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| Donatello's Putto (2 1/2')ca. 1430 |
Art historians love stories of a discovery that has been hiding in plain sight. Here's another as reported in the NYTimes. Andrew Butterfield(right), a noted Renaissance scholar and art historian,
had been aware of a wooden sculpture that had been in the possession of an Italian family for some time. The putto, or winged angel, had never been on public display. When it became available recently, he purchased the piece. He was also aware of a similar and nearly identical piece in a Boston museum that had already been examined by scholars 50 years ago and deemed not of significance. However, when he took the piece to a conservator for repair and restoration, she told him, in her opinion, the piece should not be resting on 2 feet, but on tiptoe, or one foot and supported with a steel rod in the rear. When Mr. Butterfield saw the piece thus(above), he felt struck by lightening. Here, now, was a piece that could be traced to the famous Italian who rarely worked in wood.
After hiring consultants to examine the piece and trace its origins(complete with x-rays), the experts were of the opinion that not only was it completed in Donatello's studio, but under his direct supervision. Eureka moment!
The Putto will soon be on display at the Moretti Gallery and could be for sale sometime after that. Mr. Butterfield would like the piece to be in the collection of a public museum for all to see.
After spending a week in Paris viewing extraordinary works of art, this piece caught the Mayor's eye.
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| Mr. Andrew Butterfield |
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