Item Description

Presented is a bronze bust by Nathan David of the 15th century Italian humanist and Neoplatonist philosopher of the early renaissance Marsilio Ficino.

It is modelled after a fresco portrait of Ficino by Domenico Ghirlandaio in the Tornabuoni Chapel, Florence.



Nathan David was a sculptor who created bronzes of ballet dancers, such as Rudolf Nureyev, Anthony Dowell, Antoinette Sibley, Natalia Makarova, Mikhail Baryshnikov and many others.

Nathan David was born born in Deptford, south London but grew up in Wood Green, North London and took evening classes at Hornsey School of Art in sculpture, drawing and painting.

He exhibited at the royal Academy summer exhibition and at many other galleries in London and abroad. He also had solo shows at the Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the Royal Academy of Dance, Birmingham Hippodrome and The Orangery in Holland Park, west London.

Nathan Davids work is held in many collections including the Universities of Roehampton, Surrey and Cambridge as well as Queen Marys Hospital Roehampton.

His most celebrated work is an over-life-size bronze of Margot Fonteyn in the role of Ondine, which was erected in her birthplace at Reigate, Surrey.