1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,760 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy Vie Wilson. We recently, 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: not too far back, ran our Georgiova Sarry podcast as 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 1: a Saturday classic, and today's topic sort of tangentially touches 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: him on the timeline, not entirely tangential. Prospero Fontana was 7 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 1: a painter in Bologna, Italy in the sixteenth century, and 8 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: he was relatively successful because he was skilled and he 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: worked quickly. He stayed busy with commissions because he just 10 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: had a track record for dependability, particularly in fresco work 11 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: and portraiture, and he worked for Giorgiova Sarry on a 12 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: number of projects. Prospero va Sary is Germane to today's 13 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: topic because he was today's topics father. We were talking 14 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 1: about another painter, Prospero's daughter, Lavinia Fontana, so let's get 15 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: into it. Lavinia Fontana was born in Bologna, Italy in 16 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: fifteen fifty two. We don't know the exact date she 17 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,199 Speaker 1: was born, As we just mentioned, her father was a painter. 18 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: Her mother, Antonia Bartolomeo de Bonardes was from a family 19 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: that made its fortune in publishing. The Fontana's were not nobles, 20 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: but they did live comfortably, and Lavinia's baptismal sponsors were 21 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: men from the Bolognese nobility. Lavinia was one of three 22 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: children in the family. She had a sister and a 23 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: brother named Amelia and Faminio. Both of them died, though 24 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: not in their childhood, but when they were young adults. 25 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: One had been a teenager and when I think within 26 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: their early twenties. Lavinia studied under her father, who was 27 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: a leading member of the painters guild in Bologna, and 28 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: he worked in the Mannerist style, which is what he 29 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: taught Lavinia. He had also taught his other children, Amelia 30 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: and Meno, but Lavinia was the one that was just 31 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: most naturally gifted at painting. She was educated beyond art. 32 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: She was very well educated in mathematics, Latin and music, 33 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: as well as her painting classes with her father. Mannerism, 34 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: just as a quick refresher, was very popular in sixteenth 35 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: century Italy. It originated in Florence, but it wasn't referred 36 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 1: to as mannerism until much later in the eighteenth century. 37 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: This period follows right on the heels of work that 38 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: was done by da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael and it 39 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 1: shows a move away from the Classicism and naturalistic beauty 40 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: that those artists sought to create in their work. Mannerism 41 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: is slightly more stylized. Sometimes it can even be bizarre. 42 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: It slightly exaggerates otherwise realistic compositions, so that say, Assiter's 43 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: limbs might be a little too long or their head 44 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: a little too small. Incredible detail in the four ground 45 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 1: is often combined with a really sparse or unrealistically simple background. 46 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: As she reached her twenties, Lavinia transitioned into a painting career, 47 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: which was an unusual step for a woman in Bologna 48 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: in the fifteen seventies. She is often referred to as 49 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: the first woman painter in Western Europe to have a 50 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: successful career. It's a little more nuanced than that. There 51 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: were other women in Italy making a living in the arts, 52 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: most famously sofonisba Ala, who was about twenty years older 53 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 1: than Lavinia. These two women are often discussed in tandem 54 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: when considering art of the period, and they were also 55 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: compared to one another at the time by their contemporaries. 56 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,839 Speaker 1: So Fanisba, who could and probably will be her own 57 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: episode at some point, was born into the nobility, although 58 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: at a low level that did not come with wealth, 59 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: and she became a court painter other women artists who 60 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: managed to make a living at it before Fontana worked 61 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: exclusively at convents creating devotional art. So what sins Lavinia 62 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: apart is that she was not noble by birth, and 63 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: as she advanced her art career, she made her living 64 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: through commissions from a variety of clients. Like her father had, 65 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: the groundwork for this career had been laid very carefully 66 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: by Prospero. He encouraged clients to commission Lavinia's first professional works. 67 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: He had also given away small pieces she painted to 68 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: help establish her reputation. So while she was unique as 69 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: a professional, she benefited from her father serving as her supporter, 70 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: both technically as a painter and as sort of an 71 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: early public relations manager. Yeah, he made some other very 72 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,359 Speaker 1: significant moves in her life. We'll talk about um. The 73 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: first signed work that we know of by Lavinia is 74 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: a portrait of a boy from fifty There isn't a 75 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: record of who this child was. He is dressed in 76 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 1: rather fancy clothes, so he was likely the son of 77 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: a wealthy family. Although it is a very early work, 78 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: many of the hallmarks of Lavinia's painting style are already present. 