children and illustrated visually by them, was reflected in the prominence of the Ospedale degli Innocenti and a new public awareness of the plight of unwanted and orphaned children. Perhaps the visual identification of charity with children should be understood as a way of pulling on the heart (and purse) strings of donors and patrons. In 1487, Andrea della Robbia inserted several glazed terracotta roundels along the façade of Brunelleschi’s building, showing infants in various states of swaddling. The babies, almost all with their arms outstretched, echo in their poses both Christ on the cross and supplicants begging for alms. The frieze, highlighting the child’s vulnerability, seems intended to elicit sympathy from the observer. Today, organizations such as UNICEF and the Red Cross use similar images of the very young in their fundraising efforts. A by Albergati Capacelli, which although written in the eighteenth century was based on novella Renaissance prototypes, illustrates this sentiment—a miserable and miserly man, upon encountering four young boys in tattered clothes who wept and wrung hands as if their “their little hearts would break,” was so touched” that new soul” seemed inspire him; he “deeply “a “to is no more the same being; beneficence now guides his steps.” The Ospedale degli Innocenti commissioned or was bequeathed an impressive collection of art, including works by major Florentine artists, among them Luca della Robbia, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Piero di Cosimo. These paintings and sculptures intended for display at the Ospedale incorporate children and elicit sympathy for them in striking ways. In the background of Domenico Ghirlandaio’s (1488, Istituto degli Adoration of the Magi Innocenti), the artist included a depiction of the Massacre of the Innocents (not the more frequent Flight into Egypt, as in the Sassetti altarpiece in Santa Trinita). Fra Dominici argued that images should allow children to see themselves in youthful depictions of Christ and John the “mirrored” Baptist and in slaughtered Innocents.” Ghirlandaio moved beyond this by including four “the
children and illustrated visually by them, was reflected in the prominence of the Ospedale degli Innocenti and a new public awareness of the plight of unwanted and orphaned children. Perhaps the visual identification of charity with children should be understood as a way of pulling on the heart (and purse) strings of donors and patrons. In 1487, Andrea della Robbia inserted several glazed terracotta roundels along the façade of Brunelleschi’s building, showing infants in various states of swaddling. The babies, almost all with their arms outstretched, echo in their poses both Christ on the cross and supplicants begging for alms. The frieze, highlighting the child’s vulnerability, seems intended to elicit sympathy from the observer. Today, organizations such as UNICEF and the Red Cross use similar images of the very young in their fundraising efforts. A novella by Albergati Capacelli, which although written in the eighteenth century was based on Renaissance prototypes, illustrates this sentiment—a miserable and miserly man, upon encountering four young boys in tattered clothes who wept and wrung “their hands as if their little hearts would break,” was so “deeply touched” that “a new soul” seemed “to inspire him; he is no more the same being; beneficence now guides his steps.” The Ospedale degli Innocenti commissioned or was bequeathed an impressive collection of art, including works by major Florentine artists, among them Luca della Robbia, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Piero di Cosimo. These paintings and sculptures intended for display at the Ospedale incorporate children and elicit sympathy for them in striking ways. In the background of Domenico Ghirlandaio’s Adoration of the Magi (1488, Istituto degli Innocenti), the artist included a depiction of the Massacre of the Innocents (not the more frequent Flight into Egypt, as in the Sassetti altarpiece in Santa Trinita). Fra Dominici argued that images should allow children to see themselves “mirrored” in youthful depictions of Christ and John the Baptist and in “the slaughtered Innocents.” Ghirlandaio moved beyond this by including four
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