id: 170811 accession number: 2013.31 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/2013.31 updated: Bust of a Classical Hero or Emperor, early to mid 16th century. Girolamo della Robbia (Italian, 1488–1566). Glazed terracotta; overall: 37.5 x 37.5 x 21 cm (14 3/4 x 14 3/4 x 8 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 2013.31 title: Bust of a Classical Hero or Emperor title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: early to mid 16th century creation date earliest: 1500 creation date latest: 1550 current location: 117A Italian Renaissance creditline: John L. Severance Fund copyright: --- culture: Italy, 16th century technique: glazed terracotta department: European Painting and Sculpture collection: Sculpture type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * Girolamo della Robbia (Italian, 1488–1566) - artist --- measurements: Overall: 37.5 x 37.5 x 21 cm (14 3/4 x 14 3/4 x 8 1/4 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Della Robbia Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence opening date: 2016-08-09T00:00:00 Della Robbia Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, MA (organizer) (August 9-December 4, 2016); National Gallery of Art, Landover, MD (February 5-June 4, 2017). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA (8/9/2016 – 12/4/2016) and National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (2/5/2017 – 6/4/2017): "Della Robbia Sculptures in American Collections" cat. no. 53, p. 82-83. --- PROVENANCE Giovanni and Gabriella Barilla, Geneva, from an unknown date. Sold at Sotheby's London 14 March 2012 (lot 6) as "Workshop of Girolamo della Robbia"; Andrew Butterfield Fine Art; Cleveland Museum of Art date: footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: Head-and-shoulders portraits, known as busts, were popular from Roman times. digital description: This bust most likely represents an emperor or condottiere from classical antiquity, and probably formed part of a series of classical heads. Such groups of worthies were featured as decorative schemes in the studioli and architectural projects of Renaissance statesmen. Attesting to the sophistication of their learned patrons, these busts also provided the opportunity for artists to explore the contemporary stylistic relevance of classical portraiture—a source of fascination and inspiration for Florentine sculptors of this period. wall description: --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Cambareri, Marietta, Abigail Hykin, and Courtney Leigh Harris. Della Robbia: Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence. 2016. catalogue no. 53 page number: 82-83 url: --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2013.31/2013.31_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2013.31/2013.31_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2013.31/2013.31_full.tif