79 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 1: For example, the fabrics of the boy's clothing are rendered 80 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: in just incredible detail. The pose is quite formal, the 81 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: boy does not look relaxed in his body posture, and 82 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: he makes direct eye contact with the viewer. In a 83 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: painting estimated to have been created in fifteen seventy five 84 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: titled Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine. St. Catherine of Alexandria 85 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: is shown having a vision of Christ. There are numerous 86 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: works by many artists that have this title or a 87 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 1: similar one that depicts the same basic idea, although sometimes 88 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 1: that St. Catherine of Alexandria and others St. Catherine of 89 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: Sienna both show the moment when one or in some 90 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: cases rarely both of these women pledged their lives to Christ, 91 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: using the framework of marriage that is frequently invoked as 92 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: part of describing a woman becoming a nun. In Fontana's 93 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: version of this moment, Catherine is shown in a soft 94 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: golden yellow gown with a red cape that straped around 95 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: her shoulders. She is kneeling with her hands posed as 96 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,559 Speaker 1: in prayer before the infant Jesus, who is being held 97 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: by his mother Mary and appears to be blessing her. 98 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 1: Above the main scene is an entire secondary group of 99 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: angels in the clouds. They are all rendered in very 100 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: dreamy pastel's. In February seventies seven, when she was twenty five, 101 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: Lavinia married a man named Giovanni Paolo Zappi, often also 102 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 1: named as Jean Paulo. He had been a student under 103 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: her father. This marriage was unusual and that although Zappy 104 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 1: was a painter, his work didn't become the priority. It 105 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: was quite the opposite. Jean Paulo supported Lavinia's career and 106 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: even became her agent. That arrangement is often pointed at 107 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: for its progressive and unusual nature, and it was that, 108 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: but it was also arranged to be that way by 109 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: Lavinia's father, Prospero. Giovanni was the son of a noble. 110 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: He was not first in line to inherit, but his 111 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: status was going to elevate Lavinia's social rank, so you 112 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: might think that the marriage agreement would favor him considerably, 113 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: But in fact it laid out some pretty unusual terms. First, 114 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: there would be no dowry that was in light of 115 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: Lavinia's earnings potential. That was a condition that may have 116 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: been stipulated by Prospero because he would have had difficulty 117 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: coming up with a sum that would set this new 118 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: couple up in a household of their own. He was 119 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: in many ways successful, but he still struggled when it 120 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: came to managing his money. Second, the couple had to 121 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: live with Prospero, who would support them in exchange for 122 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: Lavinia continuing to work with him. Basically, Prospero, who saw 123 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: his daughter's earning potential, promised the Zoppie family that she 124 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: could be the breadwinner. There was also language in the 125 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: contract that gian Paolo would also paint, and money that 126 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: he brought in would be kind of part of this 127 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: family collective. But it appears he was just not really 128 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,559 Speaker 1: at the same level of Lavinia, and he stopped trying 129 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: to have an art career pretty early on. While this 130 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: arrangement undoubtedly benefited Prospero Fontana by keeping his daughter as 131 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: his assistant in the long term, it also meant that 132 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: she was supported in her artistic career by her spouse 133 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: Giovanni handled all our business deals, something that would have 134 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: been difficult or impossible for her to do herself as 135 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: a woman. He was also a stay at home father 136 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: to their children, and they had a lot over the 137 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: course of their marriage. They had eleven kids, although sadly 138 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: only three of them survived past childhood. We're going to 139 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: talk more about Lavinia's painting after we take a quick 140 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: break to hear from the sponsors to keep stuff you 141 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: missed in history class going. Even before her marriage, Lavinia's 142 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: skills as a portraitist were why recognized her father in law, 143 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: Severozapi noted her work in a letter that he wrote 144 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: her before she and Giovanni were married. Lavinia