DOCSLIB.ORG

“Under the Shade of the Mulberry Tree”: Reconstructing Nature in Leonardo’S Sala Delle Asse

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“Under the Shade of the Mulberry Tree”: Reconstructing Nature in Leonardo’S Sala Delle Asse _full_alt_author_running_head (neem stramien B2 voor dit chapter en nul 0 in hierna): 0 _full_alt_articletitle_running_head (oude _articletitle_deel, vul hierna in): “Under the shade of the mulberry tree” _full_article_language: en indien anders: engelse articletitle: 0 168 Pederson Chapter 7 “Under the Shade of the Mulberry Tree”: Reconstructing Nature in Leonardo’s Sala delle Asse Jill Pederson Painted by Leonardo da Vinci during the last decade of the fifteenth century while in the service of Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza of Milan, the Sala delle Asse, or the “Room of the Wooden Boards” as it is known,1 prominently dis- plays Visconti and Sforza coat of arms and four plaques with laudatory inscrip- tions set against an elaborate pattern of branches and verdant leaves (Fig. 7.1).2 * I would like to thank Raffaella Fabiani Giannetto and Anatole Tchikine for the opportunity to present the original version of this paper during their session at the annual meeting of the Renaissance Society of America in New York, 2014. Earlier iterations of this essay were gener- ously read by Carlo Catturini, Allie Terry Fritsch, David Young Kim, Lia Markey, and Timothy McCall. Research was made possible by fellowships from the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at UCLA and the American Philosophical Society. 1 Recent bibliography on the Sala delle Asse includes: Claudio Salsi, “Riflessi düreriani e tedeschi nella Sala delle Asse del Castello di Milano,” in Dürer e il Rinascimento: tra Germania e Italia, ed. Bernard Aikema and Andrew John Martin (Milan: 24 Ore Cultura, 2018), 115–123; Michela Palazzo and Francesca Tasso, eds., Leonardo da Vinci: La sala delle Asse del Castello Sforzesco, La diagnostica e il restauro del Monocromo/ Leonardo da Vinci: The Sala delle Asse of the Sforza Castle, Diagnostic Testing and Restoration of the Monochrome (Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2017); Carlo Catturini, “Leonardo da Vinci nel Castello Sforzesco di Milano: una citazione di Luca Pacioli per la ‘Sala delle Asse’ ovvero la ‘camera dei moroni’” Prospettiva 147/148 (2012): 159–166; Maria Teresa Fiorio and Anna Lucchini, “Nella Sala delle Asse, sulle tracce di Leonardo,” Raccolta Vinciana 32 (2007): 101–140; Maria Teresa Fiorio, “‘Infra le fessure delle pietre’: la Sala delle Asse al Castello Sforzesco,” in Il codice di Leonardo da Vinci nel Castello Sforzesco, ed. Pietro C. Marani and Giovanni M. Piazza (Milan: Electa, 2006): 21–29; Maria Teresa Fiorio, in “‘Tutto mi piace’: Leonardo e il castello,” in Il Castello Sforzesco di Milano, ed. Maria Teresa Fiorio (Milan: Skira, 2005), 163–179; Patrizia Costa, “The Sala delle Asse in the Sforza Castle in Milan” (Ph.D. diss., University of Pittsburgh, 2006); Patrizia Costa, “La Sala delle Asse di Luca Beltrami,” Archivio Storico Lombardo 127 (2001): 195–217; Dawson Kiang, “Gasparo Visconti’s Pasitea and the Sala delle Asse,” Achademia Leonardi Vinci 2 (1989): 101–9. 2 In the center of the vault is a large armorial shield bearing the joint stemmi of Ludovico Sforza and Beatrice d’Este, including the eagle of the Este and the viper of the Visconti (the ruling predecessors of the Sforza). This desire to promote the union could have been strengthened through the sudden death of Ludovico’s young wife Beatrice. Furthermore, this Sforza-Este device was surrounded by four painted plaques, adorning the central axis of each of the four supporting sides of the vault, each describing important events in the 1490s. One importantly glorified the Sforzas’ new alignment with Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg—attained © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2019 | doi:10.1163/9789004398443_009 _full_alt_author_running_head (neem