Virgin and Child

c. 1440

Virgin and Child, c. 1440. Circle of Donatello (Italian, c. 1386–1466). Bronze with traces of gilding; overall: 9.5 x 7.6 cm (3 3/4 x 3 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1984.53 Plaquettes emerged during the Renaissance in connection with the revival of interest in ancient Greek and Roman coins and medallions. This small-scale devotional image provided a personal and private connection between the owner and the religious figures. The two small holes suggest that it may have been hung on a wall, and the child's foreshortened arms and slant of the Virgin's head could imply that it was originally placed above eye level.