Renaissance Artists' Fascination with Ancient Rome: 10 Iconic Works
During the Renaissance, artists and intellectuals began to see themselves as peers of ancient Rome. TheCollector explores ten significant pieces that illustrate this connection to Roman heritage, such as Francesco di Giorgio Martini's 'The Meeting of Dido and Aeneas' (c. 1480), Fra Carnevale's 'The Birth of the Virgin' (1467), and Andrea Mantegna's funerary bust. Bertoldo di Giovanni's portrait medal of Sultan Mehmed II (1480) echoes Roman commemorative traditions. Antico crafted small bronze versions of Roman sculptures. Sandro Botticelli's 'Primavera' (c. 1481) embodies Medici humanism, while Giulio Romano's frescoes 'Fall of the Giants' (1532-1535) highlight Mannerism. Michelangelo's Medici Tombs (1520) signify authority, and the Pantheon, which contains Raphael's tomb, became a celebrated landmark.
Key facts
- Francesco di Giorgio Martini's 'The Meeting of Dido and Aeneas' (c. 1480) replicates Roman architecture in three dimensions.
- Fra Carnevale's 'The Birth of the Virgin' (1467) combines Roman architectural details with contemporary Tuscan dress.
- Andrea Mantegna designed his own funerary chapel with a bronze bust in Roman aristocratic style.
- Bertoldo di Giovanni's portrait medal of Sultan Mehmed II (1480) was commissioned by Lorenzo de' Medici.
- Antico (Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi) created miniature bronze copies of Roman sculptures like the Apollo Belvedere.
- Sandro Botticelli's 'Primavera' (c. 1481) was influenced by Ovid's 'Fasti' and Angelo Poliziano.
- Giulio Romano's 'Fall of the Giants' frescoes (1532-1535) in the Palazzo del Te are based on Ovid's 'Metamorphoses'.
- Michelangelo's Medici Tombs (1520) in San Lorenzo, Florence, depict the dukes in Roman attire.
- The Pantheon in Rome, built by Emperor Hadrian, houses Raphael's tomb with a 1st-century sarcophagus donated by Pope Gregory XVI in 1833.
Entities
Artists
- Francesco di Giorgio Martini
- Fra Carnevale
- Andrea Mantegna
- Bertoldo di Giovanni
- Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi
- Sandro Botticelli
- Giulio Romano
- Paolo Uccello
- Michelangelo
- Raphael
- Il Lorenzetto
- Filippo Lippi
- Petrarch
- Boccaccio
- Alberti
- Manuel Chrysoloras
- Angelo Poliziano
- Ovid
- Virgil
- Julius Caesar
- Augustus
- Lorenzo de' Medici
- Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco
- Federico II Gonzaga
- Gian Marco Cavalli
- Brunelleschi
- Donatello
- Pope Gregory XVI
Institutions
- TheCollector
- Gonzaga family
- Medici family
- Vatican Museums
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Palazzo del Te
- Basilica di San Lorenzo
- Villa Medici
- Museum of Troy
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Florence
- Mantua
- Carthage
- Troy
- Vatican
- New York
- Mantova