Plaster model made between 1882 and 1887 by Cesare Fantacchiotti, depicting the idealized portrait of Dante Alighieri in half-length. This is the preparatory work for the marble relief seen in the portrait gallery of artists on the cymatium of the Cathedral facade. The face and clothing of the Supreme Poet are derived from the long tradition, from the 14th-century portrait of the Podestà Chapel, to the engravings by Gustav Doré, to the monument in Piazza Santa Croce by Enrico Pazzi: sharp profile, aquiline nose, medieval clothing with the typical cap and tails of the under-cap.

The gallery with the portraits of great artists is part of the iconographic program of the facade, developed by Emilio de Fabris, the architect responsible for the creation of the new architectural front, together with the philosopher Augusto Conti. The program is centered on the theme of Christ and Mary and aims to express "the greatness of Christianity in itself, and its harmonies with civilization, especially for the gentle inspirations that derive from Christian worship to the Mother of the Redeemer" and among these "Useful Arts, Sciences, Fine Arts". Conti clarified the inclusion of the portrait of Leonardo da Vinci (who collaborated only tangentially with the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore) as a "universal genius", for his experimental method, as a writer of science and art, and as a painter.