Verrocchio’s Medici Tombs: New Observations and Technical Analysis

Dylan T. Smith, Robert H. Smith Research Conservator, department of object conservation, National Gallery of Art Between 1464 and 1473, Andrea del Verrocchio created two funerary monuments for the Medici in the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence: the tomb of Cosimo the Elder and the tomb of his sons, Piero and Giovanni. These monuments integrate marble, porphyry, and bronze into magnificent designs that were both highly original and technically innovative. In this lecture given on December 10, 2019, conservator Dylan T. Smith presents the results of new technical investigations that offer greater insight into the materials and techniques of the tombs—pivotal works in the career of this Renaissance master. This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition Verrocchio: Sculptor and Painter of Renaissance Florence, on view through January 12, 2020.