The Della Robbia Family
Enamelled Terracotta Sculptures from the Italian Renaissance

        11 December 2002 - 10 March 2003

        An exhibition designed by the Sculpture Department of the Louvre and organised by the Réunion des musées nationaux with the collaboration of the Musée National de Céramique Sèvres. The exhibition was previously shown at the Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall, Nice, from 29 June to 11 November 2003.

        The Della Robbia family was a family of sculptors who lived and worked in Florence in the time of the Medicis. The family made its name by developing enamelled terracotta as a sculptural medium, and long enjoyed a monopoly of the process. Many churches and monuments in Tuscany and Umbria still have some fine examples of their work. In the early nineteenth century, collectors were attracted by the bright colours and gentle modelling of their sculptures, showing Madonnas, angels and saints infused with the very human spirituality of the Franciscans. In 1862, Napoleon III purchased part of the Marquis Campana’s collection in Rome and thus endowed the Louvre with a large number of sculptures, some of which were later sent to other French museums. Fifty of the most beautiful and significant pieces have been assembled for this collection, ranging from statuettes to monumental sculpture, including architectural elements, liturgical objects and altarpieces.

        In the second half of the fifteenth century, Florence was a leading city, both artistically and economically, drawing its wealth from weaving and the wool and silk trade. Like the Medicis, Luca della Robbia’s family belonged to the powerful cloth manufacturers’ guild. But Luca (1399/1400? &emdash; 1482) broke with the family tradition to take up sculpture. He worked for rich patrons, embellishing palaces and churches in Florence and its territory.

        Recognised by his contemporaries as one of the major sculptors of his time, Luca della Robbia produced the famous marble reliefs of the cantoria (singing gallery) in the Duomo in Florence (1431-1438). At the height of his powers, he developed the process of enamelled terracotta sculpture, which was a relatively economical way of producing works that pleased the public taste and satisfied the expectations of a wide clientele. He was soon at the head of a flourishing workshop. His nephew and main partner, Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), developed a more eclectic style, especially apparent in his large, complex altarpieces. He produced the very famous medallions showing swaddled infants which decorate the gateway of the Foundling Hospital in Florence.

        The most well-known of Andrea della Robbia’s sons, Giovanni (1469-1529), took his inspiration for his altarpieces fairly directly from contemporary Florentine painting, but used strong colour contrasts. He also decorated the cloister of the charterhouse of Galluzzo, near Florence, demonstrating his excellent knowledge of classical antiquity. The recently restored works of his brother Luca (1475-1548 ?) "The Younger" were very diverse as well as clearer and simpler.

        But the "secret" of enamelled terracotta, divulged, as legend has it, by one of the women of the family to Benedetto Buglioni, was instrumental in the creation and success of a rival workshop, which finally edged out the della Robbia’s bottega (studio and shop). In 1527, the family was hard hit by the plague and scattered. Luca the Younger went to France to join his younger brother Girolamo (1488-1566), who had been in the service of Francis I since 1517.

        The technique used by the della Robbias has been closely analysed by the French Museum’s research and restoration unit. After the first firing, the terracotta sculpture was coated with an enamel powder that was then vitrified by a second firing. The lead-based opaque white was first used by Luca della Robbia to obtain the effect of polished white marble. It goes particularly well with cobalt blue. The landscape is sometimes suggested by foliage in green enamel. They also used yellow of various intensities (based on cadmium), and violet (based on manganese) to imitate porphyry in decorative parts of the composition. Red or gold highlights, which are highly fragile and have often vanished, were laid on cold after firing. Sometimes the pinkish-ochre, mat terracotta was left unglazed to render skin colour, in contrast with the glossy garments. However, the della Robbias seemed less concerned with realism than with enhancing the modelling of the figures, sometimes with iridescent effects. The sculptures are thus smooth and shiny and, depending on the whim of the artist or the patron, may be monochromatic (white), dichromatic (white with blue or yellow) or frankly polychromatic.

Musée national de Céramique
Place de la Manufacture
92 310 Sèvres
T : 01 41 14 04 20
F : 01 45 34 67 88

Hours
Open every day except Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission price for the exhibition
Full price: Euros 5.2;
Concession and Sundays: Euros 3.8.
The ticket is valid for the permanent collections as well.

Advance purchase of group tickets (20 and more): fast-track tickets at preferential prices from: museecie@rmn.fr

Access
Metro Pont de Sèvres, line 9,
Bus, lines 169, 171 et 179, bus stop musée de Sèvres
Tramway (connected to RER at la Défense and at Issy),