About
A 10-foot Della Robbia altarpiece, off view for 70 years and rebuilt from 33 glazed pieces, headlines The Met's Renaissance terracotta show.
Around 1440 Luca della Robbia invented a secret way to glaze terracotta, and his family's sculptures still glow as brightly as the day they left the kiln. The centerpiece is a 10-foot altarpiece of 33 interlocking pieces, off view for 70 years, beside an animated 3D reconstruction of how it once fit together. If you like a single, focused gallery over a sprawling blockbuster, this is a gem.
What to expect
One gallery holds works by Luca, Andrea and Giovanni della Robbia: gleaming blue-and-white reliefs, statuary and the reassembled altarpiece, with digital media showing the conservation and research behind the show. It is a focused visit that fits easily into a longer day at The Met.
Good to know
- Located in Gallery 521 at The Met Fifth Avenue
- Included with Museum admission
- Nearest subway is the 4/5/6 at 86th Street
- The animated 3D reconstruction is worth watching all the way through
- Pair it with Ecologies of Painting and the European paintings galleries upstairs
Common questions
What makes Della Robbia sculpture special?
The family perfected a technique of glazing terracotta, creating reliefs and statues that remain vividly colored five centuries later.
What is the centerpiece?
A newly conserved 10-foot-tall altarpiece of 33 interlocking pieces that had been off view for 70 years.