Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 12 works by Desiderio da Settignano in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Desiderio da Settignano's most famous painting is Virgin and Child (1450), whose original hangs in the Galleria Sabauda, Turin. Portrait of Marietta Strozzi (1460) and Meeting of Christ and St John the Baptist as Youth (1453) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 12 works by Desiderio da Settignano in our catalog, the gallery presents the 12 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
To gaze upon Desiderio da Settignano's Virgin and Child is to step directly into the luminous heart of the Italian Renaissance. This exquisite marble sculpture, dating from 1450, transcends mere artistry; it captures a moment of profound, quiet intimacy. The piece presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus Christ, rendered with a breathtaking naturalism that seems to breathe life back into the cold stone. Desiderio’s mastery is evident in…
Desiderio da Settignano’s “Portrait of Marietta Strozzi” isn't merely a depiction of a young woman; it’s a carefully constructed window into the heart of 15th-century Florence. Completed around 1460, this exquisite marble bust transcends its material form to embody the ideals of beauty, intellect, and social standing that defined the era. The sculpture, now residing in the Staatliche Lindenau Museum in Berlin, immediately captivates with its serene composure – a…
Desiderio da Settignano's “Meeting of Christ and St John the Baptist as Youth,” created in 1453, stands as a cornerstone of Florentine Renaissance sculpture—a testament to humanist ideals fused with profound spiritual contemplation. Executed in grayscale marble, this circular relief captures a moment of serene intimacy between two youthful figures, embodying the burgeoning fascination with classical beauty and Christian piety that characterized the era.
A woman’s profile emerges from the cool, white marble, her features caught in a moment of quietude. The stone does not feel like rock; it feels like skin under a soft, diffused light. Her hair is a complex architecture of braids and curls, each strand rendered with a precision that suggests the artist’s chisel moved with the lightness of a brush. There is a profound stillness in her gaze, a…
In a recessed niche within the walls of Santa Trinità in Florence, a marble figure emerges from the stone. This high relief sculpture, carved in 1464, captures Mary Magdalene in a moment of quiet introspection. She is positioned centrally within an ornate architectural frame, her form integrated into the very fabric of the building. The figure holds a lamp aloft, a gesture that directs the viewer's attention toward the interplay…
Within the hushed reverence of a Florentine chapel, or perhaps now adorning a discerning collector's home, resides “The Christ Child” by Desiderio da Settignano – a sculpture that transcends mere representation to embody the very essence of nascent divinity. Crafted in the luminous embrace of white marble around 1460, this intimate portrait captures a moment suspended between earthly vulnerability and celestial grace. More than just a depiction of infancy, it’s…
Desiderio da Settignano's "A Little Boy," a marble bust sculpted around 1460, isn’t merely a portrait; it’s a poignant distillation of the Florentine Renaissance spirit – a fleeting capture of youthful beauty and an exploration of idealized innocence. This exquisite piece, currently housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., offers a rare glimpse into the artistic sensibilities of a master sculptor who, despite his relatively short career,…
Desiderio da Settignano’s “Laughing Boy,” crafted around 1453, isn't merely a sculpture; it’s a frozen moment of pure, unadulterated delight. Housed within the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, this small marble bust transcends its modest size to deliver an astonishingly potent emotional experience – a testament to the artist’s remarkable ability to capture fleeting human expression. Born into a family steeped in Florentine stonemasonry, Desiderio emerged as a prodigious talent, quickly…
The Tabernacle, also known as the Altar of the Sacrament, is a marble creation by the sculptor Desiderio da Settignano. Completed in 1461 or 1464, the work was originally intended for the Sacrament Chapel in San Lorenzo, Florence. It may have also been designed for the main chapel choir. This sacred structure was intended for the Medici family saints, Cosmas and Damian.
