Da Vinci’s Other Woman:
An Observation of the Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani
Leonardo da Vinci may have created some of the most intense, mysterious and painterly
artworks of his time but he only painted four works of seated women; Lady with an Ermine may
not be at the top of the list of paintings the lay-man could tic off the top of his head but it is
certainly one of the most entrancing and interesting paintings that da Vinci has left the world to
ponder over. Who was this woman that da Vinci rendered so tenderly in light and emotion?
Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci, 21”x15”, oil on wood panel, original patron:
Duke of Milan Lodovico Sforz (Christian), original location: Czartoryski Museum in Krakow,
current
…show more content…
The ermine is an allegory that da Vinci smartly incorporated to represent a few different
metaphors. The ermine was one of il Moro’s personal emblems so it would make sense that his
lover would be holding one, just as if she were holding il Moro himself. I was delighted to read
that Cecilia’s surname Galee means “ermine” in Greek, another cunning way da Vinci
incorporated double meanings into the portrait. The ermine has a history of being associated with
royalty as their fur was typically used in the trimming of regal robes (Oxford Dictionaries). The
ermine evokes tenseness even though he is allowing himself to be held by Gallerani’s delicate
and attractive hand. Leonardo da Vinci wrote (in relation to Lady)
Baker 4
“The ermine out of moderation never eats but once a day, and it would rather let itself be captured by hunters than take refuge in a dirty lair, in order not to stain its purity” (Beck).
Another allusion to il Moro has to do with his name: “il Moro” refers to “the Moor” because
…show more content…
Da Vinci’s ermine almost seems to mimic the hand gesture of
Gallerani; both of their right fingers/paws are spread open in a manner that catches the eye.
Gallerani’s fingers are pressing into the ermine while the ermine’s claws are pressing into its
mistress’s left arm. The entire painting feels sensual and was obviously made to fufill il Moro’s
desire to “join” them together in a way even if they couldn’t actually be together in reality. The
physical function of the painting was strictly that of private pleasure for il Moro. I feel
comfortable in assuming that after il Moro’s marriage to d’Este and Gallerani’s marriage to
Count Brambilla that the Duke gave her the painting as a way for her to remember him and their
romantic affair. The time when this painting was created was somewhat tumultuous for Italy.
The states distrusted each other and il Moro ruled Milan on a slippery slope of trust with the rest
of Italy but maintained a working relationship with Florence’s master Lorenzo de Medici. His
patronage of artists and engineers secured Milan’s reputation as a lavish court but mostly at the
expense of the taxpayers (Bosisio). Without the patronage of il Moro da Vinci would not
Arnolfini Double Portrait was painted in 1434, by Jan van Eyck; who hard already gained attention and admiration through earlier works, such as the Ghent Altarpiece. The subject of Arnolfini Double Portrait, also known as The Arnolfini Portrait, is the italian merchant Giovanni Di Nicolao Arnolfini and his first wife inside of a room filled with objects teeming with symbolism. The depth is divided into a familiar three layers, a foreground, which is composed of a dog and a pair of sandals; a middle ground which features the two main subjects of the painting; and background, which contains the rest of the objects in the painting. The painting is symmetrical and the vanishing point is not far from the center of the painting along the horizontal. The paining is filled with symbolism and items meant to portray the subjects' distinguished lifestyle. Although, what some of the objects actually symbolize can be interpreted in slightly varying ways. To begin, many of the ob...
Barna di Siena’s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine exhibits a highly dramatic style that was not seen in his mentor nor in his fellow student Lippo Memmi’s work. The symmetric composition consists of two main figures, Saint Catherine and the adult Jesus. In the painting, Jesus is seen placing a ring on Saint Catherine’s finger and taking her as his spiritual bride. Both figures appear to be very light and frail and the draperies they wear do not show the human f...
Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli also known as Giampietrino spent the vast majority of his known career developing drawings and paintings of nude women from roman mythology under the leadership of the great Leonardo Da Vinci. Under the influential scope of Leonardo, Giampietrino replicated myriad artworks of leonardo’s displaying the importance of honoring the great artists of the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, especially those such as Leonardo who remain a significant figure in the discourse of the canon of art in contemporary art society. Although he developed his own techniques and manipulations to refine his own work and bring forth a change in the development of the renaissance and baroque style of art, Giampietrino closely followed the methods taught in the Lombard school of art and those of his mentor Leonardo Da Vinci. Giampietrino’s similar style of painting to Leonardo can cogently be seen in his painting Lucretia and a plethora of other paintings, which convey the influence of the Lombard school from the incorporated formal elements such as color, form, content, and subjec...
In the 15th century painting Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, Jan van Eyck ingeniously incorporates many everyday items that symbolize something meaningful in this snapshot of a marriage ceremony. Each item is placed very naturally in this painting and none of them stand out as being unusual, but still each has a meaning that adds to the idea of what this marriage is. These symbols also perhaps could be the artist's opinion on what a marriage should stand for. As I first analyzed this picture I noticed a few things. One of the more obvious symbols of marriage that was represented in this painting is the placement of the figures hands.
Perhaps one of the most famous paintings Leonardo da Vinci painted is the Mona Lisa in which he painted in 1503. Many experts believe the portrait is of a very wealthy women who lived in Florence whose
Framed at a slight angle to the picture frame, La Bella emerges from the dark neutral background with a subtly averted gaze, at once both inviting and refrained. Through the conflict of La Bella’s seductive yet submissive presentation, the portrait captures the essence of Renaissance female beauty perfectly, presenting the mildly sensual nature of the woman’s image as a joy in itself. To complement her dignified demeanour, La Bella wears an amazingly intricate and extravagant blue gown. For a period when women were without a public voice and remained dependant on signs of visual identity such as clothing and jewellery, such a display of finery implies significant wealth and social status. Considering the seductive rendering of the fabric utilising costly lapis lazuli, it is clear Titian desired to present an image of ultimate feminine loveliness.
The portrait of Giuliano de Medici by Raphael, a tempera and oil on canvas, can be dated back to around 1515 (Fig. 2).25 The portrait includes a background depiction of Florence, which is revealed behind a green curtain. As part of a marriage arrangement with Philiberte of Savoy, it is not surprising that Florence would be depicted as an asset of Giuliano's. However, the picture was painted shortly after the carnival of 1513, and it highlights the sort of relationship that the Medici family wanted to re-establish with the city and its people, using public rituals to achieve this. Giuliano's gaze is directed to the part of the curtain revealing the city, thus asserting his status as legitimate ruler, watching over the people of Florence. This painting and the carnival of 1513 convey similar messages. When Girolamo Macchietti executed a portrait of Lorenzo the Magnificent, he used a similar device (Fig. 3). Lorenzo stands tall with Florence in the background, and he looks forward benevolently. What the Medici attempted to achieve with public rituals, they successfully managed to reflect in their portraiture. With their backs turned to the city, they would have appeared to contemporaries as larger-than-life leaders protecting Florence's interests and history. The link between the two portraits is interesting because the carnival of 1513 was a clear attempt at
...tism. The dove which has been tactfully placed above the Christ’s head, symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The other characters are angels who believed to be witnessing the baptism. The nakedness of the Christ on the other hand symbolizes humility. The general landscape in this picture displays an extraordinary naturalism. The Francesca’s work also marked the era of excessive antiquarian style of sculpturing and tactful use of oil in painting (Prescott, 2005).
“The Met’s very own Mona Lisa” (Tomkins 9). That is what Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Madonna and Child painting is known as today. “The Metropolitan Museum of Art bought the Madonna and Child for forty-five to fifty million dollars” (Tomkins 1). However, the painting was not always in public hands; in fact, the Met purchased the last known work of Duccio in private hands. Originally, the painting was held in the private hands of Adolphe Stoclet and his wife. When the couple died, their house and their collection went to their son, Jacques who held onto the painting, and passed it down to his daughters who lent it to an exhibition in Siena of Duccio and his school. The painting was eventually withdrawn from the exhibition and sold (Tomkins 2). Madonna and Child painting dated 1300 and was painted by Duccio di Buoninsegna a Sienese painter, who is considered the founder of modern Italian painting. I chose to research this painting because the subject matter of religious imagery and symbols interests me. Also because when I looked at the painting the emotion on the Madonna’s face almost jumped out at me. It is as if, she is looking at her newborn child with this deep sadness, which almost makes you think that the painting is foreshadowing the death of Jesus Christ. In addition, the burns of the side of the frame peaked my interest, as to why they were there. Art critics were also interested in this work they even consider Madonna and Child one of Duccio’s perfect works, and it said to be worth all the other paintings exhibited under the name of Duccio (Christiansen 14). The Madonna and Child painting’s iconography, imagery, emotional appeal to the viewers, and meaning all make this painting still a great work of art today.
