What do the unicorns symbolize on the reverse of the double portrait of Battista Sforza and Federico da Montefeltro?
What do the unicorns symbolize on the reverse of the double portrait of Battista Sforza and Federico da Montefeltro?
The back of these portraits are painted with scenes of allegories of triumphs. Horses pull Federico’s triumphal car and Battista’s is pulled by unicorns, which symbolize chastity and fidelity, respectively. Beneath these scenes of triumph, Latin inscriptions celebrate the virtues of Federico and Battista.
Why are the Duke and Duchess of Urbino shown in profile?
In the tradition of the fourteenth century, inspired by the design of ancient coins, the two figures are shown in profile, an angle that ensured a good likeness and a faithful representation of facial details without allowing their sentiments to show through: indeed, the Duke and Duchess of Urbino appear unaffected by …
What did Federico da Montefeltro do?
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 …
Who painted the Duke of Urbino?
Piero della Francesca
The Duke and Duchess of Urbino/Artists
Where in Italy is Urbino?
Marche
Urbino, Latin Urbinum Hortense, town, Marche (the Marches) regione (region), central Italy.
Where is Montefeltro?
Overview. Montefeltro covers mostly the mountain part of the Province of Pesaro and Urbino (Marche) and the south-western area of the Province of Rimini (Emilia-Romagna). It comprises also two municipalities of the Province of Arezzo, Tuscany, and the Republic of San Marino.
Why were patrons so important during the Renaissance?
While today we often focus on the artist who made an artwork, in the renaissance it was the patron—the person or group of people paying for the image—who was considered the primary force behind a work’s creation. Patrons often dictated the cost, materials, size, location, and subject matter of works of art.
What is Urbino Italy known for?
The town, nestled on a high sloping hillside, retains much of its picturesque medieval aspect. It hosts the University of Urbino, founded in 1506, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Urbino. Its best-known architectural piece is the Palazzo Ducale, rebuilt by Luciano Laurana.
What does Urbino mean in Italian?
Urbinonoun. A historic walled-town in the Marche, Italy.
What does Montefeltro mean?
/ (Italian monteˈfeltro) / noun. an Italian noble family who ruled Urbino from the 13th to the 16th century.
Who was a famous patron family?
The Medici family
The Medici family ruled Florence for the next 200 years until 1737. The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy person or family sponsors artists.
Who was the wife of Federico da Montefeltro?
Battista Sforza was the daughter of Alessandro Sforza, the ruler of Pesaro, and the wife of Federigo da Montefeltro, the ruler of Urbino. This right picture shows the reverse side of the Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro.
What was the allegorical triumph of Federico da Montefeltro?
Allegorical Triumph of Federico da Montefeltro and Allegorical Triumph of Battista Sforza (1472) The panels depicting the Duke and Duchess of Urbino are both painted on the reverse in a style that can be regarded as miniature. The left picture shows the reverse side of the Portrait of Battista Sforza.
What kind of perspective did Francesco da Montefeltro use?
The master painter marries the strict approach to perspective learned during his Florentine education with the lenticular representation more characteristic of Flemish painting, achieving extraordinary results and unmatched originality. Interested in visiting The Uffizi? Arrange your visit in Florence, find prices and opening hours of the museum.
What kind of paintings did battisa and Federico do?
Because of this, Federico and Battisa are the main focal point of each of their respective paintings, and behind them lays a natural landscape. This specific style of painting, where the characters and landscape are in “white light” is very characteristic of Francesca’s style.