had sent 145 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,679 Speaker 1: him to portraits and he was quite pleased with them. 146 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: And in addition to portraits of other people, Lavinia painted 147 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: self portraits, so not very many, and those self portraits 148 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: offer an interesting window into how she saw herself and 149 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 1: how she presented herself to the world. And as noted 150 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: in a piece of writing by Catherine A. Mcgiver, Professor 151 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: Emerita of Art History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, 152 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: what's really really interesting is that Lavinia did not paint 153 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: herself as an artist in her fifteen seventies seven painting 154 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: self portrait at the Virginal, which was one of the 155 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: portraits she sent to her future father in law. She 156 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: seated at a small harpsichord. An attendant is standing behind 157 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: her holding a music book. Her painting easel is in 158 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: the image, but it's sitting empty in the background, and 159 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: she's dressed in layered jeweled clothes that would have been 160 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: popular with the nobility of the day and Latin. At 161 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: the top left of the image is the note Lavinia, 162 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: the unmarried daughter of Prospero Fontana, took this her image 163 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: from the mirror seventy seven. Art historians have interpreted this 164 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 1: painting as being Lavinia's assurance to her future relatives that 165 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: she's a lady of refinement with a career that can 166 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: support her family. As an aside, this was a time 167 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: when Bologna was kind of ahead of a lot of 168 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: other places in terms of women's education. Women were allowed 169 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: to enroll with the university, although they couldn't study all 170 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,679 Speaker 1: of the same subjects as men. Law, medicine, and theology 171 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: courses were only permitted for male students. But in showing 172 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: herself In this portrait with the harpsichord as musically accomplished 173 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: and including a Latin inscription, Lavinia was very carefully and 174 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:58,199 Speaker 1: clearly showing her own level of intellect and knowledge, in 175 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,199 Speaker 1: line with the culturally held values of education at the time. 176 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: In fifteen seventy nine, she painted the Tiny Self Portrait 177 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,559 Speaker 1: in the Studiolo, which is a circular portrait six inches 178 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: in diameter, showing her in her study. This is a 179 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: commissioned piece. Collector Alfonso Calcionio already had a self portrait 180 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: of sophonisba Angui Sola, and he wanted one of Lavinia 181 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: to go with it. In the portrait, she's wearing fine 182 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: court dress with a stiff ruffled collar, and she's seated 183 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: at a desk with books and sculptures, holding a pen. 184 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: She also wears a large gold cross, and her gaze 185 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: is fixed on the viewer, although her head is in 186 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: a quarter profile so that she's not actually facing the 187 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: viewer directly. In the fifteen eighties, Lavinia became very popular 188 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: with women clients in particular. Carlos ces Armaza was a 189 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: historian in the seventeenth century who wrote a book on 190 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 1: Bologna's famous artists, and this is often referenced as an 191 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: import source when it comes to studying Fontana, although he 192 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: wrote it in six seventy eight, which was more than 193 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: sixty five years after Lavinia's death, so keep in mind 194 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: he does not always have firsthand accounts in it. He writes, quote, 195 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,839 Speaker 1: for some time, all the ladies of the city would 196 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: compete in wishing to have her close to them, treating 197 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:24,440 Speaker 1: her and embracing her with extraordinary demonstrations of love and respect. 198 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: Considering themselves fortunate to have seen her on the street, 199 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: or to have meetings in the company of the curious 200 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: young woman. The greatest thing they desired would be to 201 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: have her paint their portraits, prizing them in such a 202 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: way that, in our day no greater prices could be 203 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: charged by a van Dyke or justice Susterman's his point 204 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: was that this popularity among the ladies of Bologna's upper 205 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 1: class had actually pretty steeply driven up the prices of 206 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: Fontana's work. There have been scholars over the years who 207 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: have made the case that the fact that Lavinia was 208 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: a woman was part of her success with Bologna's women, 209 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: because they felt more comfortable sitting for a woman artist, 210 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: she clearly became friends with some of them. Several became 211 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: godmothers to her children. Before the fifteen eighties, Fontana also 212 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,320 Speaker 1: had a lot of clients who were members of the intelligentsia. 