Luca Della Robbia

c.1399-1482. Master of sculpture and terracotta (majolica). His works reveal a profound spirit of religiosity. His masterpiece, la Cantoria di S. Maria del Fiore (the singing and dancing boys), is presently in Museo del Duomo in Florence; it took seven years to complete (1831-38). Few Florentine churches of this period are lacking the touch of his deft hand and Gothic flair. The bronze doors of the sacristy of the Florence cathedral took him thirty years to finish and not only illustrate his serene vision of life, but attest that it is not without merit he is called the “most classic” of the 1400s.