St Ambrose attended by two angels thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Cast Courts, Room 46b, The Weston Cast Court

St Ambrose attended by two angels

Relief
1464 -1472 (sculpted), ca. 1864 (cast)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This relief of the church father St Ambrose, together with the companion relief of another church father, St Augustine, are copies of two of ten reliefs on the North Sacristy doors of Florence Cathedral. In 1446 a pair of doors was commissioned from three Florentine sculptors, of whom Luca della Robbia was one. The doors were finally set in place in the first half of 1475. One of the most popular Florentine renaissance artists in Britain in the mid-19th century, Luca della Robbia worked in glazed terracotta and marble respectively, as well as in bronze.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSt Ambrose attended by two angels (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster cast
Brief description
Plaster cast of relief of St Ambrose attended by two angels, from the door of the North Sacristy, in the Cathedral, Florence, Luca della Robbia, 1464 -1472, cast by Signor Stiattesi, ca. 1864
Physical description
Plaster cast of relief of St. Ambrose attended by two angels, after bronze original, on the door of the North Sacristy, in the Cathedral, Florence.
Dimensions
  • Height: 61.5cm
  • Width: 61.5cm
Object history
Purchased from Stiattesi in 1864 for £16 (20 francs)
Historical context
St Ambrose, together with the comparison relief of St Augustine(1864-6) are two of ten reliefs on the North Sacristy door which depict: the Virgin and Child, St John the Baptist, the four Evangelists and the four Doctors of the Church. On 28 February, 1446, a pair of doors for the entrance to the North Sacristy of Florence Cathedral were formerly commissioned from Michelozzo, Luca della Robbia and Maso di Bartolomeo. Between 1464 and 1472, Luca della Robbia executed the ten reliefs and the doors were set in place in the first half of 1475.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This relief of the church father St Ambrose, together with the companion relief of another church father, St Augustine, are copies of two of ten reliefs on the North Sacristy doors of Florence Cathedral. In 1446 a pair of doors was commissioned from three Florentine sculptors, of whom Luca della Robbia was one. The doors were finally set in place in the first half of 1475. One of the most popular Florentine renaissance artists in Britain in the mid-19th century, Luca della Robbia worked in glazed terracotta and marble respectively, as well as in bronze.
Associated object
Collection
Accession number
REPRO.1864-5

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Record createdJune 29, 2000
Record URL
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