213 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: Academics of the day often turned to her to capture 214 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: their likenesses. But as this increase in demand for fashion 215 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 1: portraits from the society ladies increase, the prices rose too 216 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: high for scholars, she painted fewer and fewer portraits of 217 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: Italy's great thinkers. There's one woman in particular who's often 218 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: seen as the true turning point in Fontana's career, and 219 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: that is Laudomia Gozzadina. In four Laudomia commissioned Fontana to 220 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 1: paint her family, and after that the artist popularity rose 221 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: very rapidly. That portrait, which is simply called Portrait of 222 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: the Gotzdini Family, features Laudomia and her sister Geneva, as 223 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: well as their spins. The women are in their wedding gowns. 224 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: In the center of the portrait is the sister's father, 225 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 1: Senator Ulisa Gottadina, who died twenty three years before this 226 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: painting was created. Laudomia's sister Geneva was also dead when 227 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: the painting was commissioned, although she had passed just a 228 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: few years before in as Ulsa. Gotzadini had arranged both 229 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: of the marriages pictured in the portrait when the girls 230 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: were still small children. This sort of appears to be 231 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: a representation of the family that he created through those 232 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: marriage arrangements. There are additional interpretations of this painting, some 233 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: of which are kind of fun that we can talk 234 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: about on Friday. This painting is really interesting, both in 235 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: composition and in the ways people have interpreted it over 236 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: the centuries. There are some obvious elements and tended to 237 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: convey meaning each person and it is reaching out to 238 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: touch one of the others. Listen. The patriarch has a 239 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: hand wrapped around the forearm of the deceased daughter Generva, 240 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: indicating their shared status. Additionally, both of the dead members 241 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: of the family and the image face to the viewers right, 242 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: those who were alive when it was painted face to 243 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: the viewers left. The Doomia is stroking a tiny dog 244 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: which sits on the table at the center of the image, 245 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: and that served as a symbol of devotion. Such dogs 246 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: were also very popular among the wealthy of the time, 247 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: and Laudomia Gozzadini was one of the women who became 248 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: a godmother to one of Lavinia's children. That was a 249 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: son named Several. Lavinia's next daughter that was born after Several, 250 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: was named Laudomia, presumably after this friend. The Gozzini family 251 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: also became very closely intertwined with the finances of Lavinia 252 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: and her husband Jampaolo. It appears that they made a 253 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: lot more commissions for portraits, as records indicate multiple sums 254 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: of money transferring from the Gotzdini family to Lavinia's. There 255 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: were many other women with which Lavinia had clothed and 256 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: ongoing relationships, both as patrons and as friends, but in 257 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: the case of Vadomio Gozzadini we have a lot more 258 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 1: detailed records and most of the others. There are many 259 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 1: portraits painted by Fontana in which the sitter remains unidentified, 260 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: but in the case of Gotzedini, there are notations on 261 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: the back, particularly of that famous family portrait, as to 262 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: each person in the painting, as well as those records 263 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: of the financial ties that the two families had. In 264 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: addition to the portraits, Fontana was commissioned by many households 265 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: to paint religious subjects. She had started doing this early 266 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: in her career. There are instances where she signed some 267 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: of them with her maiden name, so they we know 268 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: that they predate her marriage. One thing of note in 269 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: the progression of both subject and tone of her religious 270 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: paintings that's been noted by historians is that as Lavinia 271 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: matured into life as a mother, her paintings of Mary 272 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: and the infant Jesus reflect a sweetness that was unique 273 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: among depictions by other artists. In the fifteen eighties, Lavinia 274 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: achieved another milestone for women artists. She was the first 275 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: woman commissioned to create an altarpiece. She did several of these, 276 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 1: and one such commission came from the Commune of Imola, 277 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: which is where her husband was from. The resulting work, 278 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: which is titled Assumption of the Virgin, features Sat. Cassian 279 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: and St. Peter chrystals. Those are both patron saints of Imola. 