stramien B2 voor dit chapter en nul 0 in hierna): 0 _full_alt_articletitle_running_head (oude _articletitle_deel, vul hierna in): “Under the shade of the mulberry tree” _full_article_language: en indien anders: engelse articletitle: 0 “under The Shade Of The Mulberry Tree” 169 Figure 7.1 Leonardo da Vinci, Sala delle Asse, ca. 1498. Fresco. Milan, Castello Sforzesco. Source: Castello Sforzesco, Milan. © Comune di Milano, all rights reserved (Photo: Saporetti, ca. 1990) through the political guile of Duke Ludovico, who hoped the alliance would strengthen his fight against the encroaching French. Ludovico solidified the alliance through the marriage of the duke’s niece Bianca Maria Sforza to Emperor Maximilian in 1494, a union described on one of the plaques. For more information, see Evelyn S. Welch, Art and Authority in Renaissance Milan (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995), 233. Another plaque mentions the legitimate right of the Sforza to inherit the duchy after the death of Filippo Maria Visconti and describes the proclamation of this event by Maximilian in 1495. Kemp interestingly sug- gests that the Roman capitals on the inscriptions on the plaques may have been inspired by Luca Pacioli’s writings on the formation of Roman lettering in his De divina proportione (1497). See Martin Kemp, Leonardo da Vinci: The Marvellous Works of Nature and Man, rev. ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), 169. Yet another plaque has been defaced, leaving us only to speculate on its original contents, while a final plaque describes Ludovico’s 1495 victory against the French at the Battle of Fornovo. See Kemp, Marvellous Works (2006). Notably, all three remaining inscriptions bear reference to Ludovico’s new ally Maximilian I, perhaps not surprisingly as the Milanese defense against the quickly advancing French relied almost en- tirely on Sforza relations with the Habsburg emperor. Kemp has also pointed out that the motif of a tree with roots was one of Ludovico Sforza’s personal imprese, which represented strength and security due to the tree’s unfaltering presence even in adverse conditions. It was used twice in the roundels in the Piazza Ducale in Vigevano, but unfortunately their inscrip-.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Emergence of the Duchy of Milan: Language and the Territorial State
    Jane Black The emergence of the duchy of Milan: language and the territorial state Reti Medievali Rivista, 14, 1 (2013) <http://rivista.retimedievali.it> ??????????????????????????????????????????????. ?????????????????????????? a cura di ??????????????????????????????? Firenze University Press 1 Reti Medievali Rivista, 14, 1 (2013) <http://rivista.retimedievali.it> ISSN 1593-2214 © 2012 Firenze University Press DOI 10.6092/1593-2214/388 The emergence of the duchy of Milan: language and the territorial state di Jane Black The map that appears opposite page one of Bueno de Mesquita’s biography of Giangaleazzo Visconti is labelled Northern and Central Italy, showing the ter- ritories of Giangaleazzo Visconti in 1402; no area on the map is identified as 1 the Duchy of Milan . The titles bestowed on Giangaleazzo by Wenceslas, king of the Romans, in 1395 and 1396 had raised Milan initially, and then the other Vis- 2 conti territories in Lombardy, to the status of duchy . Giangaleazzo himself al- luded to his cities collectively as such: in the testament of 1397, produced in the first flush of his acquisition of the second diploma, he appointed his son Giovanni Maria heir to two areas – «the duchy, or rather the city and diocese of Milan», and «the duchy of the cities of Brescia, Cremona, Bergamo, Como, Lodi, Piacenza, 3 Parma, Reggio and Bobbio» . The duke would surely have been disappointed that his greatest achievement was not recognized on Bueno de Mesquita’s map. And yet the author’s terminology was more realistic than Giangaleazzo’s: it would take more than a dazzling diploma to create a new territory with a name and a rec- ognized identity.
