Body and Soul:
Masterpieces of Italian Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture

A Dozen Unseen Sculptures Revealed

Longtime friends Andrew Butterfield, a lauded art dealer, and Fabrizio Moretti, owner of Moretti Fine Art, share the desire to bring Italian sculpture to the public's attention. The two have teamed up for "Body and Soul: Masterpieces of Italian Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture," on view at Moretti Fine Art in New York from October 21 to November 19. The new exhibit unveils 12 Italian masterpieces pivotal to Old Master sculpture. "Collecting of sculpture began ten to fifteen years after Old Master painting," says Butterfield. "So there are more things to be found. It's quite surprising." Except for a youthful statue of King David playing a harp by 18th-century sculptor Giovanni Foggini, the collection, which also includes work from Leonardo's teacher, Andrea del Verrocchio, and popular 16th-century sculptor Jacopo Sansovino, features museum-quality pieces that have never been seen by the public. Further uniting the sculptures, from a Madonna replica to a Medusa terra-cotta relief, is a depth of emotion almost unfathomable for an inanimate object, which Butterfield feels is key to good sculpture. "It has to have presence. And the soul, intelligence, feelings, and spirit of the one featured need to be manifested through expression and gesture."