6 Inches High x 5 Inches Wide x 4.75 Inches Deep This mask is from Putto with a Dolphin sculpted by Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488), who is one of the most famous sculptors and painters of the Italian Renaissance. It was commissioned by Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449-1492) around 1470 for a fountain at his villa in Careggi outside Florence. Later, it was placed on a new fountain in the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio by Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici of Tuscany (1519-1574). Since 1959, the figure has resided indoors in the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio. The nude putto, or cherub, extends his wings and balances on one leg. He holds a wriggling dolphin close to his body with both hands. The twisting aspect of the composition was more commonly utilized later during the High Renaissance. Full of joy and movement, Putto with a Dolphin was the first Renaissance sculpture meant to be viewed in the round as it provided a beautiful composition from every angle. Artist: Andrea del Verrocchio Museum: Museo di Palazzo Vecchio, Florence Time Period: Renaissance, c. 1465/1480 1911 Catalog ID # - 13557 Sources: "Andrea del Verrocchio: A Closer Look." The National Gallery of Art, https://www.nga.gov/features/verrocchio-closer-look.html. Editorial Staff. "Verrocchio sculpture restored." The Florentine, https://www.theflorentine.net/2019/01/25/verrocchio-sculpture-restored/. "Putto with a Dolphin." Victoria and Albert Museum, https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127981/putto-with-a-dolphin-statuette-verrocchio-andrea-del/.