    [Show full text]
  • Leonardo Da Vinci and the Persistence of Myth Emily Hanson
    Washington University in St. Louis Washington University Open Scholarship All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) 1-1-2012 Inventing the Sculptor: Leonardo da Vinci and the Persistence of Myth Emily Hanson Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd Recommended Citation Hanson, Emily, "Inventing the Sculptor: Leonardo da Vinci and the Persistence of Myth" (2012). All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs). 765. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd/765 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Department of Art History & Archaeology INVENTING THE SCULPTOR LEONARDO DA VINCI AND THE PERSISTENCE OF MYTH by Emily Jean Hanson A thesis presented to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts May 2012 Saint Louis, Missouri ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wouldn’t be here without the help and encouragement of all the following people. Many thanks to all my friends: art historians, artists, and otherwise, near and far, who have sustained me over countless meals, phone calls, and cappuccini. My sincere gratitude extends to Dr. Wallace for his wise words of guidance, careful attention to my work, and impressive example. I would like to thank Campobello for being a wonderful mentor and friend, and for letting me persuade her to drive the nearly ten hours to Syracuse for my first conference, which convinced me that this is the best job in the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Città Ideale
    Città di Vigevano VERSO EXPO 2015 CITTÀ IDEALE VERSO EXPO Si la Piazza Ducale est un splendide bijou “En date du 2 février 1494 à la évocatrice du mélange de la technologie Vigevano 2015 de la Renaissance lombarde, le château Sforzesca, je dessinai les 25 escaliers, et de l’art, le génie a travaillé comme La visite de Vigevano est toujours un des Visconti et des Sforza, qui se trouve chacun de 2/3 de la brasse et de largeur ingénieur pour le Duc, Ludovic Sforza, dit moment de grande émotion. Vigevano à côté, est la forteresse qui la protège 8” brasses (Léonard de Vinci – Manuscrit le More, pendant plus de vingt ans. Les a un cœur antique qui est resté intact et l’orne. Vigevano a une tradition H, feuille 65 v.). grands témoignages sont le château et la à partir de la Renaissance jusqu’à manufacturière liée à la mode: ici fut La présence de Léonard de Vinci sur le place ducale, qui évoquent sans aucun aujourd’hui. Ce fut le Duc de Milan, inventé le talon aiguille, on peut trouver sa territoire de Vigevano est documentée doute les dessins de la “Cité idéale”, mais Ludovic Sforza à vouloir la place ducale documentation au Musée de la chaussure; par le patrimoine culturel de manière aussi la Sforzesca avec le réseau des (Piazza Ducale): les architectes de on y fabrique encore des chaussures de pertinente, dont les origines se trouvent navires, des moulins et le Colombarone, la cour milanaise contribuèrent à sa haute qualité. A quelques kilomètres, le dans la période des Sforza.
    [Show full text]
  • Id E a L T O W N Id E a L T O
    CittàCittà didi VigevanoVigevano VV E E R R S S O O EEXX P P O O 22 0 0 1 1 5 5 II D D E E A A L L TT O O W W N N VigevanoVigevano Città di Vigevano V E R S O E X P O 2 0 1 5 Vigevano IDEAL TOWN With patronage of: V E R S O E X P O Vigevano 2 0 1 5 Leonardo da Vinci and the “Ideal Town” [This day 2 February 1494 at the Sforzesca I drew 25 steps of 2/3 of an arm each, 8 arms wide] Leonardo da Vinci’s time in Vigevano is documented by (Leonardo da Vinci - Manuscript H, sheet 65 v.) the town’s significant cultural heritage, origins of which “Adì 2 di febraio 1494 alla Sforzesca ritrassi scalini 25 di 2/3 di braccio l’uno largo braccia 8” can be traced back to the Sforzesca era. (Leonardo da Vinci - Manoscritto H, foglio 65 v.) A figure immediately evoking the happy combination of technology and art, Leonardo worked as an engineer for the Duke, Ludovico Sforza, known as “Il Moro”, for over twenty years. The Castle and Piazza Ducale clearly evoke the great master’s designs for the “Ideal Town”, as does the Sforzesca, with its network of canals, mills and the Colombarone, the first example of a Lombard farm. V E R S O E X P O Vigevano 2 0 1 5 Built between 1492 and 1494 at the wishes of Ludovico il Moro, Piazza Ducale was one of the first models of a Piazza Ducale Renaissance square and is one of the best examples of XV century Lombard architecture.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Sforziada' Frontispieces of Giovan Pietro Birago
    NEW LIGHT ON THE 'SFORZIADA' FRONTISPIECES OF GIOVAN PIETRO BIRAGO M. L. EVANS D. H. TURNER'S interest in the Milanese miniaturist Giovan Pietro Birago dated from his cataloguing ofthe detached full-page miniature ofthe Adoration ofthe Magi from the renowned Sforza Hours, which entered the British Museum in 1941, published in the Gatalogue of Addittons to the Manuscripts igj6-Tg4§.'^ Many years later. Turner selected both the Sforza Hours and the Grenville Library Sforziada, with its frontispiece by Birago, for the exhibition 'Renaissance Painting in Manuscripts' held in 1983-4.^ During the run of this exhibition a previously unknown calendar leaf from the Sforza Hours was brought to the attention of British Library staff and was purchased by the Department of Manuscripts.^ Turner encouraged the publication of the calendar leaf by the present writer in a recent issue of The British Library Journal (vol. xii (1986), pp. 21-7). He was also instrumental in the preparation of this essay on the Sforziada although, sadly, he did not live to see it completed. Since his emancipation from the name of convenience ^Master ofthe Sforza Hours*, by which he was known prior to 1956, Giovan Pietro Birago has emerged as a leading figure in the last great era of Milanese manuscript illumination.''^Outstanding amongst the series of commissions which Birago executed for members of the Sforza dynasty during the last decade ofthe fifteenth century are three illuminated frontispieces^ in de luxe copies ofthe printed edition of Giovanni Simonetta's life of Francesco Sforza, known as the Sforziada (British Library, London, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris and Biblioteka Narodowa, Warsaw) (pl.
