Virgin and Child with Lilies by Luca della Robbia in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, July 2011

Virgin and child with lilies

Italian (Florence), Renaissance, about 1460–70
Luca della Robbia, Italian, Florence, 1399 or 1400–1482

Dimensions: Overall: 48 x 38cm (18 7/8 x 14 15/16in.)

Medium or Technique: Glazed terracotta

Classification: Sculpture, Type: Relief

Accession Number: 17.1476

Blue, white and green with gold halos. Terracotta.

This relief demonstrates the experimental approach to color that characterizes the work of Luca della Robbia and his shop. The pure whites and blues represent the classic della Robbia palette, but here Luca also experiments with greens, yellows, and shades of blue to evoke a flowery field. The skirts of the angels emerge from the blues and whites of the sky, with its billowy clouds.

Text from: www.mfa.org/collections/object/virgin-and-child-with-lili...