Madonna with Child

Notable among the sculptors active
in Milan in the 14th century was the figure of Giovanni di Balduccio from Pisa
who, having trained in his hometown and worked in various towns in Tuscany,
Liguria and Emilia, settled around 1335 in Milan, where he worked until 1349,
probable year of his death. On his arrival in Milan, the artist was involved in
a series of important projects that were to have important influences on the
language of local sculptors, originating from Campione, who were active in the
city. From this moment on, the trend was towards more elegant and sophisticated
forms, reaching a sort of compromise between traditional, local rigour and the
refined interpretation of the Gothic style, expressed in supple rhythms. Unfortunately
not many works by the Pisan artist remain, only partial reconstructions and
fragments, including numerous elements of statuary groups destined to adorn the
external fronts of Milan city gates (Porta Ticinese, Porta Orientale and Porta
Comasina).