Renaissance · Cleveland Museum of Art · 1940.343
Dovizia (Plenty)
Giovanni della Robbia, c. 1520–29
Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of S. Livingstone Mather, Constance Mather Bishop, Philip R. Mather, Katherine Hoyt Cross, and Katherine Mather McLean in accordance with the wishes of Samuel Mather · Public domain
- Artist
- Giovanni della Robbia
- Date
- c. 1520–29
- Medium
- glazed terracotta
- Dimensions
- Overall: 110.2 cm (43 3/8 in.)
- Era
- Renaissance
Why it matters
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.