Virgin and Child with Four Angels (Donatello)

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The Virgin and Child with Four Angels, before 1456, Donatello, Victoria and Albert Museum no. A.1-1976

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Glass mould of The Virgin and Child with Four Angels, before 1456, Donatello, V&A Museum no. A.1-1976

The Virgin and Child with Four Angels is a bronze roundel by Florentine artist Donatello (c. 1386 - 1466).

It is also known as the Chellini Madonna as Donatello gave it to his doctor Giovanni Chellini in 1456. This was documented in the physician's account book on 27 August 1456 "while I was treating Donato called Donatello, the singular and principal master in making figures of bronze of wood and terracotta . . . he of his kindness and in consideration of the medical treatment which I had given and was giving for his illness gave me a roundel the size of a trencher in which was sculpted the Virgin Mary with the Child at her neck and two angels on each side". The reverse of the roundel is hollowed out, creating a mould for casting replicas of the image in molten glass. In order to test out this unique feature, copies of the roundel were made from which glass versions were cast.