Tondo 1497 - 1503

This 'Tondo' was crafted in Florence out of glazed terracotta by Benedetto Buglioni. Consider the context: Florence during the Renaissance. Buglioni's workshop was part of a larger artistic and economic ecosystem, supplying art to wealthy patrons and religious institutions. The round shape, or 'tondo,' was a popular format in Florence, often adorning the homes of the city's elite. The wreath of leaves and fruit is not merely decorative, it signifies prosperity, while the coat of arms at the center signifies family identity and social status. In Renaissance Florence, family lineage was everything. Patrons used art to reinforce their position in society. The survival of works like this one allows us to trace the social networks of Renaissance Florence and understand the ways in which art both reflected and reinforced the values of its time. By studying household inventories and the records of workshops, we can reconstruct the conditions under which this artwork was made and understand the dynamics of artistic production in Renaissance Italy.