Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture, New York, 2005, cat.no.5.

RELATED LITERATURE

P. Franconi, "La Madonna del Presepe nella Pieve di Terranuova e...Agnolo di Polo," in Studi Territoriali, no.4, Terrabuova Bracciolini, 1997, fig. 14.

L. Lorenzi, Agnolo di Polo: Scultura in terracotta dipinta nella Firenze di fine Quattrocento, Ferrara, 1998, pp.64-65, fig.14.

A. Darr et. al., Italian Sculpture in the Detroit Institute of Arts, vol. I, 2002, no. 62, pp.127-128.

The present figure is very close in facial type, treatment of the hair and drapery to two figures of Mary Magdalene by di Polo and Saint John the Evangelist in the Chiesa dello Spirito Santo, Pistoia, the latter convincingly ascribed to Agnolo di Polo. The Saint John in particular shows similar placement of the arms and hands and a comparable "roll" of drapery across the waist area. The pattern of parallel, v-shaped d🅷rapery folds falling slightly to the left of center of the figures and the fitted sleeves are also analagous, as are the long, wavy and thick locks of hair issuing from the flattened portion of hair on the crown of the head.

One must also compare the terracotta figure of the Magdalene in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York which was originally created for the oratory of the Spedale della Morte at Pistoia (see . Goldsmith Phililips, 'A Sculpture by Agnolo di Polo,", in Metropolitan Museum Art Bulletin, xxx/1, 1971, pp.81-9).

Agnolo di Polo belonged to a family of well-known artisans in Florence. According to Vasari, he was a pupil of Verrocchio and probably remained in his workshop after the master left Florence and then worked under Lorenzo di Credi. The only documented works by di Polo, the previously discussed Mary Magdalene and a bust of the Redeemer,  were commissioned toward the end of the 15th century by the Ufficiali della Sapienza in Pistoia. The composition of the Redeemer derives ultimately from the head of Christ in the Doubting Thomas group by Verro♊cchio made for Orsanmichele,💜 Florence.

This lot is sold with a Thermoluminescence Analysis Report from Oxford Authentication Ltd. indicating that sample N107j53 was last fired between 400 and 700 years ago.