Dovizia 1485 - 1515

This is Della Robbia’s 'Dovizia', made in Florence sometime between 1470 and 1520 from enameled terracotta. Dovizia is an allegorical figure of abundance, carrying fruit representing the bounty of Florence, a powerful city-state with a thriving economy at the time. The Della Robbia family workshop was famous for its use of terracotta, a common material, but enameled in bright colors, and able to be mass-produced. The whiteness of Dovizia’s skin is emphasized by the colorful fruits. The whiteness would likely have represented wealth. The image of a woman carrying things on her head has obvious roots in images of enslaved people, and this adds to the sense that it is communicating the concept of economic power. To fully understand Dovizia, we need to consider the economic and social conditions of Florence in the Renaissance. The Medici family, the guilds, the church and all these historical resources help us understand the meaning of 'Dovizia' as a symbol of wealth and power in Renaissance Florence.