280 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: The significance of being commissioned for alterpieces is really clear 281 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: when you consider time and place. While Bologna wasn't an 282 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 1: epicenter of art patronage in the early part of the 283 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: sixteenth century, it was heavily invested in devotional art. One 284 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: of Bologna's points of pride was another altarpiece in the 285 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: city that had been painted by Raphael in the early 286 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 1: fifteen hundreds, so for Fontana to be commissioned to make 287 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: one was a really big deal. We should also note 288 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: that there are some altarpieces that remain a little bit 289 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:01,400 Speaker 1: unclear that she has in her her body of work, 290 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: that are unclear in terms of their attribution. Because that 291 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,680 Speaker 1: was an area where her father, Prospero Fontana, had specialized 292 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: and one in which Lavinia often assisted. There have been 293 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: a number of questions over the years about how much 294 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:18,919 Speaker 1: either of them worked on each other's commissions and who 295 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 1: should get primary credit, and Prospero was part of the 296 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: reason that Lavinia became favored by figures in the church 297 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 1: and ended up with public commissions. Prospero had painted quite 298 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: a few works for churches and had long term friendships 299 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 1: and patronages with some of them. In turn, those relationships 300 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 1: helped build similar opportunities for Lavinia. The Archbishop of Bologna, 301 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: Cardinal Gabrielle Pelotti, had known Lavinia as she was her 302 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: father's assistant, and it was through him that she received 303 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: some of her commissions for public devotional paintings. And though 304 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: she was born and raised in Bologna and was very 305 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,919 Speaker 1: successful there, Lavinia also came celebrated in Rome, and we 306 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: will talk about her first visit to that city. After 307 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: a sponsor break, Lavinia visited Rome for the first time 308 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: in six While she was there, she expanded her client 309 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: base to include Cardinal Francisco Patchaco of Spain, which garnered 310 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,719 Speaker 1: her a commission for King Philip the Second of Spain, 311 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: so very high profile. A subsequent visit to Rome in 312 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: six led to a similarly momentous commission when Lavinia was 313 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,439 Speaker 1: asked to paint a chapel altarpiece in the city around 314 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: though that date is uncertain, Lavinia painted the first of 315 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: only a few paintings we know of covering mythological figures. 316 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:53,640 Speaker 1: This painting is Mars and Venus, and it was groundbreaking. First, 317 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,399 Speaker 1: this may have been the first time a woman painter, 318 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,159 Speaker 1: and certainly one of high stature, took on this genre. Uh, 319 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: mythological paintings had always been the domain of men, and 320 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: a lot of men have painted Mars and Venus. Second, 321 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: the figure of Mars is covered only by a cloth 322 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: which wraps around his body at the groin level, and 323 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: Venus is totally naked. For a woman, even a woman 324 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 1: painter at the time, it would have been completely scandalous 325 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 1: to paint from referencing a live nude model. We don't 326 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: actually know if Livinia ever had nude models, or if 327 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 1: she was painting nudes by referencing the work of male artists. Yeah, 328 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,439 Speaker 1: there's also been uh some indication that she said it 329 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 1: was from painting the women she had known in her life, uh, 330 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 1: to to avoid any of that. But it doesn't explain 331 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: why she does a nude man quite so perfectly. Uh. 332 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 1: It's um, I love that painting desperately, and I'll talk 333 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: a little bit about why and are behind the scenes. 334 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: On Friday in she painted the Visit of the Queen 335 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: of Sheba to Solomon. If you take a quick look 336 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,640 Speaker 1: at this work when you're considering that title, one thing 337 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: is blazingly obvious. These are all very white Europeans in 338 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: Renaissance dress. Though there is still hardy debate today about 339 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: whether the biblical land of Sheba would be in present 340 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: day Africa, specifically Ethiopia, or in the Arabian Peninsula. Specifically Yemen. 341 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: Many depictions of the Queen of Sheba created by European 342 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,199 Speaker 1: artists do definitely whitewash her. There is a little bit 343 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: of additional nuance to consider. In the case of Fontana's painting. 344 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 1: It is widely accepted that she created this work as 345 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: a sort of portrait allegory, she was casting too contemporary 346 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: Italian nobles in the roles of Solomon and the visiting Queen. 347 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:51,719 Speaker 1: There is additional debate about exactly who those Italian nobles are. 348 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: The most popular theory for a long time was that 349 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 1: it is Vincenzo the first of Gonzaga and Eleonora de Medici, 350 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: who were then Duchess of Mantua in the late sixteenth 351 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: and early seventeenth centuries. That aligns with when the painting 352 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: was created. However, recent developments have introduced an alternate theory. 353 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 1: We're going to talk about that later in the episode. 