Bambino - Item #239
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42 Inches High x 32 Inches Wide x 7 Inches Deep
Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525) was from the famous Della Robbia family of artists who owned a successful workshop in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. They are known for their colorful, glazed terracotta sculptures. The specific mixture for their glaze was invented by Andrea's uncle, Luca, in the 1430s. In the late 15th century, Andrea created 10 glazed terracotta reliefs of swaddled babies for a Florence orphanage. The Hospital of the Innocents building (Ospedale degli Innocenti in Italian) that houses the Institute of the Innocents (Istituto degli Innocenti in Italian) is located in the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. Francesco Datini, a Prato merchant, bequeathed plans for an orphanage - the first secular institution of its kind in the world - and the Silk Guild oversaw its creation. The Guild, in turn, commissioned architect Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) to design the building in 1419. Brunelleschi, a leader in Renaissance architecture, is also known for creating the dome of the Florence Cathedral, or the Duomo. The orphanage opened in 1445 and is still a public institution today, caring for children and families through the establishment of educational and social services and the promotion of children's rights.
Della Robbia's reliefs were added to the loggia on the facade of the hospital in 1487. They are located in the spandrels, the area in between the arches. Each relief contains one child in varying poses, and these sculptures are beloved by citizens and tourists alike. The blue backgrounds stand out from the neutral colors of the building. The bambinos were removed temporarily to be restored when the building itself was undergoing restoration. Upon its completion in 2016, the Museum of the Innocents, housed inside, was also reopened with updated features. The reliefs were displayed in the Museum for a time before eight of them were returned to the loggia. The last two will continue being displayed indoors due to their fragile conditions while copies will replace them outdoors.
Artist: Andrea della Robbia
Museum: Hospital of the Innocents, Florence
Origin: Hospital of the Innocents, Florence
Time Period: Renaissance, 1487
1911 Catalog ID # - 8363
Sources:
Bianchini, Riccardo. "Museo degli Innocenti – Florence." Inexhibit, 1 Nov. 2019, https://www.inexhibit.com/mymuseum/museo-degli-innocenti-hospital-innocents-florence-brunelleschi/.
Editorial staff. "Innocenti facade restored: Della Robbia’s Putti returned to plain view." The Florentine, 4 Jan. 2017, https://www.theflorentine.net/news/2017/01/innocenti-facade-restored/.
Flores, Lourdes. "The new Innocenti Museum in Piazza SS. Annunziata." Visit Florence, https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-museums/innocenti-museum.html. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
Hallett, Vicky. "This 15th-century orphanage in Florence is now a kid-friendly museum." The Washington Post, 29 September 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/this-15th-century-orphanage-in-florence-is-now-a-kid-friendly-museum/2016/09/29/e063e3e2-8028-11e6-8327-f141a7beb626_story.html.
"History." Istituto degli Innocenti, https://www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it/?q=content/history.
"Home." Istituto degli Innocenti, https://www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it/?q=content/home.
Hyman, Isabelle. "Filippo Brunelleschi." Encyclopædia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Filippo-Brunelleschi
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