    [Show full text]
  • By Leonardo Da Vinci
    Advances in Historical Studies, 2021, 10, 1-6 https://www.scirp.org/journal/ahs ISSN Online: 2327-0446 ISSN Print: 2327-0438 Analysis of a “Lady with an Ermine” by Leonardo Da Vinci Grigol Keshelava Department of Vascular Surgery, Helsicore, Tbilisi, Georgia How to cite this paper: Keshelava, G. Abstract (2021). Analysis of a “Lady with an Er- mine” by Leonardo Da Vinci. Advances in In early 1480 Leonardo da Vinci left Florence and moved to Milan, where he Historical Studies, 10, 1-6. received important commissions from the Duke Ludovico Sforza. The most https://doi.org/10.4236/ahs.2021.101001 famous work performed by Leonardo during this period is the “Last Supper”, Received: November 23, 2020 and the best psychological portrait he has created then is “Lady with an Er- Accepted: December 27, 2020 mine” in 1490. The women depicted in the painting is Cecilia Gallerani, Lu- Published: December 30, 2020 dovico Sforza’s favorite. Upon closer examination of the painting, we discov- ered three details. Through the program Paint X, we moved these details to Copyright © 2021 by author(s) and the final locations. By moving three details on the painting “Lady with an Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Ermine” we get the image of a crossed snake. We think that the ermine, who Commons Attribution International looks like a mongoose in dimensions, is associated with Ludovico Sforza. In License (CC BY 4.0). the crossed serpent, Leonardo implies any danger from which Ludovico pro- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ tects Cecilia.
    [Show full text]
  • And His Ambassadors Paul M
    Kennesaw State University DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University Faculty Publications 12-2005 Royal Diplomacy in Renaissance Italy: Ferrante d’Aragona (1458–1494) and his Ambassadors Paul M. Dover Kennesaw State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/facpubs Part of the Diplomatic History Commons Recommended Citation Dover, P. M. (2005). Royal diplomacy in renaissance italy: Ferrante d'aragona (1458-1494) and his ambassadors. Mediterranean Studies, 14(1), 57-94. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ROYAL DIPLOMACY IN RENAISSANCE ITALY: FERRANTE D’ARAGONA (1458–1494) AND HIS AMBASSADORS1 Paul M. Dover IN UNDERTAKING A STUDY OF THE HISTORIOGRAPHY of Renaissance Italy, one might be forgiven if he or she came to the conclusion that the Kingdom of Naples was not a constituent part of the Italian peninsula. In the cultural, social and political narratives of the Renaissance, Naples is largely missing—Italy’s largest and most populous state is rendered vestigial. This is certainly in part a function of being obscured in the great historiographical glare of Florence and Venice, a fate that has visited other Renaissance princely states as well. It is also the case that in some very important ways Naples was an outlier. It was the peninsula’s only kingdom and thus faced political challenges unique to Italy. Although shorn of its Spanish territories in the division of the House of Aragon’s inheritance by Alfonso in 1458, the Kingdom of Naples retained a Catalan veneer and was connected to Iberian affairs in a way unlike in any other state in Italy.2 The Kingdom also lacked, despite significant achievements in Naples itself, the urban dynamism that has so often been associated with Renaissance culture.
