Rediscovering Della Robbia at The Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, 10028, New York City

July 1, 2026 – January 17, 2028

*Rediscovering Della Robbia at The Met* presents the Museum’s exceptional collection of glazed terracotta sculptures by the Della Robbia family, whose techniques transformed Renaissance sculpture in Florence after about 1440. Beginning with Luca della Robbia and continued by his heirs Andrea and Giovanni, the workshop perfected a way of combining local clay with colored glazes to create works that were admired as almost eternal for their lasting brightness and beauty. The exhibition brings together eleven masterworks from The Met, most of which had been in storage for decades, along with important loans and promised gifts. It spans the range of the family’s production, from small statuettes to large, complex reliefs and altarpieces. A centerpiece is a newly conserved 10-foot-tall altarpiece shown with a 3D digital reconstruction that helps visitors imagine its original form. The show reflects close collaboration among curators, conservators, and digital specialists and highlights both the artistic brilliance and technical innovation of the Della Robbia workshop.