Giovanfrancesco Rustici, a sculptor, born in Florence in 1475, formed at the famous Garden of San Marco under the patronage of Lorenzo il Magnifico, was close to Leonardo, of which he was a pupil and collaborator, was also a friend and companion of Andrea del Sarto, Jacopo Sansovino, Domenico Puligo and Baccio Bandinelli.
To this great artist Florence dedicates the show “The big bronzes Battistero. Rustici and Leonardo”, where you can admire the Baptist Preaching, sculptural group of three magnificent bronze figures whose design and implementation participated also Leonardo da Vinci and was raised above the North Gate of the Baptistery in Florence in 1511. This exhibition offers a double opportunity: first, to demonstrate the contribution of Leonardo in this creation by comparison with Leonardo’s autographs and, in particular, with the famous San Giovanni Battista hosted in the Louvre Museum; and at the same time give the opportunity to introduce for the first time the Rustici’s artistic personality, highlighted by recent study. The shows, in fact, present a quite complete overview of his works, showing his great versatility and technical features of his style. The exhibition will be held from September 10 to 10 January, 2011 at the National Museum of the Bargello.
