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How the Terra Cotta Madonna and Child Taught Me About the Renaissance

Before ART 272 Cosmopolitan Renaissance, I thought the Renaissance was just a definition in my high school history textbook. I was aware of the greats like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael, who created masterpieces like the Sistine Chapel ceiling, The Last Supper, and Madonna in the Meadow in Italy, but that was it. Throughout this semester, in Dr. Hunt's class, I have realized there is more than meets the eye during this influential period. The object I picked to study, analyze, and learn about this semester is the Terra Cotta Madonna and Child, created by Antonio Rossellino. Though, before I get into the details of the object, like why the artist made it, where it came from, who gifted it to CUA, and how this object defines Renaissance art, I want to give some background for the people who are not so familiar with the Renaissance, like I was.

In class, I learned that renaissance in Latin means to be born again or a period of rebirth. We questioned if it meant a rebirth of ideas, a renewal, the rise of classic antiquity, or all of them throughout the 14th to 16th century. The major cities of the Renaissance were Florence, Milan, Venice, Naples, and Rome, but the inspiration throughout the cities came far from outside Italy sometimes, and at other times, the “Italian national spirit” as Burckhardt mentions, is what these artists needed. One significant example of Italians wanting to put their flare on something is Italians attempting to bring the Holy Land in Jerusalem to Italy. In Florence, there is a Holy Sepulchre, inspired by the one in Jerusalem; it was a creation of Alberti in S. Pancrazio. Another example is Arab decorations becoming popular in the west and Venetians imitating the designs and intricacies for their enjoyment. Virgil himself used an Arabic design on the cover of what would have been a Catholic book he wrote. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of the Italian Renaissance having influences from outside nations and reflected in their artwork.


The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child, according to the Catholic University of America Special Collection Archives, is a plaque of the Madonna and Child in Terra Cotta, encased in a Renaissance Tabernacle Frame. Antonio Rossellino created the object between 1540- and 70, and it is currently in poor condition. The object’s current location is in the Curley Hall Annex stairwell chapel. According to the object’s file, Frederick Jambes donated The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child, but after reading through the objects file, there was more to uncover about how the piece got to CUA. Handwritten and typed notes began to be exchanged on December 15, 1960, expressing there was a piece of art Miss Jessie Jebiley from New Jersey wanted to donate to Catholic University. Miss Jebiley donated The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child, valued at $20,000 by Leon Medina of Medina Art Galleries. Although there was another letter addressed to Catholic University saying Frederick A Jambes of NYC wanted to donate The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child, valued at $25,000, by Leon Medina of Medina Art Galleries. Before I go further, my first question is: why was the same piece of art valued at a $5,000 difference between two people? Alice H. McLeod, secretary of Miss Fontanini (CUA professor who dealt with the handling of this piece), received the piece of artwork on her behalf but never said if she accepted from Miss Jebiley or Mr. Jambes. The letter is addressed to Mr. Medina of the art galleries, not Miss Jebiley or Mr. Jambes. Ms. McLeod, in her acceptance letter, also mentioned The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child coming to CUA along with “the Persian rug” and the “Sienese carved wooden statue of the immaculate virgin.”

The exchange of conversation continues with Mr. Medina and Msgr. Magner, when Msgr. is giving his appreciation to Mr. Medina and Msgr. says that the object “will serve as a cultural stimulation to all those who are fortunate to visit us and have the opportunity of enjoying it.” In the object file, an official letter was sent on January 19, 1961, by Medina Art Galleries of NYC that The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child was appraised at $25,000 and approved by Professor John Shapley. The letters start to be interesting again when another letter is sent to Catholic University by Medina Art Galleries explaining the piece of art Miss Jebiley donated was officially appraised for $20,000. Why do the letters keep contradicting themselves? Mr. Medina writes to Msgr. Magner, one last time in the fall of 1961 to explain an official thank you note must be written for Miss Jebiley so she can file her donation to CUA as a tax deduction, but Mr. Medina never asks for a letter for Mr. Jambes. Overall, the object file is filled with communication between Medina Art Gallery and Msgr. Magner discusses Miss Jebiley and Mr. Jambes, but why is Mr. Jambes name listed as a donor on the official object file and not Miss Jebiley? These are questions I feel should be answered in the result of deeper research on Mr. Jambes, Miss Jebiely, and their relationship with CUA.

