A bronze masterpiece by Florentine
Renaissance master sculptor Donatello has returned to Palazzo
Vecchio after a 10-month restoration funded by the Friends of
Florence Foundation.
Judith and Holofernes (1457-1464) is one of the last known works
by Donatello, completed two years before his death at the age of
80 in 1466.
Depicting the assassination of the Assyrian general Holofernes
by Judith, it is remarkable for being one of the first
Renaissance sculptures to be conceived in the round, with its
four distinct faces.
The subject of Judith beheading Holofernes, depicting the climax
of the story in the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, was a
common subject in art and is associated with the Power of Women
topos
It has now been placed back inside the Sala dei Gigli (Room of
the Lilies) inside the palazzo that houses Florence city hall.
Friends of Florence Foundation President Simonetta Brandolini
d'Adda said "we have been very happy to have funded the
restoration of this statue, a fundamental work not only for
Florentine history, but for world art and culture.
"In this way it will be able to continue to show itself to
present and future generations in all its powerful beauty".
The stature, of which a copy stands outside in Piazza della
Signoria, is one of Donatello's most famous works, for its
expressive power and the masterly and refined sculpting
technique.
Friends of Florence have already funded other notable
restorations for the Palazzo Vecchio including Andrea del
Verrocchio's Putto With Dolphin.
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