354 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: Part of the trouble in identifying the models for this 355 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: piece is that it doesn't appear in any records until 356 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: the seventeen hundreds, when it was noted as being in 357 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: Bologna's Palazzo Zambacari. The work was presumably commissioned but there's 358 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 1: no clear evidence as to who may have contracted Leviny 359 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: It's to paint it. After that, it traveled to Paris 360 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 1: in eighteen fifty nine and was purchased by Napoleon the 361 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: third cousin. Then it was one of only a few 362 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: paintings saved when the Palais Royal burned during the uprising 363 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 1: of the Paris Commune, which means this crosses paths ever 364 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: so briefly with that recent podcast on Gustave Courbet. At 365 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 1: that point the painting moved to London before we being 366 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,160 Speaker 1: purchased by the National Gallery of Ireland. Because she had 367 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: made connections to so many religious figures in Rome. After 368 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: her father Prospero died in sixteen oh three, Lavinia was 369 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:15,159 Speaker 1: invited to move to Rome permanently by Pope Clement the eighth. 370 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 1: She had enjoyed the favor of Pope before him, Pope 371 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 1: Gregory the thirteenth, who had been pope from fifteen seventy 372 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: two until his death in fifty five, had been a patron, 373 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: and when Pope Paul the fifth became the two d 374 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 1: thirty third Pope in May of sixteen o five, after 375 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: the very brief papacy of Leo the eleventh. He not 376 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: only was her patron, but he also gave her the 377 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: very prestigious position of portraitist in ordinary i e. The 378 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: primary portraitist at the Vatican. Lavinia's largest work was complete 379 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: while she lived in Rome. That was the Martyrdom of St. 380 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: Stephen or the Stoning of St. Stephen, which she completed 381 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: in sixteen o four for the Basilica of sam Paolo 382 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: foury le Mura in Rome. Fortunately we don't have images 383 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: of this because the work was lost in a fire 384 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: in eighteen twenty three, which destroyed the whole basilica. That means, 385 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,679 Speaker 1: the painting The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to 386 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: Salomon is Fontana's largest surviving work. It's two hundred fifty 387 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 1: six by five centimeters or eight point four by ten 388 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: point seven feet. Fantana was elected to the Roman Academy 389 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,439 Speaker 1: of Painters Academia disson Luca. This was rare, not just 390 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: for a woman, but it was an honor that wasn't 391 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,400 Speaker 1: given to many male artists either, and this falls in line, 392 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 1: though with her status as the Pope's primary portraitist, as 393 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: the papacy was very influential on the Academy's leadership. During 394 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: Lavinia's time in Rome, she achieved just an incredible level 395 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: of success that any painter, man or woman would have envied. 396 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: She was so well regarded that in sixteen eleven, flee 397 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: ch Antonio Cassoni, who was a well known sculptor at 398 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 1: the time, honored Fontana with a bronze medal featuring her 399 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: m On one side of the metal is a bust 400 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: likeness of the artist in profile wearing a veil. The 401 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: opposite side of the metal shows her in a very 402 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: different way. She sets at her easel, depicted in full figure. 403 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: Her hair is loose and wild, and she's painting, and 404 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 1: paint brushes and a palette litter the area around her feet. 405 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: An inscription on this side of the metal translates to 406 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: through you joyous state I am maintained. In sixteen thirteen, 407 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:34,640 Speaker 1: Fontana completed another nude. This one is titled Minerva Dressing, 408 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,919 Speaker 1: and it features the Roman goddess of Wisdom preparing to 409 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: pull on a very very expensive looking garment. She's in 410 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: three quarter profile with her head turned to look at 411 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: the viewer, and her armor is scattered on the floor St. 412 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: Peter's Basilica is visible in the background. Like Mars and Venus, 413 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: this one continues to raise the question of whether Fontana 414 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: flouted social moraise to work with a nude model. If 415 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:02,640 Speaker 1: she did, or even if people thought she did, it 416 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: didn't really seem to have much of an impact on 417 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,639 Speaker 1: her work or her social standing. Lavinia died at the 418 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 1: age of sixty two in Rome on August eleven, six fourteen. 