Fine Arts- Luca, Andrea, and Giovanni della Robbia - Monteverdi - Thomas Campion - Palestrina

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[mairdie]

The Renaissance sculptors Luca della Robbia (1399-1482), his nephew Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525), and Andrea's son Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529).

Music: Chiome d Oro, Monteverdi Never weather-beaten sail, Thomas Campion Agnus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestria

[mairdie]

I fell completely in love with della Robbia the first time I saw his work in my Renaissance Art class. But I could never keep the family straight. This shows 3 of the main della Robbia's, and should help. Luca invented the glaze technique and took some of it to the grave. Andrea went bigger and has a love of blue and white designs. Giovanni went REALLY big and dove into bright colors. Of course, the workshop is in Luca's home, and the crew include his family, so a design by Luca gets redone years later by his great nephew Giovanni.

Luca della Robbia

Andrea della Robbia

Giovanni della Robbia

[Captain Compassion]

Should be good. I will watch this later.

[mairdie]

If you're curious about the other brothers, this is by Girolamo della Robbia:

and this is by Luca della Robbia the Younger, Andrea's older son.

[mairdie]

And this was by the head of the family that became their competitor, Benedetto Buglioni:

[mairdie]

PING to della Robbia

[Albion Wilde]

I enjoyed this tremendously. It is amazing that such excellent visual talent should pass down generation to generation; although when families were bigger, perhaps Luca had several sons to choose from, and also Andrea.

Although there must be other families that were their own multigenerational artist's guild, so to speak, the only other 3-generation line of artists I can think of off the top of my head is the Pennsylvania Calder family — Alexander Milne Calder (1826–1943), Alexander Stirling Calder (1870–1945), and Alexander "Sandy" Calder (1898–1976). Their huge public sculptures are prominent parts of the city iconography of Philadelphia, although Stirling and Sandy's work also made impact nationally and internationally.

But back to the exquisite della Robbia's — I had no idea their figure sculptures were the main part of their work, since the fruit and greenery style seems to be the most imitated part that has come down to the public at large. I remember a big fight with my Irish mother fifty years ago when I wanted della Robbia-style fruit arrangements on the altar at my wedding instead of the usual floral arrangements, and she was appalled, as if it were blasphemy. It was hard for her to envision that the same God who made the flowers also made fruits, so wedded was she to convention.

Thank you so much for sharing this lovely video, mairdie. You have been conducting an art history class here on FR! Music, too!

[YogicCowboy]

Thanks, especially for the Palestrina.

[mairdie]

You’re most welcome. After our conversation on choir pieces, I thought to stay with voice for all 3 pieces. Fun.

[mairdie]

You are so exquisitely kind, Albion. Thank you. I’m remembering and teaching myself new material, too. It drove me bonkers that I couldn’t tell the family members apart, and I feel so much better that I’ve got more of a handle on it now. For example, I didn’t remember that these big pieces came apart so that the small pieces would fit inside the kiln.

I have an old armoir in my library that was delivered, flattened, in a station wagon. 10’ tall! I was shocked at how clever they were to make these things portable.

Great story about your wedding! I have two della Robbia type Christmas tree ornaments that I adore. I’ll try to think about other generational sets of artists.

Two more della Robbia links about the MFA Exhibit of 2016 that I never saw.

https://www.wbur.org/artery/2016/08/11/della-robbia

https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/della-robbia-mfa-boston-first-major-us-show-536195

[Albion Wilde]

Thanks for those links. Just lovely figures, and some of the works are so much larger than I had realized.

About the wedding — my Mom won and there were totally lackluster flower arrangements on the altar. But I found a place in an Italian food store to get marzipan fruits, and so I had the cake iced only in white, and placed them — apples, pears, peaches, pineapples, etc made of almond paste and beautifully painted with food dye — around the outer edge of the bottom layer, with garlands of icing draped between each. That’s what passed for classy wedding cake in our church basement reception!

