Medallions depicting swaddled infants, set within the facade of the Hospital of Innocents in Florence, represent the signature technical contributions of Andrea della Robbia. Living from 1435 until 1525, this sculptor and ceramicist refined the application of enamelled terra-cotta, transforming a specialized medium into a significant architectural element throughout the Republic of Florence during the Renaissance.
Artistic Development and Technique
Born in Florence to Marco della Robbia, Andrea received his foundational training as a pupil of his uncle, Luca della Robbia. He expanded upon his uncle's methods by applying enamelled reliefs to diverse architectural features, including fountains, retables, and friezes. His process often involved a unique stylistic choice, where he omitted enamel on the hands and faces of figures to achieve a more realistic aesthetic, as seen in the tympanum relief of Saint Francis and Saint Dominic at the hospital of San Paolo.
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Della Robbia produced a wide range of works for private clients and guilds, frequently utilizing the Madonna and Child as a central theme, often framed by decorative garlands of flowers and fruit. In 1489, he completed a relief for the Florentine Opera del Duomo, earning twenty gold florins. That same year, he modeled a tympanum for Prato Cathedral, featuring the Madonna between Saint Stephen and Saint Lawrence, and continued working in Prato through 1491.
Regional Influence and Late Works
His output extended well beyond Florence, with a substantial collection of his work located in Arezzo, including a retable at the cathedral and pieces in Santa Maria in Grado and the chapel of the Campo Santo. Among his notable late works are a medallion for Pistoia Cathedral, created in 1505, and a 1510 bust of the Protonotary Almadiano for the church of San Giovanni de' Fiorentini at Viterbo. His production continued until 1515, when his workshop contributed a relief of the Adoration of the Magi for the church of St Maria in Pian di Mugnone.
Fast facts
- Born: 1435, Florence
- Died: 1525, Florence
- Nationality: Republic of Florence
- Occupations: Sculptor, ceramicist
- Movement: Renaissance
- Notable work: Hospital of Innocents
- Notable work: Adoration of the Magi
- Notable work: Assumption of the Virgin
Questions readers ask
What specific technique did Andrea della Robbia pioneer?
He expanded the use of enamelled terra-cotta for large-scale architectural applications and occasionally left the faces and hands of figures unglazed for a more realistic appearance.
Where can his most well-known reliefs of infants be found?
These reliefs are located on the front of the Hospital of Innocents in Florence.
Achievements
- Notable work: Adoration of the Magi
- Notable work: Hospital of Innocents
- Notable work: Annunciation
- Notable work: Assumption of the Virgin
- Movement: Renaissance