419 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: Her three sons, Flaminio, Arazzio and Prospero, which were her 420 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 1: only surviving children, had it noted on her memorial stone 421 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 1: that she had become famous beyond the womanly sphere. So 422 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,719 Speaker 1: we have talked about a wide range of painting categories 423 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 1: that Fontana worked in at a time when portraiture was 424 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:36,119 Speaker 1: really considered the appropriate painting style for women. In the 425 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: book Women Artists, Their Patrons and their Publics in Early 426 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: Modern Bologna, which came out in one author Bubbett Bone 427 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 1: breaks down the number of surviving Fontana works into a 428 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: small table by type, based on that fortent were portraits, 429 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: were private devotionals, eighteen percent were public devotionals. Mythological and 430 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:02,719 Speaker 1: genre slash landscape painting, each makeup fo and ancient history 431 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,400 Speaker 1: makes up just one percent. If you do the mad 432 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: there it adds up two one, but that's because all 433 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:09,919 Speaker 1: of the percentages were rounded up, which is notated on 434 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: the table. This really speaks to Lavinia's breadth of work, 435 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,919 Speaker 1: although portraits were obviously her bread and butter. In eighteen 436 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,120 Speaker 1: the National Gallery of Ireland received a grant for a 437 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: conservation and research project from the Bank of America Global 438 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: Art Conservation Project Fund. That grant was given to help 439 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: the museum conserve Fontana's painting the Visit of the Queen 440 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: of Sheba to King Solomon, and to conduct deeper research 441 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 1: into Lavinia's life and works. The gallery has had the 442 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 1: painting for a long time. It was acquired in eighteen 443 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: seventy two, just eight years after the National Gallery of 444 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 1: Ireland opened. This project did not mark the first conservation efforts, 445 00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: not biologue shot. Now, this painting has had a lot 446 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:58,919 Speaker 1: of touching years. We mentioned the series of events that 447 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: we know transpire to eventually land the painting in Ireland. 448 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: When it was rescued from that fire in Paris, it 449 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 1: had been cut from its frame because it is obviously 450 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 1: too large to have been moved quickly otherwise, so it 451 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:14,639 Speaker 1: was reframed at some point in the late eighteen hundreds. 452 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 1: That frame has also been recently conserved. It has received 453 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 1: reinforcement to the frame to support the way to the painting. 454 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:24,400 Speaker 1: That frame was also carefully cleaned to reveal the really 455 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 1: beautiful gold leaf that was original to the framing. As 456 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 1: varnish was removed from the painting under the supervision of 457 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:36,159 Speaker 1: conservators Maria Canavan and Latitzia Marcatelli. It revealed the color 458 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: and detail of the painting and new and then offered 459 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: an opportunity to compare the faces long believed to be 460 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: the Duke and Duchess of Mantua. To compare those with 461 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: other paintings of the couple, it became apparent that the 462 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: likenesses were not as close as had been thought. The 463 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: conservators and researchers believe these images are a closer match 464 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: to a different couple, Alfonso the second death Day and 465 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 1: Marguerite to Gonzaga, who were the Duke and Duchess of Ferrara. 466 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: In addition to the likeness. To support this theory, the 467 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: Duke would have died around the same time the painting 468 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: was being completed, and that may account for why it 469 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: doesn't appear on any documentation, it never would have been 470 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: delivered to the original commissioner. There's no way to be sure, 471 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: but it does make sense this explanation. It also explains 472 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: why there are some gaps in the information about its origination. 473 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: The conservation work on this piece is really really fascinating, 474 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 1: and it included several stages, each of which of course 475 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: had to be completed with incredible care. First, the painting 476 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: had to be stabilized, meaning that paint that was pulling 477 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: away from the surface had to be adhered back to it, 478 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: and the canvas had to be inspected and repaired in 479 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: any areas that showed evidence of degradation. Then came that 480 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: varnish removal we mentioned just a moment ago. There had 481 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 1: also been some conservation retouching performed in the mid twentieth 482 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: century that had discover and over time that had to 483 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: be removed as well. The next steps really interesting. It 484 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: was a layer of varnish that means that any retouching 485 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 1: that's part of this conservation effort can be removed at 486 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: a later date. This will serve as a barrier between 487 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: the old and the new pigment to avoid any confusion 488 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: in the future. This and all other applications to the 489 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: painting are intended to be reversible. The retouching technique used 490 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: to fill in areas of the painting where color has 491 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: flaked away is also intended to complete the painting without 492 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 1: creating any question of what was original versus what was new. 493 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: So this retouched painting is done using tiny dots and lines. 