    [Show full text]
  • Come Bellinzona Venne Potere Degli Svizzeri
    Come Bellinzona venne potere degli Svizzeri Autor(en): Brentani, Luigi Objekttyp: Article Zeitschrift: Anzeiger für schweizerische Geschichte = Indicateur de l'histoire suisse Band (Jahr): 13 (1915) Heft 2 PDF erstellt am: 23.09.2021 Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-86202 Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. Das Veröffentlichen von Bildern in Print- und Online-Publikationen ist nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber erlaubt. Die systematische Speicherung von Teilen des elektronischen Angebots auf anderen Servern bedarf ebenfalls des schriftlichen Einverständnisses der Rechteinhaber. Haftungsausschluss Alle Angaben erfolgen ohne Gewähr für Vollständigkeit oder Richtigkeit. Es wird keine Haftung übernommen für Schäden durch die Verwendung von Informationen aus diesem Online-Angebot oder durch das Fehlen von Informationen. Dies gilt auch für Inhalte Dritter, die über dieses Angebot zugänglich sind. Ein Dienst der ETH-Bibliothek ETH Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zürich, Schweiz, www.library.ethz.ch http://www.e-periodica.ch Come Bellinzona venne in potere degli Svizzeri. È ragione di vivace controversia fra gli storici il sapere in quali esatte condizioni la fortezza di Bellinzona, di singolare importanza nella storia lombarda e svizzera, venne in potere degli Elvezi. I pareri sono diversi : pur due quelli essenziali; l'uno tende a stabilire che la piazza forte cadde nelle mani de' montanari per un atto di violenza da essi compiuto, l'altro mira a determinare che i Bellinzonesi si offersero volon- tariamente e liberamente agli Elvezi.
    [Show full text]
  • Leonardo Da Vinci
    LEONARDO DA VINCI WALTER ISAACSON MAIN CHARACTERS Cesare Borgia (c. 1475–1507). Italian warrior, illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, subject of Machiavelli’s The Prince, Leonardo employer. Donato Bramante (1444–1514). Architect, friend of Leonardo in Milan, worked on Milan Cathedral, Pavia Cathedral, and St. Peter’s in the Vatican. Caterina Lippi (c. 1436–1493). Orphaned peasant girl from near Vinci, mother of Leonardo; later married Antonio di Piero del Vac- cha, known as Accattabriga. Charles d’Amboise (1473–1511). French governor of Milan from 1503 to 1511, Leonardo patron. Beatrice d’Este (1475–1497). From Italy’s most venerable family, married Ludovico Sforza. Isabella d’Este (1474–1539). Beatrice’s sister, the Marchesa of Man- tua, tried to get Leonardo to paint her portrait. Francesco di Giorgio (1439–1501). Artist-engineer-architect who worked with Leonardo on Milan’s cathedral tower, traveled with him to Pavia, translated Vitruvius, and drew a version of Vitruvian man. Francis I (1494–1547). King of France from 1515, last patron of Leonardo. Pope Leo X, Giovanni de’ Medici (1475–1521). Son of Lorenzo de’ Medici, elected pope in 1513. 2 Louis XII (1462–1515). King of France from 1498, conquered Milan in 1499. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527). Florentine diplomat and writer, became envoy to Cesare Borgia and friend of Leonardo in 1502. Giuliano de’ Medici (1479–1516). Son of Lorenzo, brother of Pope Leo X, Leonardo’s patron in Rome. Lorenzo “the Magnificent” de’ Medici (1449–1492). Banker, art patron, and de facto ruler of Florence from 1469 until his death. Francesco Melzi (c.
