Luca della Robbia ( / ˌ d ɛ l ə ˈ r ɒ b i ə / , also US : /- ˈ r oʊ b -/ , Italian: [ˈluːka della ˈrobbja, - ˈrɔb-] ; 1399/1400–1482) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence . Della Robbia is noted for his colorful, tin-glazed terracotta statuary, a technique that he invented and passed on to his nephew Andrea della Robbia and great-nephews Giovanni della Robbia and Girolamo della Robbia . Although a leading sculptor in stone, after developing his technique in the early 1440s he worked primarily in terracotta. His large workshop produced both less expensive works cast from molds in multiple versions, and more expensive one-off individually modeled pieces.
19-473: Della Robbia is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Luca della Robbia (1400–1481), Italian sculptor Andrea della Robbia (1435–1525), Italian sculptor, nephew of Luca Giovanni della Robbia (1469–1529), son of Andrea Girolamo della Robbia (1488–1566), son of Andrea See also [ edit ] Della Robbia Pottery (1894–1906), an English Arts and Crafts Movement pottery (inspired by
38-509: Is noted for its charm rather than the drama of the work of some of his contemporaries. Two of his famous works are The Nativity ( c. 1460 ) and Madonna and Child ( c. 1475 ). In stone, his most famous work is also his first major commission, the choir gallery, Cantoria in the Florence Cathedral (1431–1438). Della Robbia was praised by his compatriot Leon Battista Alberti for genius comparable to that of
57-576: The Cantoria ("Singing Gallery"; 1431–1438) of Florence Cathedral came before he joined the sculptor's guild Arte dei Maestri di Pietra e Legname (for workers in stone and wood) in 1432. According to Vasari, the Medici family were responsible for securing the commission for him. His first documented commission was the Cantoria ("Singing Gallery"; 1431–1438) for the Cathedral of Florence . During
76-582: The Cardinal of Portugal in San Miniato, Florence. Another relief, acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1861, shows his free use of color: an enormous medallion containing the arms of René of Anjou , and other heraldic devices; it is surrounded by an intricately modeled wreath of brilliantly colored fruit and flowers, including apples, lemons, oranges, and fir cones. This medallion was set up on
95-610: The Florentine Guild of Sculptors, but he refused on account of his age and infirmity. His election demonstrated, however, the very high esteem in which he was held by his contemporaries. He died in Florence during February 1482, taking most of his secrets of tin-based glaze with him. Arte dei Maestri di Pietra e Legname The Arte dei Maestri di Pietra e Legname was one of the Guilds of Florence that represented
114-470: The Master stonemasons , woodcarvers , and sculptors . It was founded before 1236, and it came to absorb multiple building crafts in the Florence area. It was one of the five Arti Mediani ("middle trades") It was listed as Muratori e Scarpellini (builders and stonemasons) in a 1236 list of the guilds, and listed fifth in precedence among the minor guilds although it was raised to fourth in 1280, when
133-487: The Virgin, of conventional type. The whole is surrounded by a rectangular frame formed of painted tiles. A bunch of flowers and fruit in brilliant realistic colors is painted on each tile with enamel pigments. Although the bunch of flowers on each is painted on one slab, the ground of each tile is formed of separate pieces, likely because the pigment of the ground required a different degree of heat in firing from that needed for
152-409: The enamel painting of the center. Della Robbia's earliest surviving freestanding sculpture is the white tin-glazed terracotta Visitation in the church of San Giovanni Fuoricivitas of Pistoia, dating to 1445. Although the date of della Robbia's first work in colored glazed terra-cotta is not known, his demonstrated control of this medium secured him two major commissions for the duomo of Florence:
171-465: The facade of the Pazzi Palace to commemorate René's visit to Florence in 1442. His works were highly popular in his time and many were sent outside Florence; the larger ones could be disassembled to facilitate transport. In 1446, he bought a large house containing a workshop, which would remain the base of the family workshop until the 1520s. In 1471, Luca della Robbia was elected president of
190-463: The large project of bronze doors for the sacristy of the cathedral. These doors were not finished until 1469; their reliance on a few figures placed in simple, orderly compositions against a flat ground, contrasts sharply with the elaborate pictorial effects of Lorenzo Ghiberti's more famous baptistery doors. Arguably one of the most important existing works in marble by Luca is the tomb of Benozzo Federighi , bishop of Fiesole . Executed in 1454–1456,
209-600: The large reliefs of the Resurrection (also from 1445) and the Ascension of Christ (1446). The pliant medium of baked clay covered with a "slip" of vitrified lead and refined minerals permitted a lustrous, polished surface capable of reflecting light and color that was beautifully appropriate for architectural sculpture. Whether animating the vast, somber space of the Cathedral or in the series Twelve Apostles gracing
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#1732776560176228-444: The person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Della_Robbia&oldid=852576770 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata All set index articles Luca della Robbia The vibrant, polychrome glazes made his creations both more durable and more expressive. His work
247-453: The pristine surfaces of the small Pazzi Chapel (1443–1450) in Florence, della Robbia's reliefs in this medium achieved a high level of mastery. Working with assistants, including members of his own family, della Robbia produced a number of decorative reliefs and altarpieces until the end of his life. One of the arguably finest examples is the enameled terra-cotta ceiling (1466) of the Chapel of
266-458: The sculptors Donatello and Lorenzo Ghiberti , the architect Filippo Brunelleschi , and the painter Masaccio . By ranking him with contemporary artists of this stature, Alberti noted the interest and strength of Luca's work in marble and bronze, as well as in the terra-cottas always associated with his name. Vasari , Gaurico , and several other early writers give contradictory accounts of Luca della Robbia's youth, training, and early works. He
285-545: The seven years it took della Robbia to carve the reliefs under the supervision of Brunelleschi , his style developed. While the earliest carved panels are fairly symmetric and lack movement, in later panels the movement of the singers becomes much more evident and dynamic. The Singing Gallery shows children singing, dancing, and making music to "praise the Lord" in the words of Psalm 150. Their figures are at once lively, finely observed, and gracefully combined in groups designed to fit
304-495: The ten panels of the gallery. The advanced nature of the work of the Cantoria has been seen to establish Luca della Robbia's skill in stone, as well as to secure his place as a major Florentine artist and student of Renaissance naturalism. In the next two decades, della Robbia executed commissions like the series of small marble reliefs (1437) for the bell tower of the Cathedral of Florence; and, in collaboration with Michelozzo ,
323-525: The tomb originally was placed in the church of San Pancrazio, Florence , but removed to San Francesco di Paola on the Bellosguardo road outside the city in 1783. In 1898, it was again moved to the church of Santa Trinita in Florence. An effigy of the bishop in a restful pose lies on a sarcophagus sculptured with graceful reliefs of angels holding a wreath that contains the inscription. Above are three-quarter length figures of Christ between St. John and
342-550: The work of Luca della Robbia and his family) Della Robbia, American line of pottery produced by Roseville pottery Odd Della Robbia , a character in Code Lyoko Della Robbia (typeface) , a typeface designed by Thomas Maitland Cleland [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with the surname della Robbia . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding
361-563: Was born in Florence, the son of a member of the Arte della Lana (wool-workers guild ). He may have trained as a goldsmith under Leonardo di Ser Giovanni according to art historian Vasari, before working with Ghiberti on the famous doors of the Florence Baptistry . He was heavily influenced by Donatello , and in the 1420s, was used by the architect Filippo Brunelleschi for sculpture on his buildings. His important commission for
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