Pollaiolo's Lady and Neoplatonic Melancholy in Milan

A painting in Milan, likely Antonio del Pollaiolo's 'Dama del Pollaiolo' (Portrait of a Young Woman) at the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, is analyzed through the lens of Neoplatonic melancholy. The article, authored by Massimo Giontella, draws parallels between the painting's melancholic expression and Dante's sonnet LXXII from the Rime, where personified Melancholy visits the poet. The melancholy is interpreted as Neoplatonic, linked to Saturn's influence on superior souls, referencing Ficino and Aristotle's idea that great men are melancholic. The painting is compared to Leonardo da Vinci's 'Ginevra de' Benci' (1476), which also embodies Neoplatonic melancholy. Giontella argues that the reverse of Leonardo's painting bears Pollaiolo's hand, suggesting Pollaiolo (Antonio Benci) was Leonardo's master in Flemish technique. The article also mentions Hermes Trismegistus and the connection between Pollaiolo and Cristoforo Landino. The analysis emphasizes the philosophical and historical context of Renaissance melancholy.