“So you’re an artist? What kind of art do you do?” This is a question I’m asked constantly. The explanation is usually long and complicated. I decided that I needed to confront this problem with a series of pieces of the same subject and composition (mostly), using different media.
In the world of art history and the study of the Italian Renaissance, certain artists, politicians, and religious leaders’ names come into play. If I use the name Di Medici, you understand that I’m referring to the ruling family in Florence during about 300 years of time who were bankers, money lenders and the patron of many of the pieces of artistic effort from the time. The artists would gather at the Di Medici court in order to get commissions, patronage, favor, and political clout.
In the high renaissance, we had a heroic member of the family named Lorenzo “the magnificent” Di Medici who was a brilliant statesman, politician, and leader. He and his brother Giuliano ruled Florence until the attempts on their lives during Easter mass ended with Giuliano being killed and Lorenzo barely escaping with his life. One member of these brother’s court was a married woman named Simonetta Vespucci. She was considered the greatest beauty of the time: think Marilyn Monroe of the 15th century. It is said that the artists at court would get into fistfights to decide for whom she would model next. There are MANY portraits reputed to be of her, most done posthumously. One these portraits being Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and another done Piero Di Cosimo where Simonetta is Cleopatra.
I have always had an affiliation with the different portraits of her, being familiar with most and having seen quite a few in person. When considering this “all media” series I was planning, it occurred that she might be the perfect subject. I gathered the different alleged portraits of her and began to cut and paste different elements of her visage and the way the different artists portrayed her. When I finally reached the image I thought would work, I did a finished version as a drawing, then a painting, then a woodcut, then a wood engraving, and finally as a bas relief sculpture of the same composition. I’ve yet to finish the bas relief sculpture but it is on my list of things to do.
15″ x 18.5″ egg tempera on panel