DonatelloItalian, 1386–1466Madonna and Child
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Madonna and Child” now? National Gallery of Art, Gallery 5 · West Building, Main Floor, Washington, D.C. Yes, on view now. Checked September 29, 2026.
Closed· opens at 10:00 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Details
- Accession number
- 1937.1.112
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- National Gallery of Art
- Image: National Gallery of Art — Museum open access
In the life of Donatello
The whole life1418
A commission for the lion “Marzocco” for a papal visit
In 1418 the Signoria commissioned from Donatello a large and imposing figure of Florence's heraldic lion, the Marzocco, for the entrance to a new apartment at Santa Maria Novella built for a rare visit by the pope; he did not finish it in time. It was later placed in the Piazza della Signoria.
1423
“The Feast of Herod” and the start of his work in bronze
By 1423 Ghiberti had not even started work on the reliefs for the Siena Baptistery font, and one of them, “The Feast of Herod”, was given to Donatello instead. That year marks the start of his documented work in bronze: he also received commissions for “Saint Louis of Toulouse” and a reliquary bust of Saint Rossore.
c. 1425
Partnership with Michelozzo
Around 1425 Donatello entered into a formal partnership with Michelozzo, an architect and sculptor about ten years younger: Donatello had too much work and was poor at organising a workshop, at which Michelozzo excelled, while Michelozzo wanted to extract himself from an arrangement with Ghiberti. Both had very good relations with the Medici.
July 1427
Tax declaration: his age and income
In his catasto tax declaration of July 1427 Donatello gave his age as 41, which is the basis of his birth date, 1386. The income shown is much lower than Ghiberti's for the same year, although his career was near its peak.
