Solemn entry of Margaret of Austria into Ferrara
| Reference: | S47338.1 |
| Author | Jacques CALLOT |
| Year: | 1612 ca. |
| Measures: | 180 x 130 mm |
| Reference: | S47338.1 |
| Author | Jacques CALLOT |
| Year: | 1612 ca. |
| Measures: | 180 x 130 mm |
Description
Solemn entry of Margaret of Austria, on horseback, flanked by two ecclesiatics, into the city of Ferrara.
This is after the chiaroscuro painting, now in the deposit of the Uffizi, Florence, which was the fifth work in a series of 26 scenes from the life of Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III of Spain, erected in San Lorenzo, Florence, as part of the decoration of the church for her exequies held in February 1612 (the queen had died in October the previous year). The drawing shows the entry of the queen into Ferrara on 13 December 1598 riding between Cardinals Sforza and Montalto prior to her marriage to Philip III of Spain by Pope Clement VIII. The painting used to be attributed to Passignano, but is now ascribed to Fabrizio Boschi on stylistic grounds. A drawing in the National Gallery of Scotland by Antonio Tempesta (K. Andrews, 'Catalogue of Italian Drawings', 1968, no. D 4890/4) is copied from the painting, and was used as the model for Callot's print.
The etching is a proof, before text and typographical numbering, of the plate included in the celebrated Essequie Della Sacra Cattolica, E Real Maestà di Margherita d'Austria regina di Spagna, Celebrate dal Serenissimo Don Cosimo II, Grand Duca di Toscana IIII by Giovanni Altoviti, printed in Florence by Bartolommeo Sermatelli in 1612.
This is one of the finest Florentine illustrated books of the time, commissioned by Cosimo II Medici from French artist Jacques Callot soon after his arrival in Florence. The etchings celebrate the life of Margherita of Austria, who became queen of Spain following her marriage to Philip III in 1598. Of these, 18 are by Callot, 6 by Antonio Tempesta (1555-1630) and Raffaello Schiaminossi (c. 1529 - 1622).
Altoviti provides us with a commentary on the magnificent iconographic apparatus, emphasizing the significance of this “figurative history” of the Spanish queen, from the announcement of the wedding to the journey to Italy (Veneto, Ferrara, Milan, Genoa) and Spain (Valencia, Barcelona, Madrid), to the celebration of the wedding and finally to her death.
Etching, printed on contemporary laid paper with “balance in the circle” watermark, with full margins, a light waterstain at the upper right, otherwise in good condition. Rare.
Bibliografia
Meaume II.207, 440-454 I (Callot); Lieure I.21-26.52-69 (Callot); Bartsch XVII.49.628-633 (Tempesta); Bartsch XVII.236.111-114 (Schiaminossi); G.G.Bertela & A.P.Tofani, Feste e Apparati Medicei da Cosimo I a Cosimo II (Firenze: 1969), pp.138-140 & 220. H. Diane Russell, Jacques Callot Prints and Related Drawings (Washington: 1975) 9.
Jacques CALLOT (Nancy 1592 - 1635)
|
He was a baroque graphics artist, draftsman and printmaker from the Duchy of Lorraine (an independant state on the North-Eastern border with France). He made etchings that chronicled the people and the life of his period (soldiers, clowns, drunkards, wanderers, beggars, and various outcasts). These images of people are often contrasted by spectacular landscapes (see, for instance, "The Temptation of St. Anthony"). His skill in shading and his use of different tones were remarkable for the period and he is often compared to Albrecht Dürer.
|
Jacques CALLOT (Nancy 1592 - 1635)
|
He was a baroque graphics artist, draftsman and printmaker from the Duchy of Lorraine (an independant state on the North-Eastern border with France). He made etchings that chronicled the people and the life of his period (soldiers, clowns, drunkards, wanderers, beggars, and various outcasts). These images of people are often contrasted by spectacular landscapes (see, for instance, "The Temptation of St. Anthony"). His skill in shading and his use of different tones were remarkable for the period and he is often compared to Albrecht Dürer.
|