{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O16283"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16283/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BN4087/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BN4087/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BN4087","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BN4091","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BN4090","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM3821","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM3820","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM3819","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM3814","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM3813","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM3811","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JT9019","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JT9051","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JV7981","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KY5380","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KY5347","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KY5346","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LX1495","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC4405","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC6594","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC6595","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC6596","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC6598","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC6600","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC6601","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MC6602","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O16283/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O16283","accessionNumber":"475-1864","objectType":"Statuette","titles":[{"title":"Winged Putto with a Fantastic Fish","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This bronze sculpture of a winged putto with a fish is probably made by Donatello, in about 1435-40.\n\nUntil the object was cleaned, this putto was thought to be standing on a 'rocky base', but it proved to be a tortoise, one of the Medici emblems. The figure was originally designed for a small wall fountain, most likely for the Villa at Careggi or one of the other Medici villas. It would originally have held a whirligig which would have turned as it was hit by the water from the penis. Jet's of water would also have sprayed from the fish's mouth.\r\n\r\nThe figure is a putto - or erote, the winged form with classicizing long hair, reminiscent of antique prototypes that seem to have particularly appealed to Donatello.","physicalDescription":"The figure of the putto (or erote) is posed frontally with wings outstretched, standing on a tortoise. On his head he wears a circlet, below which the hair is disposed in long curls. On his shoulders he supports a fantastic fish. The figure was originally piped for use as a fountain.  There is an aperture at the back, and water would have played from both the mouth of the fish and the penis. The putto would originally have held a whirligig, now missing.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Donatello","id":"A1979"},"association":{"text":"probably","id":"THES285218"},"note":"Probably cast after a model by Donatello"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bronze, cast","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2007BN4087","2007BN4091","2007BN4090","2007BM3821","2007BM3820","2007BM3819","2007BM3814","2007BM3813","2007BM3811","2017JT9019","2017JT9051","2017JV7981","2018KY5380","2018KY5347","2018KY5346","2019LX1495","2019MC4405","2019MC6594","2019MC6595","2019MC6596","2019MC6598","2019MC6600","2019MC6601","2019MC6602"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"64A","id":"THES49095"},"free":"","case":"CA11","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Table fountain","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Florence","id":"x28848"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1435 - ca. 1440","earliest":"1430-01-01","latest":"1444-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"40.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"40.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"10.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"7.02","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This small wall fountain figure was most likely made for one of the Medici villas. It was bought from the Piot Collection sale (Paris, 1864, 25-30 April, No. 24, £160).\n\nUntil the object was cleaned, the putto was thought to be standing on a 'rocky base', but it proved to be a tortoise, one of the Medici emblems.  The putto - or erote - as seen here in its most classical, winged form seems to be the only one used by Donatello.  The naked figure stands in a contrapposto pose with his classicizing long hair, all reminiscent of antique prototypes, but transformed and made relevant to the Medici by the discreet addition of their emblem.","historicalContext":"The figure was originally designed for a small wall fountain, most likely for the Villa at Careggi or one of the other Medici Villas.  He would originally have held a whirligig which would have turned as it was hit by the water from the penis.","briefDescription":"Statuette, 'Winged Putto with a Fantastic Fish', cast in bronze, partially gilded, probably by Donatello, Italy, ca. 1435-1440","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Motture, Peta, ed., <u>Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance</u>, London: V&A Publishing, 2023.","id":"AUTH394323"},"details":"p. 187, cat. 3.5, entry by Peta Motture,","free":"Attribution: probably Donatello"},{"reference":{"text":"Rowley, Neville, ed., <u>Donatello: Inventor of the Renaissance</u>, Berlin: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, 2022.","id":"AUTH394327"},"details":"pp. 212-213, cat. 41, entry by Neville Rowley,","free":"Attribution: workshop of Donatello"},{"reference":{"text":"Caglioti, Francesco, ed., with Laura Cavazzini, Aldo Galli, and Neville Rowley. <u>Donatello: il Rinascimento</u>, Venice: Marsilio, 2022.","id":"AUTH394729"},"details":"pp. 198-199, cat. 5.3, entry by Neville Rowley,","free":"Attribution: workshop of Donatello"},{"reference":{"text":"Baker, Malcolm, and Brenda Richardson (eds.), <i>A Grand Design: The Art of the Victoria and Albert Museum</i>, London: V&A Publications, 1999.","id":"AUTH348910"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Gentilini, Giancarlo. <font -u>I Della Robbia : La Scultura Invetriata nel Rinascimento, vol. 1.</font> Florence, 1992. PP. 106, 163-164"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Avery, Charles. <font -u>Donatello: Catalogo Completo delle Opere.</font> Firenze : Cantini, 1991. p. 72"},{"reference":{"text":"<i>Italian Renaissance Sculpture in the Time of Donatello</i>, Detroit, Michigan : Founders Society, Detroit Institute of Arts, 1985","id":"AUTH354559"},"details":"no.23","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Seymour, Charles. <font -u>The Sculpture of Verrocchio.</font> London: Studio Vista, 1971. pp. 55-56"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Pope-Hennessy, John, assisted by Lightbown, Ronald. <font -u>Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum vol.1.</font> London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964. pp. 78-80"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. <font -u>Catalogue of Italian Sculpture.</font> London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932. p. 21"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1864. <font -u>Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1.</font> London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868. p. 72"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Putto","id":"AAT250465"},{"text":"fish","id":"x30068"},{"text":"tortoise","id":"x30664"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Winged boy with a fish\r\nAbout 1435–40\r\nDonatello (about 1386–1466)\r\n\r\nThis classically inspired and witty figure\r\nmight have been made for a wall fountain\r\nin one of the Medici gardens, since the\r\nboy stands on a tortoise, a Medici symbol.\r\nJets of water would have sprayed from the\r\nfi sh’s mouth and the boy’s penis, probably\r\nturning a waterwheel now missing from\r\nthe boy’s right hand.\r\n\r\nItaly, Florence\r\nBronze, with traces of gilding\r\nMuseum no. 475-1864","date":{"text":"2009","earliest":"2009-01-01","latest":"2009-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["475-1864"],"accessionNumberNum":"475","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1864,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2024PA4978","2024PA4977","2024PA4976","2017KB6831","2017KB6815","2019LP8938","2019LT6166","2019LW9276"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-01","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":false}}