    [Show full text]
  • TIMELINE 1388 Giangaleazzo Visconti's Testament Bequeaths
    TIMELINE YEAR DATE EVENT 1388 Giangaleazzo Visconti’s testament bequeaths Milan to his sons or—if they should all die—to his daughter Valentina 1395 11 May Emperor Wenceslaus creates Duchy of Milan for Giangaleazzo 1396 13 October Emperor Wenceslaus extends Duchy of Milan in second investiture 1447 18 August Ambrosian Republic declared 1450 26 February Francesco I Sforza assumes control of Duchy of Milan 1466 8 March Francesco I Sforza dies; his son Galeazzo Maria becomes duke 1476 26 December Galeazzo Maria Sforza assassinated 1480 7 October Ludovico Sforza assumes nominal control of duchy 1494 September King Charles VIII invades Italy 1495 26 March Maximilian I invests Ludovico Sforza with Duchy of Milan 6 July Battle of Fornovo 1499 2 September Ludovico flees Milan; city and duchy surrender to France 1500 27 January Pro- Sforza insurrection; Ludovico’s restoration 10 April ­Battle of Novara; Ludovico captured; Milan returns to French control 1502 July- August Louis XII visits Lombardy ix x TIMELINE 1505 7 April Haguenau Conference— Maximilian I invests Louis XII with Duchy of Milan 1506 June Genoa revolts against French rule 1507 April- May Louis XII puts down Genoese revolt; visits Milan 1509 14 May ­Battle of Agnadello 14 June Maximilian I re- invests Louis XII with Duchy of Milan 1511 2 November Council of Pisa- Milan against Julius II opens 1512 11 April ­Battle of Ravenna; French rule of Milan begins to crumble 21 April Council of Pisa- Milan declares Julius II deposed; Julius opens Fifth Lateran Council 12 August Massimiliano
    [Show full text]
  • Leonardo Da Vinci’S Time in the MUSICIAN in MILAN: Milan When He Became Court Painter to the City’S a QUIET REVOLUTION Ruler, Ludovico Sforza
    Sponsored by 5 FEBRUARY 2012 5 FEBRUARY 2011– 9 NOVEMBER PAINTER AT THE COURT OF MILAN Exhibition film A short film showing in exhibition cinemas – both in the Sainsbury Wing and the Sunley Room, where the exhibition continues – tells the story of Leonardo’s time in Milan at the court of Ludovico Sforza. The film considers his painting commissions, such as the two versions of the Virgin of the Rocks and the mural of the Last Supper, explored in 5 Room 7 (Sunley Room). With footage inside the 3 Royal Library in Windsor Castle, which holds one of the greatest collections of Leonardo’s studies, 4 it also touches on his wider investigations into art, 2 6 science and philosophy. Audio guide The audio guide traces the remarkable development 1 exhibition in Leonardo’s art during his time in Milan. With cinema insightful comments on conservation from the National Gallery’s Larry Keith, and in-depth visual explorations from Martin Clayton, Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Royal Collection, the guide also features the National Gallery’s curator Luke Syson on the complex thinking of Leonardo, this most fascinating of polymaths. Available in English, French and Italian, priced £4/£3.50 concessions. Discover more A fully illustrated exhibition catalogue is available in Gallery shops (£40 hardback, £25 paperback in English; £25 paperback in French). To find out more about Leonardo, visit The exhibition continues in the Sunley Room (level 2) www.nationalgallery.org.uk/leonardo. INTRODUCTION ROOM 1 This exhibition explores Leonardo da Vinci’s time in THE MUSICIAN IN MILAN: Milan when he became court painter to the city’s A QUIET REVOLUTION ruler, Ludovico Sforza.
    [Show full text]
  • Ludovico Il Moro, Duke of Milan, and the Sforziada by Giovanni Simonetta in Warsaw, by D. R
    LUDOVICO IL MORO, DUKE OF MILAN, AND THE SFORZIADA BY GIOVANNI SIMONETTA IN WARSAW D. R. Edward Wright I. PURPOSE OF SFORZIAD: SFORZA POLITICAL PROPAGANDA 1 The text of the book from which Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait came is known as the Sforziad or Commentaries on the Deeds of Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. Its author, Giovanni Simonetta, served as secretary in the ducal chancery (1450 – 79), a position which allowed him access to state papers as a source for his biography. Written in humanist Latin from 1473 to 1476, at a time when Simonetta was trying to bring a Venetian printer to Milan, it “may have been the first work of history written for the press”. 2 In light of the research, done by Gary Ianziti, it appears to have been meant as a further shoring up of the Sforza political position. 3 Given the unwillingness of the Holy Roman Emperor to legitimize his rule by granting a formal imperial investiture with the duchy, Francesco advanced his claim on the basis of his marriage to a Visconti heir, Bianca Maria, his election as duke by the people, and the recognition of his status by other powers. According to Ianziti’s investigations this was not enough. It was deemed necessary to publicize his virtus, his capabilities as a strong military and political leader, to learned diplomats and humanist curial officials. Simonetta dedicated the first printing to Francesco’s grandson, Gian Galeazzo Sforza. Later editions commissioned by Ludovico Sforza had a similar purpose, that is to show Il Moro’s superior capacity for rule according to a “like father, like son” theory of inherited natural abilities first formulated by Aristotle in the Politics (I, vi, 1255 b): “they distinguish…noble and humble birth…they think that as men and animals beget men and animals, so from good men a good man springs.” The idea took root and was developed further in the Middle Ages, and the Italian Renaissance.
    [Show full text]