Esther's photos with the keyword: della

"In the rich artistic culture of 15th-century Florence, the sculptor Luca della Robbia (1399/1400–1482) won renown for his innovations in the medium of glazed terracotta. Praised as “new, useful, and most beautiful,” this distinctive technique involved the application of colorful, reflective glazes to sculptures in fired clay. Luca’s methods established a durable and shining surface for ceramic sculpture of many kinds, from independent statues in the round to narrative reliefs and architectural ornament. His family workshop specialized in depictions of sacred history and devotional images of the Madonna and Christ child for a variety of settings, including altars and chapels within churches, exterior walls and gates, and the domestic realm. The sculptures’ humble materials expressed the spiritual value of humility, exalted by a luminous surface, while the skill with which they were fashioned and the visual clarity of the medium made them easy to read and understand. Through pure, expressive color and a refreshing simplicity of means, Della Robbia terracottas illuminated themes of salvation through Christian faith. Luca collaborated closely for decades with his nephew, Andrea (1435–1525), who entered his workshop by 1451 and inherited it in 1482. Five of Andrea’s children joined the enterprise, carrying the family’s art into the 16th century. As their range of commissions grew, the Della Robbia increasingly explored other genres, such as portraiture, still life, landscape, and allegory, alongside canonical religious subjects. Della Robbia sculptures still grace the churches and squares of Florence and other Italian cities, while portable reliefs, statuettes, and busts by the family adorn museums throughout the world. This major loan exhibition is the first devoted to the Della Robbia in the United States, where a newfound appreciation for the beauty and ingenuity of Renaissance glazed ceramics emerged in the 19th century and continues today." www.nga.gov/features/della-robbia-a-closer-look.html BIMG 0122-1

Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, Italy, was built as offering for the city's deliverance from the 1630 plague which killed nearly a third of the inhabitants of Venice. The octogonal bascilica contains masterworks of Titian and Tintoretto as well as the works of other master painters and sculptors. AIMG_4608

Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, Italy, was built as offering for the city's deliverance from the 1630 plague which killed nearly a third of the inhabitants of Venice. The octogonal bascilica contains masterworks of Titian and Tintoretto as well as the works of other master painters and sculptors. AIMG_4601

Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, Italy, was built as offering for the city's deliverance from the 1630 plague which killed nearly a third of the inhabitants of Venice. The octogonal bascilica contains masterworks of Titian and Tintoretto as well as the works of other master painters and sculptors. This photograph was taken from a balcony in a passing cruise ship, which permitted a bird's eye view of the dome. AIMG_4449

Victor Emmanuel Monument, Rome AIMG_2328

Sant' Andrea della Valle is a basilica church located in Rome, Italy. Work commenced in 1590 and was completed in 1650. The dome was completed in 1627 by Giovanni Lanfranco and was the third largest dome in Rome in its time, exceeded in size only by the Pantheon and St. Peter's Basilica. AIMG_2553

Sant' Andrea della Valle is a basilica church located in Rome, Italy. Work commenced in 1590 and was completed in 1650. The dome was completed in 1627 by Giovanni Lanfranco and was the third largest dome in Rome in its time, exceeded in size only by the Pantheon and St. Peter's Basilica. AIMG_2554