Arnolfo di Cambio
Born: c. 1240, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Republic of Florence Died: c. 1302/1310, Florence
Italian architect and sculptor of the Duecento. He began as a lead assistant to Nicola Pisano. Documented as capomaestro (Head of Works) for Florence Cathedral in 1300, he also designed the sixth city wall around Florence and the Palazzo Vecchio.
Architectural Works
Artworks
Nativity Sculptures Self-researched
A group of 13th-century marble sculptures depicting the Nativity scene, originally part of a larger sculptural ensemble for the Oratory of the Nativity (Presepe). The figures include the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the ox, the ass, and the Magi. They are among the earliest known freestanding Nativity sculptural groups and are now displayed in the underground museum chapel of the basilica.
Madonna with Glass Eyes (Madonna degli Occhi di Vetro) Self-researched
An original sculpture from the main portal of Florence Cathedral, depicting the Virgin Mary with Saints Reparata and Zanobi. Notable for the glass eyes that give the figure an unusually lifelike appearance. The use of glass inlay for the eyes was an innovative technique that enhanced the sculpture's expressiveness.