Cherub
Relief
late 15th century to early 16th century (made)
late 15th century to early 16th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is an enamelled terracotta relief made at the workshop of Andrea della Robbia in the late 15th or early 16th century Florence. The relief is made in blue and white enamelled terracotta and showing a two-winged cherub, with head turned slightly to the left, holding a label of irregular shape. The surface is enamelled in white save for the eyes, which are glazed in purplish black, and the border of the label, which is blue.
The Della Robbia family was an Italian family of sculptors and potters. They were active in Florence from the early 15th century and elsewhere in Italy and France well into the 16th. Family members were traditionally employed in the textile industry, and their name derives from rubia tinctorum, a red dye. Luca della Robbia founded the family sculpture workshop in Florence and was regarded by contemporaries as a leading artistic innovator, comparable to Donatello and Masaccio. The influence of antique art and his characteristic liveliness and charm are evident in such works as the marble singing-gallery for Florence Cathedral. He is credited with the invention of the tin-glazed terracotta sculpture for which the family became well known.
The Della Robbia family was an Italian family of sculptors and potters. They were active in Florence from the early 15th century and elsewhere in Italy and France well into the 16th. Family members were traditionally employed in the textile industry, and their name derives from rubia tinctorum, a red dye. Luca della Robbia founded the family sculpture workshop in Florence and was regarded by contemporaries as a leading artistic innovator, comparable to Donatello and Masaccio. The influence of antique art and his characteristic liveliness and charm are evident in such works as the marble singing-gallery for Florence Cathedral. He is credited with the invention of the tin-glazed terracotta sculpture for which the family became well known.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Title | Cherub (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | enamelled erracotta |
Brief description | Relief, enamelled terracotta, of a Cherub, Italian (Florence), workshop of Andrea della Robbia, late 15th or early 16th century |
Physical description | Relief in blue and white enamelled terracotta. The relief shows a two-winged cherub, with head turned slightly to the left, holding a label of irregular shape. The surface is enamelled in white save for the eyes, which are glazed in purplish black, and the border of the label, which is blue. |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label | 72-1866
Cherub with a Label
Blue and white enamelled terracotta
Workshop of Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525)
Florentine; late 15th or early 16th century(2004) |
Object history | Purchased in Florence (Gagliardi) in 1866. |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | This is an enamelled terracotta relief made at the workshop of Andrea della Robbia in the late 15th or early 16th century Florence. The relief is made in blue and white enamelled terracotta and showing a two-winged cherub, with head turned slightly to the left, holding a label of irregular shape. The surface is enamelled in white save for the eyes, which are glazed in purplish black, and the border of the label, which is blue. The Della Robbia family was an Italian family of sculptors and potters. They were active in Florence from the early 15th century and elsewhere in Italy and France well into the 16th. Family members were traditionally employed in the textile industry, and their name derives from rubia tinctorum, a red dye. Luca della Robbia founded the family sculpture workshop in Florence and was regarded by contemporaries as a leading artistic innovator, comparable to Donatello and Masaccio. The influence of antique art and his characteristic liveliness and charm are evident in such works as the marble singing-gallery for Florence Cathedral. He is credited with the invention of the tin-glazed terracotta sculpture for which the family became well known. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 72-1866 |
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Record created | March 27, 2006 |
Record URL |
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