Under the Medici III

Question 1

Battle of the Nudes by Antonio del Polliuolo

Answer 1

from 1470-75 in Florence

• Antonio’s last name means poultry keeper
• The purpose of the nudity is to display heroic masculinity and the human form
• This work is Polliuolo’s only known engraving
• Polliuolo is the first Italian artist to sign his own print
• The largest Florentine print of the 15th century

Question 2

Life of St. Francis in Sassetti Chapel by Domenico Ghirlandiao

Answer 2

1485 in Florence

• Commissioned by Francesco Sassetti
• Located in Church of Santa Trinita
• The first painting, Confirmation of the Franciscan Rule by Pope Honorius III, depicts St. Francis being converted into the Franciscan order by the pope
• The second painting tells the story of Francis resurrecting a boy after he fell from a window
• In Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds, the presence of the donkey represents the old testanment and the ox represents the new

Question 3

Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro and his son, Guidobaldo by Joos van Ghent

Answer 3

1476 in Urbino

• Apart of a series of 28 portrait paintings of the Famous Men for Federico’s study
• Currently resides in the National Gallery of the Marche in Urbino
• The medium is tempera on wood
• Federico is reading a manuscript which has been identified by art historian, Marcello Simonetta, as being Saint Gregory’s Commentary on the Book of Job
• Like in other paintings he has been in, Federico sits in a profile view to hide the right side of his face which is missing an eye

Question 4

The Palace of Urbino by Luciano Laurana

Answer 4

1467-72 in Urbino

• Commissioned by Federico da Montefeltro
• Luciano designed the courtyard of the palace
• Francesco di Giorgio later completed the courtyard
• Luciano was able to incorporate linear perspective into the courtyard, an example of using linear perspective in our 3D world
• The palace was originally begun in 1450

Question 5

The Studiolo by Giuliano da Maiano

Answer 5

1476 in Urbino

• Intarsia, inlaid wood, is incorparated in the lower walls of the studiolo
• Basically, intarsia is different types of wood that is flat and arranged to create a 3D illusion
• The image of the squirrel is supposed to symbolize industrialization
• The upper walls contain a series of portraits by Joos van Ghent called the Famous Men

•The studiolo housed approximately 900 manuscripts