c. 1475. Tremp i oli sobre fusta. 53,3 x 39,9 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. 1952.5.62. Obra no exposada.

So I've already talked about Medici: Masters of Florence a little bit, but the more research I do into the historical background of the Medicis of this era the more I feel compelled to write about them, particularly about the one of the two leading ladies of the show--Lucrezia Tornabuoni, because honestly, talk about a role model. This lady kicked ass in the political arena, provided significant services for the people of Florence, and was a major artistic patron, as well as an artist herself. Lucrezia in her youth painted by Piero Benci Lucrezia was born into a powerful family, and married into another. Her husband, Piero, was later the head of the Medici bank, and was basically the ruler of Florence from 1464-1469. However, Piero was bedridden, so Lucrezia did most of the legwork--literally. That wasn't all she did though, Lucrezia was known for her charitable works and her writing as well. As mentioned, Lucrezia did a lot of the legwork during her husband's time as leader of Florence. She settled disputes between citizens, received petitions, and acted as ambassador for the city, not something a woman of her era typically did. Her father-in-law, Cosimo de Medici, openly valued her advice, and admired her decision making skills. Lucrezia fostered good relations with her children and grandchildren, so when her son, Lorenzo the Magnificent, came to power she was able to advise him politically. Lucrezia did a large number of charitable things during her lifetime. She was known for helping fund convents, particularly for donating cloth for nuns to use for their habits. She provided dowries for impoverished women so they could marry*, and took care of widows and orphans by seeing that their relatives were given church positions so that they could support their families. She was also a keen businesswoman. Lucrezia owned several properties, and collected rents on shops, farms, and homes. Most notably, she purchased a defunct thermal bath in Bagno a Morbo, and refurbished the dump into a profitable business venture. In addition to this, she managed many of the Medici financial affairs while her husband Piero was bedridden with illness. She was known as a shrewd money manager, and her sons often looked to her for advice in this matter. Lucrezia in her old age painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio But the talents of this amazing woman don't stop there, Lucrezia was also a writer! Her fictional work is almost entirely religious in nature, comprising retelling of bible stories as well as sonnets and lyrical poems on religious topics. Her letters also survive, and can be found here. Lucrezia was an incredible woman far ahead of her time. She's the sort of woman that I would want my daughters to be like, and the sort of woman that would be incredibly successful and popular today. One can only imagine what she might have accomplished politically if allowed to run for office! *On a side note, completely unsupported by historical fact (as far as I know), I really like the idea of Lucrezia being a sort of love vigilante, providing dowries for girls so they could marry their true loves, and helping set people up. (Her mother-in-law, Contessina di Bardi, was known for arranging marriages, and she and Lucrezia were very close, so it's plausible that Lucrezia could have done the same, right?) Just imagine- Lucrezia Tornabuoni de' Medici-- political badass and Cupid's handmaiden. If I was going to write a historical fiction novel about her, this would be the premise. Sources Monstrous Regiment of Women Oxford Bibliographies Medici Dynasty

Florentine dress 1475-1500 Renaissance

Alessandro Filipepi was born in 1445; the perfect time to be an artist. For the first time in hundreds of years, writers, poets, sculptors and painters were once again admired and respected. Culture was returning, and young Allessandro had the...

Giovanna Tornabuoni (D. Ghirlandaio) "Reedición" es una nueva sección del blog dedicada a reproducir antiguas entradas que tuvieron cierto predicamento en su momento entre los lectores de Desde el trópico de Cáncer. Estas entradas se publican diariamente y conservan su título, fecha y numeración original. La reproducida hoy fue publicada originariamente con fecha 16 de mayo de 2105. Disfrútenla de nuevo si lo desean. *** Para la mayoría de los universitarios españoles el paso por las aulas de su alma máter suele ser bastante anodino. Lo único que buscan es aprobar las asignaturas, completar el currículo, obtener su flamante título y engrosar las listas de parados del INEM... Que en el transcurso de esa peripecia vital tropiecen con un profesor excepcional que les haga sentir que la universidad es "algo más" que una fábrica de expedición de títulos es algo excepcional. Y los alumnos que se encuentran con ellos no suelen olvidarlos. A mí me ha pasado, pero ya lo he contado con anterioridad en Desde el trópico de Cáncer: ese profesor se llamaba, y se llama, Emilio Lledó, y tampoco es cuestión de repetirme... Recuerdo emocionado el artículo que el escritor y periodista que se esconde tras el seudónimo de Incitatus escribió en El Confidencial hace unos años sobre la lección recibida en su juventud de un excepcional profesor e historiador del Arte, Manuel Valdés Fernández, que recordaba y recreaba para sus lectores ante la visita efectuada al Museo del Prado, en Madrid, donde acababa de inaugurarse la exposición "El retrato del Renacimiento", seguramente "la más asombrosa que este caballo viejo ha visto en muchos años", dice de ella... El relato de la entrada en el aula del profesor Valdés, su llegada a la pizarra, el trazado de una simple línea horizontal en la misma, el colofón final de una frase lanzada como un reto: "Esto es la realidad", y el comienzo a renglón seguido de una lección sobre la historia de la pintura y de los pintores del Renacimiento, casi a ritmo cinematográfico, es conmovedor y emocionante. No es extraño que para los afortunados destinatarios de aquella arenga, les quedara clavada en la retina y en el corazón como una jornada por la que habían merecido la pena todos los anodinos años de estudio... Sean felices por favor, y ahora, como también decía Sócrates, "Ιωμεν": nos vamos. Tamaragua, amigos. HArendt "Llanto sobre el Cristo muerto", de Giotto Entrada 2251 [email protected] La verdad es una fruta que conviene cogerse muy madura (Voltaire) Publicada originariamente el día 16 de mayo de 2015

Hoy el museo de Todo-Mail acoge una exposición temporal de Sandro Botticelli. ¿Nos acompañas en este viaje al Renacimiento Italiano?

5 figures

His work is regarded as a forbidden theory and never disseminated. Referred to as a heretical book, a book that possesses power affects people. In the middle ages, The Prince was famous as a book w…

Domenico Ghirlandaio era ante todo un fresquista, y técnicamente, uno de los artistas más hábiles de su época.

This is a Brand New book in excellent condition. Format: PaperbackAuthor: Stortoni, Laura AnnaISBN10: 0934977437ISBN13: 9780934977432 This dual-language collection presents the rich flowering of womens poetry during the Italian Renaissance: from the love lyrics of famous courtly ladies of Venice and Rome to the deeply moral and spiritual poets of the age. It includes biographies of 19 poets and over 80 selected poems in the original Italian with facing English verse translation. Poets include: Laura Battiferri Ammannati, Chiara Matraini, Isabella Andreini, Lucrezia Tornabuoni de Medici, Vittoria Colonna, Isabella di Morra, Tullia dAragona, Aurelia Petrucci, Lucia Bertani DellOro, Antonia Giannotti Pulci, Leonora Ravira Falletti, Camilla Scarampa, Moderata Fonte, Gaspara Stampa, Veronica Franco, Laura Bacio Terracina, Veronica Gmbara, Barbara Bentivoglio Strozzi Torelli, Olimpia Malipiera. Dual-language poetry. Introduction, biographies, notes, bibliographies, first-line index.