Something Beautiful

Della Robbia Family

It being Sunday, I offer for your enjoyment another of Luca della Robbia's marvelous terracotta sculptures -- Christ in Majesty, in Florence, Italy.

The same talented photographer has posted photographs of other works by members of the della Robbia family. 

Luca (1400-1482) was the first and most famous member of this family of sculptors.   He was assisted and later succeeded by his nephew Andrea (1435-1525).   Andrea was in turn assisted and succeeded by his sons, the best known of whom was Giovanni (1469- ?).   

Della Robbia, Andrea

Saint Augustine, ca. 1490, by Andrea Della Robbia (terracotta), at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. 

Annunciation (Tilman Riemenschneider)

Here is a remarkable work -- the Annunciation, ca. 1400, by Tilman Riemenschneider, made in alabaster.  (additional info) 

(N.B. Click on the photo to expand it.)

Alabaster relief

This relief, made in alabaster, depicts the Tenth Sign of the Last Judgment, ca. 1440.   Be sure to see the enlarged version of it.   

Reims Cathedral (west facade)

The Reims Cathedral is famous as the site of the coronation of French kings, and as a particularly fine example of Gothic architecture.  .   It has two highly-decorated facades, the western facade and the northern. 

Today we will look at the West facade, which is the cathedral's face and contains its main entrances.   

First, there are two "buttresses" on this facade, one at each end of the cathedral's face --

left buttress (at far left of cathedral's face)

right buttress (at far right of the West facade)

Next, there are three portals, known as the North, Center and South portals. 

     a.  North portal (right-most entrance of West facade) --

North portal

North portal, left side (jamb statues)

North portal, right side (jamb statues)

      b.  The Center portal is the largest and most ornate of the three --

Center portal

Center portal, left side

Center portal, right side 

Central portal, trumeau

c.  Finally, there is the South portal --

South portal

South portal, left side

South portal, right side 

Tomorrow I'll try for the other main facade. 

St Veronica

Have you ever seen this statue of St Veronica, ca. 1630, by Francesco Mochi?  The sculptor has so successfully conveyed the sense of motion and urgency. 

American sculptures

As a rule, I don't think of American sculpture as anything particularly special.  And then I happened across five (5) nineteenth-century works in marble at the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and all that changed --

Genius of mirth, 1842, by Thomas Crawford

California, ca. 1855, by Hiram Powers

Cleopatra, ca. 1860, by William Wetmore Story

Venezia, ca. 1866, by Latkin Goldsmith Mead

Hiawatha, ca. 1872, by Augustus St Gaudens

Two more surprises were these moving works in bronze, by John Q. A. Ward --

The Indian Hunter, ca. 1860

The Freedman, ca. 1865

 

Francis I, medal

Francis I, king of France, was not a handsome man, but an artist managed to create a beautiful medal using his silhouette.    There is something about the intensity of this small piece, combined with its clarity, that gives me a lift every time I look at it.   

Handel (sculpture)

Today's entry will be a quick one, as I am off to another city to pick up a computer for a friend.   But it's one that I find most appealing -- George Friederic Handel, by Louis-François Roubiliac, before 1738, in terracotta. 

Giambologna, sculptor

The sculptor Giambologna (1529-1608), also known as Giovanni Bologne, was born in Flanders but spent his working life in Italy.  One of his many excellent works is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City  --

Triton, ca. 1565 (bronze; 36 in.)

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You can easily locate more works by this extraordinary artist by consulting Giambologna Online.