This tondo, or circular piece of art, is a very typical example of the terracotta reliefs which the Florentine della Robbia family is famous for: a mostly white scene set against a bright blue background, framed by leafy garlands with fruit and flowers. Their works usually served as architectural decoration. This charming image of a young man was made by Andrea della Robbia. The relief shows delicate, sensitive features which were typical of his style.
Andrea was raised by his uncle Luca della Robbia (1400-1481), who taught him the tricks of the trade. It was Luca who started the family business. He was gifted sculptor who was well-known in his own time for his modern (Renaissance) style. Although he was already popular, he sought and found a way to make his work more profitable: instead of making a sculpture after a clay model, he decided to use the model itself. As the baked product, terracotta, was quite vulnerable, he started to experiment with applying tin glazes to make it more sturdy.
In his hometown Florence, glazed pottery, known as maiolica, had been produced since the 14th century. Luca concocted his own secret mixture of tin and other minerals to create a perfectly white enamel. He started making white Madonna’s against a blue background. These were much appreciated in religious circles, where the whiteness of the glaze was interpreted as stressing her purity. Compared to their marble and stone counterparts, terracotta reliefs were more colorful, cheaper and relatively light-weight. Orders by churches and wealthy families who wanted to adorn their buildings soon poured in.
Although the business lasted for a few generations only, we can still find numerous examples throughout Tuscany, allowing us to admire the freshness of their colors which is retained until the present day.
(text: Pauline Dorhout)
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