness iden-
tified with four marble statuettes of coarse and feeble
workmanship in the collection of Madame Andre, Paris,
which in spite of their slovenly handling are on this
account also attributed to Verrocchio. Although there is
no reason for connecting these sculptures with the Strozzi
relief, yet they are of interest as being by the same hand,
and by their analogy with another signed work enabling
us to ascertain with approximate certainty who was the
artist.
These statuettes represent seated figures of Faith, Hope,
Charity and Justice. They measure 50 centimetres in
height, and are of white Carrara marble, with the backs
left rough-hewn, showing that they were placed against
some background.* They bear in every respect the
strongest resemblance to three reliefs of a similar sub-
ject which form the background to the Tomb of Alessandro
Tartagni in the Church of S. Domenico, Bologna, executed
in 1477 by Francesco di Simone, the assistant of Verrocchio
(Plate XXXVI). The figures of Hope and of Faith
differ in no single point; attitude, gesture, arrangement of
draperies, are repeated to the minutest detail. There is the
same coarse modelling of the faces and pillow-like limbs, the
same vulgarity of sentiment and feebleness of execution.
The Charity differs slightly, in that she holds, instead of
a child, the horn of plenty, that the position of the face
* They were originally found in Florence and were bought by
Madame Andre in 1885.
this subject, the latter part of the decoration, so clearly
specified in the Medicean Inventory as “ two marble heads
with busts,” have been confused with the three figures of
Virtues mentioned by Vasari as forming part of the
Minerva Monument, and with curious inexactness iden-
tified with four marble statuettes of coarse and feeble
workmanship in the collection of Madame Andre, Paris,
which in spite of their slovenly handling are on this
account also attributed to Verrocchio. Although there is
no reason for connecting these sculptures with the Strozzi
relief, yet they are of interest as being by the same hand,
and by their analogy with another signed work enabling
us to ascertain with approximate certainty who was the
artist.
These statuettes represent seated figures of Faith, Hope,
Charity and Justice. They measure 50 centimetres in
height, and are of white Carrara marble, with the backs
left rough-hewn, showing that they were placed against
some background.* They bear in every respect the
strongest resemblance to three reliefs of a similar sub-
ject which form the background to the Tomb of Alessandro
Tartagni in the Church of S. Domenico, Bologna, executed
in 1477 by Francesco di Simone, the assistant of Verrocchio
(Plate XXXVI). The figures of Hope and of Faith
differ in no single point; attitude, gesture, arrangement of
draperies, are repeated to the minutest detail. There is the
same coarse modelling of the faces and pillow-like limbs, the
same vulgarity of sentiment and feebleness of execution.
The Charity differs slightly, in that she holds, instead of
a child, the horn of plenty, that the position of the face
* They were originally found in Florence and were bought by
Madame Andre in 1885.