Robbia

Robbia is a surname of Italian origin most commonly associated with the Della Robbia family, a renowned workshop of sculptors in Renaissance Florence. The name is linked to a distinctive tradition of glazed terracotta sculpture that flourished from the early 15th century onward and shaped religious and civic art in Italy.

Luca della Robbia (c. 1400–1481) founded the workshop and developed a durable tin-glazed terracotta technique that allowed sculpted figures to be displayed outdoors. His method combined relief sculpture with vividly colored glazes on a white tin enamel ground, producing bright, long-lasting images.

After Luca, relatives such as his nephew Andrea della Robbia continued the workshop’s output, creating thousands of roundels, medallions, altarpieces, and devotional plaques for churches, chapels, and public buildings in Florence and across Italy. The Della Robbia workshop became renowned for cheerful, accessible religious imagery and polished, legible forms.

Technique and form: Figures were sculpted in low-fired terracotta, coated with a white tin glaze, and fired again at a lower temperature to fuse the glaze. Colors were applied as glaze layers to achieve a durable polychrome effect. The resulting works could be integrated into architectural contexts, including niches and façades, and many assumed a lasting presence in Italian religious interiors.

Legacy: The Della Robbia workshop influenced Renaissance sculpture and popularized glazed terracotta for altarpieces and exterior decoration. The Robbia name remains associated with a distinctive ceramic tradition that spread to various Italian cities and inspired later artists to adopt similar methods.