Art in Florence under the Medici I Flashcards
1
Q
Penitent Magdalen by Donatello
A
1430s-50s in Florence
- Made out of white poplar wood
- Alludes to the legend that Mary Magdalene lived as a hermit in the forest for 30 years
- Lived as a hermit for penance for being a harlot
- Was damaged in the 1966 flood of the Arno River while at the Opera del Duomo’s museum
- Commissioned by the Florentine Baptistery
2
Q
Judith and Holofernes by Donatello
A
1446-60 in Florence
- Commissioned by the Medici Palace
- The story of Judith and Holofernes is told in Catholic Bibles and not Protestant ones
- The sculpture was made at the end of Donatello’s career
- The Medici interpreted the statue as being a symbol of humility defeating pride
- After being taken from the Medici, it was placed in front of the Palazzo dei Priori to symbolize revolt against tyranny
3
Q
Villa Medici by Giuliano da Sangallo
A
1480s in Florence
- Located just outside of Florence in Poggio a Caiano
- The clock and double staircase were added in the 18th century
- Commissioned by Lorenzo de Medici
- Lorenzo’s son, Giovanni, oversaw the completion of the villa after his father’s death
4
Q
Portrait of a Young Woman by Alesso Baldovinetti
A
1465 in Florence
- Baldovinetti comes from a wealthy family of trained artists
- Currently in the National Gallery in London
- In theory, Francesca degli Stanti of Urbino is the woman in the painting
- For centuries, the work was mis-attributed to Piero della Francesca
5
Q
Triumphs of Love, Chastity, and Death by Francesco Pesellino
A
1444 in Florence
- It is part of a cassone which is a large chest used to celebrate a wedding
- In addition to celebrating the wedding, the chests were carried through the streets as a demonstration of the wealth of the families of the couple
- Originates from Petrarch’s poem, the Triumphs
- Its companion piece was The Triumphs of Fame, Time, and Eternity
- Currently in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston
