The centrepiece of this free display is 'The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John', also known as the 'Taddei Tondo' (1504–05). The work, the only marble sculpture by Michelangelo in the UK, was an exceptional loan from the Royal Academy to the critically acclaimed Credit Suisse Exhibition: Michelangelo & Sebastiano (15 March – 25 June 2017). The sculpture currently remains on loan to the National Gallery, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the connections between these three Renaissance masters.*
In 'Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael around 1500' the 'Taddei Tondo' is presented alongside seven choice works from the National Gallery Collection to tell the story of how these three artists inspired each other in their revolutionary approaches to art around the turn of the 16th century: how they learnt from each other, stole from each other, and worked in opposition to each other – respectful friends and acrimonious rivals.
Matthias Wivel, the National Gallery’s Curator of 16th-century Italian Paintings says