Donatello's Madonna Enters Bargello Collection After Private Ownership

A terracotta Madonna and Child by Donatello, long housed in a street tabernacle in Florence, has been acquired by the Italian Ministry of Culture and donated to the Museo Nazionale del Bargello. The work, dating to 1450-1455, was purchased in 2021 for €1.2 million after being identified as the last privately owned autograph Donatello. It was recognized as authentic in 1986 by Charles Avery and featured in the 2022 exhibition "Donatello, il Rinascimento" curated by Francesco Caglioti. The acquisition involved multiple Ministry offices, including the Soprintendenza ABAP di Firenze (with Andrea Pessina and Antonella Ranaldi), the Segretariato regionale della Toscana (with Giorgia Muratori), and central bodies. The sculpture will be displayed in the Salone di Donatello, home to the world's largest collection of Donatello's works, alongside pieces by Luca della Robbia, Nanni di Banco, Michelozzo, and Desiderio da Settignano. A reinstallation of the Salone is planned for 2024, curated by Ilaria Ciseri. The work measures 86 x 64 x 12.5 cm and has inspired numerous copies in London and Berlin.