So, as has been seen, the system of patronage was extremely important in Renaissance Italy. It brought with it mixed blessings for artists. On the one hand, it gave them the income to support themselves and continue to produce works. On the other hand, though, it could be very constrictive on what the artist could produce, and could even sometimes decide the quality of a work.
... right is the only part of the painting that has gold leaf in it, on her gown, what looks to be a gold collar, and a gold necklace with a pearl. The gold she is garnished in represents royalty and the holy. An interesting illusion is seen the left angel’s hair and how it’s illuminated by the sun creating a halo.
The title of the piece, Madonna of the Clouds, implies setting; however, Mary’s robes blend in with the surrounding cherubs, creating a mass of folds. Donatello shows perspective through subtle changes in the depths of carving – stiacciato relief – a technique that he devised (Britannica). This varying strength of line utilizes shadows to enhance emotion, as seen with the Virgin Mary. The concern that she shows for her son in her arm foreshadows his fateful end. This expression though, is not only demonstrated within the facial features of her profile, but also in the ever-present shadow under her chin, directly above Christ’s head. Stiacciato relief depends on the reflection off of pale materials, like marble, in order to manipulate light to enhance or detract from the forms themselves (Britannica). Donatello controls his medium to work with his audience’s position, casting shadows to be where they are most meaningful. Awareness of his viewers’ angle ceased to allude Donatello as his earlier marble masterpieces, the sculptures at the Or San Michele, employed their alleviated situations to accentuate his subject’s personalities as seen with Saint
In Giotto’s Madonna and Child Enthroned I see an older renaissance painting of a woman and her child. The child is sitting on the lap of his mother who is sitting on a large burgundy throne in the middle of the painting. The woman is dressed in a navy cloak while her child is clothed in a pink robe. Above the child’s head there is a yellow circle. This circle is a renaissance symbol for religious leadership or importance. Surrounding this throne are a gathering of angels. There are exactly seven angels on each side worshiping this mother and child. The background consists of a yellow brick pattern.
During the Renaissance, the Virgin Mary was prevalent theme throughout this period where artists such as: Fra Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Bothicellical and Perugino were inspired to paint the Virgin Mary. The paintings show a motherly pleasant looking women holding or caring for her child. The paints are capturing the Mary as a human but giving her a divine appearance. The child being Christ shows her power by giving birth to him and by caring for the Son of God. In essence providing love, caring, and protection for the young child of God. For example, plate 15 and frame 23, these plates show a compassionate caring mother that is humanistic in depiction but larger or more encompassing of the painting than the Christ child. This is implying her importance in the early life of Christ. This also shows the power or her earthly influence over the child even though she is a human and not a deity. This gives her a special place in the church as the earthly Mother that is the most perfect of humans, other than Christ.
The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait of a woman that was painted by the famous artist Leonardo Da Vinci. This portrait was painted in oil on white Lombardy Panel Paper. It is an oil painting that utilizes the technique of sfumato. The painting technique sfumato overlays translucent layers of colors. This is used to create a blending of colors so there are no clear transitions seen. The materials used in sfumato are oil paints and a Lombardy Panel Paper. Sfumato is used to create a painting that appears to have no lines. The subject of this painting is said to be a women named Lisa del Giocondo. Meanwhile, many other artists and historians have suggested that the subject of the painting are various other people such as Costanza d’Avalos, Isabella of Aragon, Duchess of Francavilla, Isabella d’Este, Cecilia Gallerani, Pacifica Brandano, Caterina Sforza and Isabella Gualanda. Some theories also suggested the woman is actually Leonardo Da Vinci, the artist himself in his own painting. The woman portrayed in the Mona Lisa has no visible eyebrows or eyelashes. The women sits in a stance ...