Jacopo della Quercia

Jacopo della Quercia (c. 1374 – 1438) was a major early Renaissance sculptor, whose works even influenced Michelangelo.

Here are multiple views of one of Della Quercia’s best-known sculpture, The Fonte Gaia in the Piazza del campo of Siena.

Left side with Creation of Adam’	Middle section	Right side

Della Querica takes his name from the little town near Siena in which he was born.  During the Black Plague (c. 1350) that killed so many Europeans, people were desperate for an answer as to what caused the plague (we know now it was fleas carried by rats), and how to avoid it in the future.  Somehow the statue of Venus that adorned the main piazza of Siena was deduced to have an evil influence and was soon destroyed and buried outside city’s walls.  Della Quercia was the fortunate winner of the commission to design a replacement fountain.  His theme, constructed in white marble, was the Virgin Mary.  Superstitious Italians hoped that by placating this deity, their community would be spared the spurge.

Della Quercia also carved many reliefs for a church in Bologna.  Here are three of them.

God the Father creating Adam

The Temptation in the Garden of Eden

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden

It is known that Michelangelo saw these reliefs by Della Quercia.  Have a look at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling and see how his paintings relate compositionally to these sculptures.  I think you see the connection.

Another amazing work by Della Quercia is this sculpture placed over a tomb in the Lucca cathedral.

It is a pretty spectacular sculpture and well worth a trip to Lucca whenever you are lucky enough to be in Italy.