The J. Paul Getty Museum has announced the acquisition of a life-size glazed terracotta sculpture by Andrea della Robbia, one of the foremost sculptors of the Italian Renaissance. The work depicts Saint Anthony the Abbot, a third- and fourth-century Christian hermit famed for his asceticism and role as a model for monastic life.
Created between 1510 and 1515, the sculpture likely originated in Tuscany. Andrea della Robbia expanded upon his family’s pioneering glazing techniques to produce a wider palette of colours and larger, more intricate designs. As with many monumental terracotta works, Saint Anthony the Abbot was fired in separate sections. The piece is notable for illustrating rural devotion and is the first grand-scale glazed terracotta sculpture to enter the Getty’s collection.
Saint Anthony the Abbot – About 1510 – 1515 – Andrea della Robbia (Italian, 1435 – 1525) Glazed terracotta 134 × 88 cm (52 3/4 × 34 5/8 in.) Getty Museum 2025.33
Alongside della Robbia’s Renaissance masterpiece, the Getty has also acquired works ranging from contemporary art to ancient craftsmanship—including a remarkable Hellenistic ring dating to around 150 BCE. Crafted from gold, the ring features an oval, box-shaped bezel set with a domed rock crystal that reveals a miniature garden scene of enamelled flowers and filigree oak leaves. Exceptionally preserved, it represents one of the finest surviving examples of its type.
“The Getty Museum continues to expand its collections with new works that enrich our visitors’ experience of the major periods and movements of European art history, at the same time diversifying the narratives and perspectives that can be brought to their understanding and enjoyment,” said Tim Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the Getty Museum. “These works… not only strengthen the breadth and depth of our permanent collection, but also open fresh avenues for scholarship, interpretation, and connection with our audiences.”
Box-Bezel Ring with Internal “Garden” Scene Greek, about 150 BCE Ring: gold, garnet; cabochon: rock crystal, gold, enamel, glass 2.9 × 2.1 cm (1 1/8 × 13/16 in.) Getty Museum 2025.71
The J. Paul Getty Museum has announced the acquisition of a life-size glazed terracotta sculpture by Andrea della Robbia, one of the foremost sculptors of the Italian Renaissance. The work depicts Saint Anthony the Abbot, a third- and fourth-century Christian hermit famed for his asceticism and role as a model for monastic life.
Created between 1510 and 1515, the sculpture likely originated in Tuscany. Andrea della Robbia expanded upon his family’s pioneering glazing techniques to produce a wider palette of colours and larger, more intricate designs. As with many monumental terracotta works, Saint Anthony the Abbot was fired in separate sections. The piece is notable for illustrating rural devotion and is the first grand-scale glazed terracotta sculpture to enter the Getty’s collection.
Alongside della Robbia’s Renaissance masterpiece, the Getty has also acquired works ranging from contemporary art to ancient craftsmanship—including a remarkable Hellenistic ring dating to around 150 BCE. Crafted from gold, the ring features an oval, box-shaped bezel set with a domed rock crystal that reveals a miniature garden scene of enamelled flowers and filigree oak leaves. Exceptionally preserved, it represents one of the finest surviving examples of its type.
“The Getty Museum continues to expand its collections with new works that enrich our visitors’ experience of the major periods and movements of European art history, at the same time diversifying the narratives and perspectives that can be brought to their understanding and enjoyment,” said Tim Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the Getty Museum. “These works… not only strengthen the breadth and depth of our permanent collection, but also open fresh avenues for scholarship, interpretation, and connection with our audiences.”
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