Monumental Sculpture from Renaissance Florence: Ghiberti, Nanni di Banco, and Verrocchio at Orsanmichele

September 18, 2005–February 26, 2006 (extended from December 31, 2005)

Overview: 3 monumental sculptures created during the 15th century for the exterior of Orsanmichele, a church and grain storage and market facility in Florence, Italy, were shown in the exhibition to celebrate restoration of the building's exterior sculptures. The works loaned to the National Gallery were Saint Matthew by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Quattro Santi Coronati (Four Crowned Martyr Saints) by Nanni di Banco, and Christ and Saint Thomas (The Incredulity of Saint Thomas) by Andrea del Verrocchio. The sculptures were returned to Florence for the public reopening of Orsanmichele in 2006.

The exhibition was organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence, in collaboration with the Soprintedenza al Patrimonio Storico Artistico e Etnoantropologico and the Soprintendenza di Beni Architettonici e Ambientali di Firenze, Pistoia e Prato, Florence. Eleonora Luciano, assistant curator of sculpture at the National Gallery, was the curator. The exhibition was made possible through the support of an anonymous donor. The Foundation for Italian Art and Culture also assisted in making the exhibition possible. It was supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Attendance: 130,683 (162 days)

Location: West Building, Main Floor, Galleries 9, 10, 11           

Brochure: Monumental Sculpture from Renaissance Florence: Ghiberti, Nanni di Banco, and Verrocchio at Orsanmichele, by Eleonora Luciano. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 2005.

Web site: The brochure was redesigned for the Web and expanded to include additional images. Related Online Resources

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