Based on the provenance history explained in the object file there is a lot of information of how the object got to CUA and has been here for the past 62 years, but not a lot of information about how the piece made its way to America in the first place. The object of The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child was created by Antonio Rosselino. Rosselino was born in Florence, Italy and is a “notable and prolific Italian Renaissance sculptor who was the youngest brother of the architect and sculptor Bernardo Rossellino.”

Rossellino's expertise was in portraits and combining architecture and sculpting. His greatest accomplishment is the Chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal in San Miniato al Monte, located outside of Florence, which is a true example of Antonio Rosselino’s style of creating art. The figures Antonio formed over time are recognized for their: “strong form and intense characterization.” A particular work he is known for is his recurring creations depicting Madonna and Child, a well-known Renaissance theme. Rossellino’s Madonna and Childs are in museums all around the country.


One example is his Madonna and Child with Angels, sculpted out of marble, located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art located in NYC. Another example is Rossellino’s Madonna and Child, sculpted out of marble, located in the National Art Gallery in Washington D.C. It is fascinating to compare these two versions of Madonna and Child to The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child that Antonio Rossellino sculpted. All three pieces have the same people represented but are depicted and executed differently. Though, one question remains, how did all Rossellino’s artwork travel from Florence to America? I guess that is a question for another day.

Now that we understand what the Renaissance was, how my object, The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child, came to rest at the Catholic University of America, and the artist behind it, let us dive into how this object defines Renaissance art. There are two defining aspects of The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child that express it as a piece of Renaissance art. The artwork was created in Italy and depicts Mary and Jesus, the most prominent figures in the Catholic faith in a personal way. Though, these facts only scratch the surface. As I mentioned previously, the Renaissance was not just about Italy but about a global connection occurring in this period. Various cultures and nations were melting together different ideas through the expression of art. An example of this can be comparing Duccio’s Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels to Rossellino’s Terra Cotta Madonna and Child.

The significant difference between these two pieces is that one is a painting, and another is a sculpture, but let us compare how Mary and Jesus are depicted in the pieces of artwork. In Duccio’s piece, Mary and Jesus, he “imitated two different tiraz textiles and the drapery of the back of Mary’s throne reflect contemporary Islamic fabrics used to furnish palaces and tents.” Tiraz is a line of Arabic calligraphy on the top sleeves of a robe or a hat. Duccio’s depiction of Mary and Jesus was rare in Italian art and caught positive attention in decades to come. While in Rossellino’s piece, Mary and Jesus are sitting in a very similar position, but their clothing is different. Their clothing has no tiraz, and it utilizes three primary colors of what looks like red, blue, and gold and is more simply draped. The interesting similarity between these two pieces is that Mary and Jesus’ facial expressions are very similar. Both figures express a sense of peace and calmness and experience of that moment. Even as far as the detail of Mary looking over her left shoulder down at Jesus and Jesus looking into the distance is significant; it shows the artists may have been trying to create the same perspective of the pieces. These two Madonna and Child pieces prove that both are considered Renaissance art because they represent a factor of humanism in the Catholic faith, but also express the influence of different cultures.

To dive even further into why The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child is defined as Renaissance art is to explain what materials make up the piece of art. The object’s material is terra cotta. When I initially thought of Renaissance sculptures, I thought only marble was used, but that is wrong. Various materials were used throughout the period to create beautiful sculptures, just like the Terra Cotta Madonna and Child. Terra cotta is ceramic pottery used to make pots, pipes, bricks, and sculptures created by baking terra cotta clay. The word terra cotta in Italian means “baked earth”. Terra cotta is thousands of years old, and one of its famous examples is the Terracotta Army in China. Classical antiquity was a favored trait of the Renaissance, and terra cotta was a way to represent it. Italian sculptors in this time were known for using marble and bronze, but when Italy started to demand public and private commission pieces, artists needed to produce artwork quicker and began to use terra cotta. Specifically, the artists of Florence were fond of utilizing terra cotta, which is interesting because Rossellino was from Florence. When using terra cotta, artists shape a three-dimensional form with their hands and instruments that become hard and brittle when cooked in a kiln. The terracotta can be modified after drying by carving or engraving. They can range in color from dull ocher to a bright red, were frequently painted to look like marble or bronze and might even be plated. The Renaissance proceeded in Italy, and terra cotta became established. Not just as a sculpture material but as an architectural material used by Florentine and Tuscan artists. Terra cotta is notable in its decorative application because of the work of Della Robbia's brilliant glazes. The series of "Madonna" is a famous example of terra cotta application. Just like most things in the Renaissance, techniques travel, and people all over Europe began to utilize terra cotta for works of art. The growth of popularity of terra cotta can be a reason why Rossellino sculpted The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child out of terra cotta. The material was popular and easy to use since he was a commissioned artist.