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Desiderio da Settignano | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 San Lorenzo |
Florence | 3 | Tabernacle (detail), Tabernacle, Tabernacle (detail) |
 National Gallery of Art |
Washington | 2 | The Christ Child (.), A Little Boy |
 Santa Croce |
Florence | 2 | Tomb of Carlo Marsuppini (detail), Tomb of Carlo Marsuppini |
 Galleria Sabauda |
Turin | 1 | Virgin and Child |
 Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
Berlin | 1 | Portrait of Marietta Strozzi |
 The Louvre |
Paris | 1 | Meeting of Christ and St John the Baptist as Youth |
 Santa Trinità |
Florence | 1 | Mary Magdalene |
 Kunsthistorisches Museum |
Vienna | 1 | Laughing Boy |
Desiderio da Settignano's career on this page runs 15 years, 1450 to 1464: each year appears here with its most famous originals.
Pick a year to see its originals.
To gaze upon Desiderio da Settignano's Virgin and Child is to step directly into the luminous heart of the Italian Renaissance. This exquisite marble sculpture, dating from 1450, transcends mere artistry; it captures a moment of profound, quiet intimacy. The piece presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus Christ, rendered with a breathtaking naturalism that seems to breathe life back into the cold stone. Desiderio’s mastery is evident in…
Desiderio da Settignano's “Meeting of Christ and St John the Baptist as Youth,” created in 1453, stands as a cornerstone of Florentine Renaissance sculpture—a testament to humanist ideals fused with profound spiritual contemplation. Executed in grayscale marble, this circular relief captures a moment of serene intimacy between two youthful figures, embodying the burgeoning fascination with classical beauty and Christian piety that characterized the era.
More from 1453
Desiderio da Settignano’s “Portrait of Marietta Strozzi” isn't merely a depiction of a young woman; it’s a carefully constructed window into the heart of 15th-century Florence. Completed around 1460, this exquisite marble bust transcends its material form to embody the ideals of beauty, intellect, and social standing that defined the era. The sculpture, now residing in the Staatliche Lindenau Museum in Berlin, immediately captivates with its serene composure – a…
More from 1460
A woman’s profile emerges from the cool, white marble, her features caught in a moment of quietude. The stone does not feel like rock; it feels like skin under a soft, diffused light. Her hair is a complex architecture of braids and curls, each strand rendered with a precision that suggests the artist’s chisel moved with the lightness of a brush. There is a profound stillness in her gaze, a…
In a recessed niche within the walls of Santa Trinità in Florence, a marble figure emerges from the stone. This high relief sculpture, carved in 1464, captures Mary Magdalene in a moment of quiet introspection. She is positioned centrally within an ornate architectural frame, her form integrated into the very fabric of the building. The figure holds a lamp aloft, a gesture that directs the viewer's attention toward the interplay…
Virgin and Child (1450), Galleria Sabauda, Turin. Portrait of Marietta Strozzi (1460) and Meeting of Christ and St John the Baptist as Youth (1453) come next.
20 years old: Virgin and Child dates from 1450, and Desiderio da Settignano was born in 1430.
Virgin and Child, Portrait of Marietta Strozzi, Meeting of Christ and St John the Baptist as Youth, Tabernacle (detail), Mary Magdalene, The Christ Child (.), A Little Boy, Laughing Boy, Tabernacle and Tomb of Carlo Marsuppini (detail). The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 12 works by Desiderio da Settignano, dated from 1450 to 1464.
Mostly in San Lorenzo (Florence), National Gallery of Art (Washington) and Santa Croce (Florence). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1460: 5 of the 12 works on this page were made then, Portrait of Marietta Strozzi among them.
On this page, the earliest is Virgin and Child (1450) and the latest Mary Magdalene (1464).
Marble (5), Marble sculpture (4) and Sculpture (4), across the 12 works on this page.
Marble, for 7 of the 12 works on this page.
Renaissance, judging by the originals on this page.
Tabernacle (detail), Tabernacle and Tabernacle (detail): the San Lorenzo, Florence holds 3 of the works on this page.
