Madonna and Child with Scroll
ca. 1455
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
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
Accession Number
14.40.685
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of Renaissance Florence, Luca della Robbia crafted this exquisite *Madonna and Child with Scroll* 1455, a quintessential example of his innovative glazed terracotta technique. Standing at over 42 inches tall and weighing a substantial 93 pounds, this captures the tender bond between the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, who holds a scroll symbolizing divine wisdom or prophecy. Della Robbia, a leading Early Renaissance sculptor, revolutionized sculpture by firing unglazed terracotta with a tin-based glaze, creating vibrant, durable pieces that mimicked colorful maiolica ceramics wh...