The last piece of the Terra Cotta Madonna and Child I have not discussed yet is the Renaissance tabernacle frame around the sculpture. The tabernacle frame can be one of the many details that define the Terra Cotta Madonna and Child as a Renaissance object. The frame is a significant aspect of the piece because of the architecture of the frame. A tabernacle frame is a form of an architectural picture frame that emerged in Venice and Tuscany in the 15th century. It was composed of a pair of pilasters that bordered the picture aperture, supported a frieze and pediment, and rested on a base.

Even though tabernacle frames have similar shapes, I think the shape of the dome-like top of the tabernacle frame reminds me of the architecture of the Basilica of San Marco located in Venice. The design similarities are a connection I believe makes sense because tabernacle frames originated from Venice. In my opinion, the pillars of the frame remind me of the columns of the Basilica as well. The tabernacle frame of The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child is an identifiable feature of the object to connect back to the Renaissance because of its recognizable style.

The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child is one of the thousands of pieces of art created during the Renaissance. Through this one object, a person can learn more about the Renaissance and what it was like, to be a part of the Renaissance. Everything from the use of terra cotta, the humanizing of Jesus and Mary, and the architecture behind the tabernacle frame all play a role in what The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child means to the Renaissance. A significant aspect of the Terra Cotta Madonna and Child is how it was created in 16th century Florence and eventually donated to the Catholic University of America in the 20th-century. An over 450-year-old piece of art is still discussed and analyzed with so much to still learn from it. The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child taught me about the Renaissance and I hope it can teach everyone else a little bit about it too.

By: Alessia Pecorellla

Works Cited

“Antonio Rossellino.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed

March 31, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antonio-Rossellino.

Belting, Hans, and Deborah Lucas Schneider. Essay. In Florence & Baghdad:

Renaissance Art and Arab Science, 41–43. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University,2011.

Farago, Claire J. “Chapter 3.” Essay. In Reframing the Renaissance: Visual Culture in Europe

and Latin America, 1450-1650, 69–70. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.

Fliegel, Stephen N. “The Terracottas of Renaissance Florence.” La Gazzetta Italiana.

Accessed April 3, 2022. https://www.lagazzettaitaliana.com/history-culture/7845-the-

terracottas-of-renaissance-florence.


Mack, Rosamond. “Oriental Script in Italian Paintings.” Essay. In Bazaar to Piazza: Islamic

Trade and Italian Art, 1300-1600, 56–59. Berkeley: University of California Press,

2002.


Magner, James A. Letter to Mr. Leon Medina. Washington, D.C: The Catholic University of

America, January 17, 1961.


McLeod, Alice H. Letter to Mr. Leon Medina. Washington, D.C: The Catholic University of

America, December 28, 1960.


Ousterhout, Robert. Journal. “Flexible Geography and Transportable Topography,” The Real

and Ideal Jerusalem in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Art, 393-404. (published as Jewish

Art 23-24 [1997-98])


Rosselino, Antonio. “Madonna and Child with Angels.” Metmuseum.org. Accessed April 1,

2022. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/192716.


Rossellino, Antonio. “Madonna and Child.” Art Object Page. Accessed April 1, 2022.

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.469.html.


“Tabernacle Frame.” Oxford Reference. Accessed April 3, 2022.

https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803101822637.

The Terra Cotta Madonna and Child. “ACUA Museum Collections New Museum

Collection.” Washington D.C, 1960.


“What Is Terracotta?” Wonderopolis. Accessed April 2, 2022.

https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-terracotta.




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