Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

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‘Virgin and Child with Saint Anne’ by Francesco da Sangallo, 1526
Orsanmichele
Via dell'Arte della Lana
Florence, December 2019

“Finally we cast a glance at the altar on the other side. Here we see a statue, Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, by Francesco da Sangallo. This statue is quite special in one respect: it has been cut out of one marble block and that is no easy feat. Michelangelo also discovered this when he carved four figures out of one block. This failed miserably and out of anger he smashed his Pietà, which we have seen in the Museo dell Opera del Duomo, to pieces. In view of the chronological development of sculpture in this story, the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne will be discussed later, with Michelangelo. Buonarroti encountered the limits of carving multiple figures out of one block.” (Orsanmichele and its statues, Ruud Taggelaar)