494 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: If you're standing back from the painting, it looks complete, 495 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: but if you get up really close you can see 496 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 1: that these sections aren't part of the original painting. This 497 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 1: was all part of the research the gallery conducted through 498 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: the Lavinia Fontana Conservation and Research Project, and that conservation 499 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: has been completed. The painting is back on you now, 500 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: which makes me want to go to Ireland soon. Lavinia 501 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: Fontana's high profile as one of the first women in 502 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: Europe to make a living as an artist has continued 503 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,959 Speaker 1: to be important to the discussion of representation equity in 504 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 1: the art world. In February of the National Gallery of 505 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: Victoria in Melbourne, Australia acquired one of Lavinia's paintings as 506 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: part of an ongoing effort on the part of the 507 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: museum to address quote historical gender imbalance. The painting added 508 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: to the m GVS collection is Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine. 509 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 1: So many paintings. Um I am. I am very very 510 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: into her work. Like I said, we're going to talk 511 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 1: about Mars and Venus behind the scenes, okay uh. In 512 00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: the meantime, I have a listener mail about Evangelista Toricelli, 513 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: just from our listener Alyssa, right, Till and Tracy. I've 514 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: been meaning to write this email for quite a while now, 515 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: but hearing Evangelista Toricelli's name pop up on your episode 516 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: on hypertension gave me the push I needed to finally 517 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 1: do it. I'm a PhD candidate in chemistry, which also 518 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: means I occasionally teach general chemistry courses. In a very 519 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: impressive coincidence, I happened to listen to your episode about 520 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,240 Speaker 1: Evangelista Toricelli on the way to campus the day my 521 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 1: students were covering the ideal gas Law. I entered the 522 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: room to find a very frustrated group of students. They 523 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: had read the next section of the textbook the night before, 524 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: and they didn't know why pressure could have such weird 525 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: units in the equations, such as millimeters of mercury or 526 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: a unit called tour. I knew the reason for the 527 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: millimeters of mercury, but I had completely forgotten about Toricelli 528 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: being the reason why we also call a millimeter of 529 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:51,280 Speaker 1: mercury a tour. They're exactly the same unit. Telling them 530 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 1: the history behind the naming seemed to really get them 531 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: interested in the material, but just more than I can 532 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: often say about general chemistry classes. Thanks for helping me 533 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 1: be the cool ta for the day A. My now 534 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 1: husband introduced me to the podcast at the start of 535 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: the pandemic, and it has become one of my go 536 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 1: to listening pleasures for my one point five hour commute 537 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: to work. That has given me plenty of time to 538 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: listen to your current episodes while also working backward to 539 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: catch what I've missed over the years. It's been a blast. 540 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: Thank you for making my commute much easier. I have 541 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: attached photos of my pair of kiddies for your enjoyment 542 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: as a good and proper chemist. Their names are Xenon 543 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:27,480 Speaker 1: and Copper year old Torby girl and Copper is my 544 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: four year old black Tabby boy. I love them dearly 545 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: and hope their antics give you a smile. These cats 546 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: are so stink and cute. There's one where they're grooming 547 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: each other in front of a window, and it's a 548 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 1: gorgeous little picture, and I may soon want to hug 549 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: and kiss their faces. Thank you, my love a little 550 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: uh cats grooming each other, It's one of my favorite things. 551 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you, thank you. A lista. I'm glad 552 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 1: we could help UH make a little more sense for 553 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 1: the day. I wish I had had fun things like 554 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 1: that happened in my chemistry classes when I was younger. 555 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 1: I probably would have chemistry a lot more. I would 556 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: like to write to us. You can do so at 557 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,839 Speaker 1: History podcast at iHeart radio dot com. You can also 558 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 1: find us on social media as Missed in History, and 559 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:13,759 Speaker 1: you can subscribe to the podcast on the I heart 560 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 1: Radio app or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 561 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: Stuff you Missed in History Class is a production of 562 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,280 Speaker 1: I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 563 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 564 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,000 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.