Madonna and Child with Scroll

ca. 1455
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 604
Luca della Robbia is famous especially for having brought the glazed terracotta technique to sculpture. This quiet, monumental composition shows him at the height of his powers. The composition is best viewed from the right and must have been site specific. The Virgin's head was modeled and glazed separately.

This sculpture and others may have been the central part of a lunette which was stylistically related to the Cantoria completed by Luca for the Cathedral of Florence between 1431 and 1438.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Madonna and Child with Scroll
  • Artist: Luca della Robbia (Italian, 1399/1400–1482 Florence)
  • Date: ca. 1455
  • Culture: Italian, Florence
  • Medium: Glazed terracotta
  • Dimensions: 31 1/4 in., 93 lb. (79.4 cm, 42.2 kg)
    42 3/4 × 28 1/8 in. (108.6 × 71.4 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
  • Object Number: 14.40.685
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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