[mairdie]

I LOVE marzipan! They’re beautiful and they taste marvelous. What a brilliant idea for a cake. That WAS a classy cake. And the advantage of a church basement reception is that it’s really home. It’s the place you know and are comfortable. Next best to a backyard wedding.

We got married at the Chicago city hall. Some people showed up there with a wedding dress and full wedding party. Went back to mother’s and tried to have a conversation with her while new husband lay on the sofa beside me and gripped me for dear life until he seemed catatonic.

[Albion Wilde]

Went back to mother’s and tried to have a conversation with her while new husband lay on the sofa beside me and gripped me for dear life until he seemed catatonic.

Great visual!!

[mairdie]

But incredibly awkward conversation. Then we dropped over to his parents home. He’d told his father, who hadn’t been available to join mother, new husband and I. So we show up at lunch and his father asked, “What’s new?” Husband replied, “I’m married.” His mother dropped her fork.

[YogicCowboy]

I suspected that. Much appreciated.

[YogicCowboy]

Good Story!

[Albion Wilde]

his father asked, “What’s new?” Husband replied, “I’m married.” His mother dropped her fork.

LOL! That scene should be in a movie!

[GnuThere]

Thanks for the video, Mardie. I think I enjoy some of the ceiling (?) reliefs the most, around 2:00.

Although they probably made sure to over-engineer it, the pic of raising the lunette at the MFA exhibit wall looks daunting. It must have been nerve wracking until they were sure it was secure!

[mairdie]

Do wish one of my 2 movie scripts had sold, but they were really funny. I love seeing the world as funny. They were repped by Writers & Artists in Hollywood for 2 years. One was a vampire who goes to hollywood to star in a vampire movie. Another was a werecub fostered by a vegetarian.

[mairdie]

I had that same thought about the lunette. Terrifying. And you’re most welcome, Gnu.

[mairdie]

From my vampire script:

int. bedroom - night

Crazy man who attacked Matthew sleeps peacefully in bed.

Newspaper stories of vampires and aliens tacked messily to walls. Stakes are on dresser, along with necklace of garlic, some bullets, and a bottle of silver paint.

The door opens slowly and Franklin and Matthew enter. They look around the room, amused by the stories and not pleased by the stakes. Franklin picks up silver paint.

franklin
(whispering)
Cheap, huh? You’d think he could keep vampires and werewolves straight.

Matthew shusses him, goes over to bed. Franklin follows. From opposite sides, they look down on man and smile.

both
(loudly)
WAKE UP!

The man jerks awake and sits up. He sees them and looks terrified. Matthew and Franklin love it and bare their fangs. The man tries to crawl into his headboard.

matthew
You’ve been looking for me again, haven’t you?

Matthew shows his fangs. Franklin bares his also.

crazy man
Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!

matthew
Shut him up, Dracula.

Shrugging, Franklin clamps his hand over man’s mouth. Matthew trails fingernail from man’s ear down his neck.

matthew
(continuing)
We could easily kill you. All we have to do is press our teeth against your neck and slowly push them through your skin and your vein and suck out all that delicious blood.

The crazy man tries to scream through Franklin’s hand. Matthew looks at Franklin.

matthew
(continuing)
Are you hungry?

franklin
Not really.

matthew
Me, too. We really overdid it on those football fans after the game.

The crazy man is getting some hope.

matthew
(continuing)
I know! Why don’t we take him home and see if anyone else is hungry?

franklin
How are we going to get him out of here without his screaming down the house.

The crazy man wiggles for dear life. Matthew notices a large window. He walks over and opens it wide and smiles at both of them.

matthew
The highway home.

franklin
Hey, we’re not supposed to do that stuff!

matthew
What better reason? Shall we?

The crazy man shakes his head. Franklin thinks about it.

franklin
Why not?

They manhandle the man off bed and to window. Then, with one on each side, they SPFX FLY him out the window.

int. study - night

Headline “I VISITED THE VAMPIRE HOMELAND ON A UFO.” Photo of crazy man wearing bobbing antennas topped with balls. Bottom of page reads “VAMPIRE’S UNCLE RUNS BLOOD BANK.”