Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga
Encyclopedia
The Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga is a picture from around 1504, attributed to the Italian
Renaissance
artist Raphael
and housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence
.
The painting was likely part of the Ducal collection of Urbino
, brought to Florence
in 1635 as Vittoria della Rovere
's dowry. In is mentioned with certainty for the first time in 1773, when it was transferred from Palazzo Pitti
to the Grand Ducal
wardrobe of the Uffizi. In a 1784 inventory it was attributed to Giovanni Bellini
's school, while that of 1825 listed it as by Andrea Mantegna
.
It was attributed to Raphael for the first time in 1905. Other artists to whom the portrait has been assigned include Francesco Francia, Giovan Francesco Caroto, Francesco Bonsignori
and Albrecht Dürer
.
, wife of Duke Guidobaldo I of Urbino
(the portrait is now exhibited at the Uffizi next to the latter's
) and a woman of literary and artistic interests. Details include the black dress with applied trim in a patchwork pattern, and the scorpion
-like diadem on the front of the woman. Her hairdo includes the coazzone, a long plait which is present also in a medal of her now at the British Museum
.
The picture was once attributed to various artists, from .
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
artist Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
and housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
History
Contemporary sources speak of a portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga executed by Raphael.The painting was likely part of the Ducal collection of Urbino
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
, brought to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1635 as Vittoria della Rovere
Vittoria della Rovere
Vittoria della Rovere was Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the wife of Grand Duke Ferdinando II. She gave her husband four children, two of which would survive infancy; the future Cosimo III, Tuscany's longest reigning monarch and Francesco Maria, a prince of the Church...
's dowry. In is mentioned with certainty for the first time in 1773, when it was transferred from Palazzo Pitti
Palazzo Pitti
The Palazzo Pitti , in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast mainly Renaissance palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio...
to the Grand Ducal
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
wardrobe of the Uffizi. In a 1784 inventory it was attributed to Giovanni Bellini
Giovanni Bellini
Giovanni Bellini was an Italian Renaissance painter, probably the best known of the Bellini family of Venetian painters. His father was Jacopo Bellini, his brother was Gentile Bellini, and his brother-in-law was Andrea Mantegna. He is considered to have revolutionized Venetian painting, moving it...
's school, while that of 1825 listed it as by Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son in law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality...
.
It was attributed to Raphael for the first time in 1905. Other artists to whom the portrait has been assigned include Francesco Francia, Giovan Francesco Caroto, Francesco Bonsignori
Francesco Bonsignori
Francesco Bonsignori was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period.He was born in Verona, and miscalled by Vasari and others Monsignori. In Verona, he was under the influence or a pupil of Liberale da Verona. In 1487, he went to Mantua, where he was largely patronized by the Marchese Francesco...
and Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
.
Description
The woman portrayed is Elisabetta GonzagaElisabetta Gonzaga
Elisabetta Gonzaga was a noblewoman of the Italian Renaissance, renowned for her cultured and virtuous life. A member of the noble House of Gonzaga, she was a sister of Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua and by marriage the Duchess of Urbino...
, wife of Duke Guidobaldo I of Urbino
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
(the portrait is now exhibited at the Uffizi next to the latter's
Portrait of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro
The Portrait of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro is a picture by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, dating from around 1506 and housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.-History:...
) and a woman of literary and artistic interests. Details include the black dress with applied trim in a patchwork pattern, and the scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
-like diadem on the front of the woman. Her hairdo includes the coazzone, a long plait which is present also in a medal of her now at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.
The picture was once attributed to various artists, from .