Luca della Robbia

Luca della Robbia was a significant Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence. He lived from approximately 1399 or 1400 until 1482. While he was a master of stone, he is most famous for inventing a unique method of creating colorful, tin-glazed terracotta statuary. This technique allowed him to produce works that were both highly expressive and very durable. His art was often described as having a special charm.

This distinction set his work apart from the more dramatic styles of his contemporaries.

The mechanism of his famous terracotta technique involved working with baked clay. He would cover the pliant terracotta with a "slip," which is a liquid mixture of vitrified lead and refined minerals. This mixture acted as a tin-based glaze. Once fired, the glaze created a lustrous, polished surface. This surface was capable of reflecting light and color beautifully. Such a finish was particularly useful for architectural sculpture.

It allowed his pieces to remain vibrant even when placed in large, somber spaces like cathedrals.

Della Robbia's workshop operated with different levels of production. He produced expensive, one-off pieces that were individually modeled by hand. He also created less expensive works by using molds to cast multiple versions of the same design. This allowed his art to reach a wider audience. His workshop was a large family operation. He passed his glazing secrets to his nephew, Andrea della Robbia. His great-nephews, Giovanni and Girolamo della Robbia, also continued the family tradition.

Luca's early career involved several influential figures in Florence. He was born to a member of the Arte della Lana, which was the wool-workers guild. Some historical accounts, such as those by Vasari, suggest he may have trained as a goldsmith. He worked with the sculptor Ghiberti on bronze doors for the Florence Baptistry. In the 1420s, he provided sculptural decoration for the architect Filippo Brunelleschi. In 1432, he joined the Arte dei Maestri di Pietra e Legname, the guild for stone and wood workers.

His first major commission was the Cantoria, or singing gallery, for the Florence Cathedral. This project lasted seven years, from 1431 to 1438. The Cantoria was carved from marble under the supervision of Brunelleschi. It consists of ten panels depicting children singing, dancing, and making music. As Luca worked on these panels, his style evolved. The earliest panels were symmetric and lacked movement. However, the later panels show much more dynamic movement in the singers.

Other notable works demonstrate his mastery of different materials and subjects. Between 1454 and 1456, he created the tomb of Benozzo Federighi. This marble tomb features a sarcophagus with reliefs of angels. The frame is surrounded by painted tiles. These tiles feature realistic flowers and fruit painted with enamel pigments. In 1445, he created the Visitation, his earliest surviving freestanding terracotta sculpture. He also produced a large medallion featuring the arms of René of Anjou. This piece included a wreath of colorful apples, lemons, oranges, and fir cones.

Luca della Robbia was held in extremely high esteem by his peers. The architect and writer Leon Battista Alberti compared his genius to great figures like Donatello and Ghiberti. He was also ranked alongside the architect Brunelleschi and the painter Masaccio. In 1471, the Florentine Guild of Sculptors elected him as their president. Luca refused the position due to his age and infirmity. This election proved how much his contemporaries respected his skill. He died in Florence in February 1482. He passed away taking many of his tin-glaze secrets with him.