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The golden age of terra-cotta was the Renaissance; it was widely used in N Italy and in N Germany, both of which have a scarcity of good building stone. The towns of Lombardy, Emilia, and Venetia are rich in brick buildings (e.g., the Certosa di Pavia, begun 1396) that are decorated with a profusion of molded terra-cotta detail, such as cornices, stringcourses, window frames, and other exterior ornament. Similarly, the 14th- and 15th-century brick Gothic buildings of N Germany, especially of the district around Brandenburg, had lavish displays of molded terra-cotta. The delicate tracery and other Gothic details of the Church of St. Catherine at Brandenburg (1400) testify to the high technical skill of the artisans of that period.
As the Renaissance progressed in Italy, terra-cotta was established not only as an architectural but also as a sculptural material, used with consummate skill by Della Quercia. In its decorative application, it reached distinction in the 15th cent. when the Della Robbia family developed their characteristic and celebrated polychrome enameled terra-cotta reliefs. In addition to magnificent doorway tympana and decorative medallions, especially the series of Madonna compositions, they used terra-cotta for tombs, fountains, and altars. The material was also favored for bozzetti, or sculptors' sketches, as well as for large pieces.
From Italy terra-cotta work spread to other countries, largely through the activities of migrant Italian artisans. The ChAteau Madrid, now destroyed, designed by Girolamo della Robbia and built for Francis I, was richly decorated with terra-cotta details. The art was introduced (c.1510) into Tudor England, probably by the Florentine sculptor Torrigiano. In the districts of SE England, where good stone is lacking, important country mansions (such as Layer Marney and Sutton Place) had ornamental detail of molded terra-cotta; on Hampton Court, Wolsey employed Italian workmen, who produced portrait medallions and other decorations of merit. In general the use of terra-cotta in England ceased after the death of Henry VIII, when the Italian artists returned home. Later, the 18th-century French sculptors Pigalle, Houdon, and Clodion produced figurines that are outstanding examples of terra-cotta sketches.
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