Giovanni della Robbia (Italian, Florentine, 1469–1529/30). <em>Resurrection of Christ</em>, ca. 1520–1525. Glazed terracotta, 68 3/4 x 143 1/2 x 13 in. (174.6 x 364.5 x 33 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of A. Augustus Healy, 99.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 99.5_PS11.jpg)

Giovanni della Robbia (Italian, Florentine, 1469–1529/30). Resurrection of Christ, ca. 1520–1525. Glazed terracotta, 68 3/4 x 143 1/2 x 13 in. (174.6 x 364.5 x 33 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of A. Augustus Healy, 99.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 99.5_PS11.jpg)

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Has this been repainted?

This has never been repainted. It was extensively conserved and cleaned in 2016, but the colors are all original! The pigment that you see is a glaze on a terracotta base, a very durable material. The way that the glaze vitrifies and bonds to the terracotta means it basically never fades. The only danger to its vibrance are the glaze chipping off and dirt, which can, of course, be removed.

The only thing missing is red. The Della Robbia didn't have a formula for a red glaze so any areas that were meant to be red—like Christ’s flag and wounds—were glazed brown and then red paint was added after firing. This paint has been lost to time.

What does the eagle and snake represent?

Is it related to this serpent and dove?

Yes! The eagle and the snake are also a reference to Christ's triumph over evil!

There are various white doves in interactions with other animals such as serpents and rodents. Doves are a sign of the purity of the Holy spirit and the menacing animals again are a representation of sin or perhaps even temptation!

Oh very interesting thank you so much!

Is the blood on Jesus’s hands and ribs intentionally brown to show it has oxidized over the three days before he resurrected?

The Della Robbia never mastered a formula for a glaze that would remain red through firing. Brown areas like wounds, cross on the flag, and Christ's robe were painted red after firing; you can see traces of this paint in the folds of Christ's robe.

This paint and some gilding are the only colors missing from this composition today.

Why are the characters in this image dressed for the time this artwork was created even though the event happened over 1000 years earlier?

The practice of dressing religious figures in contemporary dress was commonplace in Europe for centuries. One reason this began was to make the figures more relatable.

Images were the primary means of communication between the church and a largely illiterate public. Therefore, making sure they understood who was who and what was going on was more important than remaining true to history.

Who is della Robbia?

Della Robbia is the name of a family and their Renaissance-era sculpture workshop in Florence focusing on brightly glazed terracotta. At the time this lunette was sculpted, the workshop was headed by Giovanni dell Robbia, the third generation.

The workshop was known for its proprietary glaze formula, which created more brilliant colors making them the most popular terracotta workshop in Europe.

How was this made?

This sculpture is made of glazed terracotta. “Terracotta” literally means “cooked earth” and is made from clay that has been molded and fired much like pottery. After the clay was fired the first time, the colorful glazes were applied and then it was fired a second time to fuse the glaze to the clay.

Each figure is its own separate tile, in fact, all of the separations you see are those of the original tiles. Della Robbia sculptures have an original numbering system imprinted on the inside of the tiles, so they can be assembled in the correct order.

Is there any symbolic meaning to the animals in the garland surrounding the scene?

Each animal and plant was carefully selected for its symbolic meaning. Some meanings are very straightforward, like lemons as a beloved crop in Italy; grapes were—and are—at the heart of the Antinori family’s business. Grapes are also deeply associated with the eucharist, the rite of giving thanks by taking the body and blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine. Resurrection is a common theme represented by pine cones, evergreens, gourds, pomegranates, salamanders, snails, and frogs. There are also battles between good and evil represented in pairs like a dove being attacked by a weasel.

Where are the three Marys?

They can be quite hard to find, but if you look on the left side of the composition, between the praying Niccoló Antinori and the fleeing soldier with a shield you will see the three Mary's painted on a small section.

They are painted so small to suggest that they are in the distance, demonstrating della Robbia's application of techniques adopted from painting: in this case, linear perspective.

Thanks.

Who are the figures around Christ? Is the sponsor of the piece represented?

The man kneeling in prayer to Christ's right has been identified as Niccolo Antinori who may have commissioned the piece. Niccolo is known to have commissioned other work from the della Robbia. However, he died around the time this work was created so another theory is that it was commissioned by his son, Alessandro, who asked to have his recently deceased father included praying at the foot of Christ to help ensure his salvation.

The Roman soldiers who had been guarding Christ's tomb and the angels are likely based on models, but their names were not recorded.

Resurrection of Christ

Giovanni della Robbia

European Art

On View: Elevator Lobby, 3rd Floor

About this Brooklyn Icon
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.

The Resurrection of Christ was one of the Museum’s first major European art acquisitions and the first Italian Renaissance work to enter the collection. The della Robbia family workshop was known throughout Italy for colorfully glazed terra-cotta sculptures and this one, comprising 46 pieces, is a superlative example. Dense and complex, it depicts the resurrection of Jesus and the shocked Roman soldiers who were guarding his tomb, all surrounded by a lush garland of fruits, flowers, and animals symbolizing rebirth and renewal.

The monumental sculpture was commissioned around 1520 to 1525 by the Antinori family, probably for their chapel in Florence. Niccolò di Tomasso Antinori is shown next to Jesus. Those yellow-and-blue circles are the family’s coat of arms.

Objects’ journeys to museums can have many steps, and some remain obscure. But the Resurrection’s ownership history, or provenance, is extraordinarily straightforward. From the della Robbia workshop the sculpture went to the Antinori chapel and then to their country estate outside Florence, where it remained until the family sold it to the Brooklyn Museum’s Board President in 1898. It is now one of the Museum’s most significant artworks and, after a careful restoration, boasts the same vivid color and detail as it did 500 years ago.

ARTIST Giovanni della Robbia, Italian, Florentine, 1469–1529/30

MEDIUM Glazed terracotta

Place Made: Italy

DATES ca. 1520–1525

DIMENSIONS 68 3/4 x 143 1/2 x 13 in. (174.6 x 364.5 x 33 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS European Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 99.5

CREDIT LINE Gift of A. Augustus Healy

PROVENANCE Ca. 1520-25, commissioned from the artist by the Antinori family of Florence, Italy; 1898, purchased in Florence from the Antinori family by A. Augustus Healy; October 14, 1898, gift of A. Augustus Healy to the Brooklyn Museum.

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EXHIBITIONS

The Brooklyn Della Robbia

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Elevator Lobby, 3rd Floor

CAPTION Giovanni della Robbia (Italian, Florentine, 1469–1529/30). Resurrection of Christ, ca. 1520–1525. Glazed terracotta, 68 3/4 x 143 1/2 x 13 in. (174.6 x 364.5 x 33 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of A. Augustus Healy, 99.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 99.5_PS11.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 99.5_PS11.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2015

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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