Although Desiderio died at a young age (in 1464, at around 35), his oeuvre is particularly representative of Florentine artistic creation in the 1450-1460 period following Donatello’s departure for Padua, which enabled a new generation of sculptors to uphold the Renaissance ideals. This catalogue features contributions from several French, Italian and English-speaking art historians, providing a synthesis of what we currently know about the sculptor through a series of essays, a collection of notes and a rich iconography.

An Italian edition and an English edition of the catalogue were produced for the exhibitions at the Bargello and the National Gallery of Art.