This glazed earthenware altarpiece relief of the Madonna and Child among Saints, created around 1480 by Andrea della Robbia ⓘ, forms part of an altar in the Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence.
The work belongs to the mature phase of Andrea’s career and exemplifies the devotional clarity and technical refinement that define the della Robbia workshop in the later fifteenth century.
Description
At the centre, the Virgin is enthroned, holding the Christ Child upon her lap. Two angels hover above, gently placing a crown upon her head, emphasising her role as Queen of Heaven. The Child turns outward, engaging the viewer while maintaining physical closeness to his mother.
On either side stand saints arranged symmetrically. Their calm expressions and softly modelled drapery reinforce the compositional balance. The grouping creates a sacra conversazione, a unified sacred assembly gathered around the Virgin and Child.
The relief is framed by an architectural surround with pilasters and an entablature. Above, a frieze of cherub heads set against a brilliant cobalt ground enhances the celestial atmosphere.
Technique and Colour
Executed in tin-glazed terracotta, the relief displays the characteristic della Robbia palette:
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Brilliant white for figures
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Deep cobalt blue background
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Subtle polychrome accents
The glaze gives the surface luminosity and durability, making such works particularly suited to ecclesiastical interiors.
Iconography
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Madonna and Child: Central Marian devotion.
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Coronation motif: Mary as Queen of Heaven.
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Attending saints: Intercessory figures linked to local or Franciscan devotion.
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Cherub frieze: Continuous heavenly presence.
Located in Santa Croce, the great Franciscan basilica of Florence, the ensemble reflects both Franciscan spirituality and Florentine civic patronage.
