Cleveland Museum of Art

Dovizia (Plenty)

Giovanni della Robbia

Date

c. 1520–29

Medium

glazed terracotta

Culture

Italy, Florence, 16th century

Department

European Painting and Sculpture

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Many elite Florentine Renaissance homes had sculptures of idealized young women carrying nature’s bounty, such as this work. The motif stems from a statue by Donatello (about 1386–1466) that towered over Florence’s main public market. At home, however, the sculpture became a talisman for the family’s well-being. The city-state’s low birth rate was a serious political matter, and such a sculpture was believed to stimulate fertility while also promoting motherhood and bolstering financial success. Inspired by an over life-sized, public sculpture by Donatello, Giovanni della Robbia reduced the figure for a domestic setting.

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