Professor Kenneth Bartlett, University of Toronto, in The Teaching Company course The Italian Renaissance, Part 2, Lecture 16. In the aftermath of the Peace of Ferrara (see Wars in Lombardy) in 1433, he lived in Venice and Mantua as a hostage. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Commentators insist on his dedication to the well-being of his soldiers explaining why his men proved loyal to him and why Federico technically never lost a war. The duke was a leader of mercenaries, a skilful strategist and a great patron who turned the city of Urbino into a refined and renowned cultural centre. A renowned intellectual humanist and civil leader in Urbino on top of his impeccable reputation for martial skill and honor, he commissioned the construction of a great library, perhaps the largest of Italy after the Vatican, with his own team of scribes in his scriptorium, and assembled around him a large humanistic court in the Ducal Palace, Urbino, designed by Luciano Laurana and Francesco di Giorgio Martini. However, he could not perform his duties as he lost his right eye during a tournament. In 1464 the new Pope Paul II called him to push back the Anguillara, from whom he regained much of the northern Lazio for Papal control. In 1478 Federico was involved in the Pazzi conspiracy.[2].
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Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more. The diptych came to Florence in 1637 through the marriage of Ferdinando II de' Medici and Vittoria della Rovere, who was the inheritor of the Duke of Urbino's estate since 1631. He was a patron of the writer Cristoforo Landino. One of the Piero della Francesca's most famous works, the double portrait is representative of the relationship between the painter and the Duke and Duchess of Montefeltro; Piero was a frequent guest at their court, finding himself in a cultured and refined atmosphere which would soon become one of the most important cultural and artistic hearts of Italy. The following year he captured Cesena and Bertinoro in Romagna. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. At sixteen he began a career as condottiero under Niccolò Piccinino. The Duke and Duchess are shown in profile in accordance with the portrait tradition of the time, borrowed from the precepts of contemporaneous numismatics. [4][5] It represents a Triumph matching that on the reverse of the portrait of … After some notable exploits in the Kingdom of Naples, he fought in the Marche against Malatesta, soundly defeating him at the Cesano river near Senigallia (1462). The Duke of Urbino was one of Piero's most important patrons. Piero della Francesca, Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris Piero della Francesca, Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino (Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza) , 1467-72, tempera on panel, 47 x 33 cm (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence) Imposing themselves against the background landscape in which nature has been harmoniously arranged through the labor of man, the monumental figures of the Duke and Duchess stand out in the most effective representation of humanist values. Bernard van Orley and Pieter de Pannemaker, Boxwood pendant miniature in wood and feathers, Portraits of Elizabeth I: Fashioning the Virgin Queen, The conservator’s eye: a stained glass Adoration of the Magi, The Gallery of Francis I at Fontainebleau (and French Mannerism), Follower of Bernard Palissy, rustic platter, Fifteenth-century Spanish painting, an introduction, Tomb of Juan II of Castile and Isabel of Portugal, Treasure from Spain, lusterware as luxury. The Duchess Battista Sforza is luxuriously dressed and has an noticeably high forehead, which was correspondent to the fashion of that time. Do you speak Renaissance? Profile portraits were very popular at the time as they evoked images on ancient coins and hearkened back to the legend of the first portrait, a traced silhouette on a wall. Federico took care of soldiers who might be killed or wounded, providing, for example, dowries for their daughters. However, after the death of his beloved second wife Battista Sforza (daughter of Elisabetta Malatesta and Alessandro Sforza), who never recovered after giving birth to their seventh child at 25 years old, he spent much of his time in the magnificent palace in Urbino. Carlo Crivelli. Malatesta profited from his injury to obtain the position under Sforza, whereupon Federico in October 1451 accepted instead a proposal by Alfonso V of Aragon, King of Naples, to fight for him against Florence. The strategical staging of these figures reflects the couple’s power. This particular artwork is a diptych, meaning that it is framed on two hinged wooden panels that may be closed like a book. He was decorated with almost every military honor. ( Log Out /  The former is still in situ, the latter was eventually purchased by and brought in its entirety to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This choice made it possible for the artist not to show the disfigured side of Federico's face. Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker provide a description, historical perspective, and analysis of Piero della Francesca’s Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Attention to minuscule details derived from Flemish painting is combined with a delicate treatment of the volumes of the faces through the skillful modulation of light. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker provide a description, historical perspective, and analysis of Piero della Francesca’s Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza. All his personal and professional achievements were financed through mercenary warfare. The half-face portraits were made in 1467-70 and are a great This is a perfect representation of the Renaissance theme of individualism, since all of these character traits were to be admired and strived upon in this time of new ideas. Cite this page as: Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, "Piero della Francesca, Featured | Art that brings U.S. history to life, At-Risk Cultural Heritage Education Series.
They are poised high above the landscape in the background, as if they are on top of some tower. Private Tour of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence - Skip the Line! Now Federico fought against his former patrons the Florentines, caught in the Pope's attempt to carve out a state for his nephew Girolamo Riario. The work consists of two panels, painted on both sides, which we must imagine at one time were hinged to form a sort of book. ( Log Out /  In 1482 he was called to command the army of Ercole I of Ferrara in his war against Venice, but was struck by fever and died in Ferrara in September.


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