FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis

FLORENCE
PORTRAITS AT
THE COURT OF
THE MEDICIS MUSÉE
JACQUEMART
11 SEPTEMBER I 25 JANUARY
ANDRÉ
TH
TH
INSTITUT DE FRANCE
Bronzino
Florence, 1503 - 1572
Portrait of a Lady in red (detail)
1532 – 35, oil on wood, 89,7x70,5 cm
Francfort, Stadel Museum
© Städel Museum - U. Edelmann / ARTOTHEK
Summary
Introduction by Bruno Monnier, President of Culturespaces
Press release
Itinerary of the exhibition
The maniera moderna & mannerism
The Medici dynasty
Carlo Falciani, curator
Hubert Le Gall, scenographer
Visitor information tools
The partners of the exhibition
The Jacquemart-André Museum
The Institut de France
Culturespaces, producer and director of the exhibition
Images available for the press
Practical information
Cover:
Bronzino
Florence, 1503 - 1572
Portrait of Eleonora di Toledo (detail)
Circa 1522, oil on panel, 59 x 46 cm
Prague, NárodnÍ Galerie
© National Gallery of Prague 2015
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
3
Jacopo Pontormo
Pontorme, 1494 - Florence, 1557
Portraits of two friends
Circa 1522 - 1523, oil on panel, 88,2 x 68 cm
Venise, Fondazione Giorgio Cini
© Venezia, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Matteo De Fina
When portraits offer likeness and beauty at the same time,
one can say that they are exceptional works
and that their creators are great painters.
Vasari, The lives of the greatest painters, sculptors and architects, 1568
The Jacquemart-André Museum is presenting an exhibition dedicated to the art
of 16th century Florentine portrait painting. The unerring eye of Edward André and Nélie
Jacquemart has enabled them to collect, amid the masterpieces of Italian Renaissance art,
portraits by the hand of such painters as Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio and Francesco Salviati.
For the first time in Paris, they will be reunited with their contemporaries Rosso Fiorentino,
Andrea del Sarto, Pontormo and Bronzino.
Famous in their time, but today less well known by the French public, these artists
fashioned the portraits of men and women who witnessed the profound transformation of
the city of Florence during the 16th century. The selected works, presented in an itinerary
that is both thematic and chronological, allow us to understand the progressive evolution
of the genre towards a public and personal affirmation of the self-image as a desire to
leave a mark for posterity.
This exhibition provides the opportunity to rediscover these refined portraits of the late
Renaissance and its distinguished representatives.
Following the austerity of the Republican era, still bearing the imprint of the teachings of
the great masters such as Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael, portraits become brilliant
and complex, symbols as much of the luxury of the Medici court as of the inner beauty of
the soul, manifestos of the «modern style» that was so greatly admired.
I wish to thank Mr Carlo Falciani, general commissioner of the exhibition, who by means of
his work and extensive knowledge of the subject has organised exceptional loans for this
exhibition, for the most part from the Polo Museale of Florence, and especially from the
Galleria degli Uffizi with to the kind support of its director, Mr. Antonio Natali.
I also thank Mr. Nicolas Sainte Fare Garnot, curator of the Jacquemart-André Museum
and commissioner of the exhibition.
In particular I would like to thank His Excellency Mr. Giandomenico Magliano, the Italian
ambassador to France, who by his renewed patronage has confirmed the special ties that
bind our two countries.
Bruno Monnier
President of Culturespaces
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
5
press RELEASE
Giorgio Vasari
Arezzo, 1511 - Florence, 1574
Portrait of Alessandro de’ Medici in front of the city of Florence
Circa 1534, oil on panel, 157 x 114 cm
Florence, Istituti museali della Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale Fiorentino, Galleria degli Uffizi
© S.S.P.S.A.E. e per il Polo Museale della Città di Firenze
In the 16th century, the art of portraiture became increasingly common among the
Florentine elite, who had found in it a means of capturing their facial characteristics and
social status for posterity. They drew on literary characters such as Petrarch, musical
references or a staged production full of symbols to describe the model’s life in all its
facets.
The Musée Jacquemart-André has devoted an unrivalled exhibition to the great Florentine
portrait painters of the 16th century, based on around forty works. Alongside the
presentation of masterpieces by Pontormo, a pupil of Andrea del Sarto and master of
mannerism, there will be a chance to appreciate the refined and graceful features, typical
of the portraits of Bronzino or Salviati, which are testimony to a meaningful sense of
sophistication.
This exhibition will offer a panorama of Florentine portraiture in the 16th century with all its
main themes and stylistic transformations. Through the eyes of the painters experimenting
with new ways of representing their contemporaries, it will allow visitors to appreciate
the style developments of the Cinquecento, an especially eventful century in cultural and
religious terms.
The portraits of the republican period in the early 16th century in all their gravitas gave
way to heroic representations of men at war, symbols of military and political conflicts
that led the Medici to seize power in Florence in 1530. Next come the court portraits,
distinguished by their richness and elegance, and the portraits of artists, witnesses to a
new role bestowed on court painters and opening their minds to other forms of art such
as poetry and music.
This exhibition has benefited from an extraordinary partnership with the Museums of
Florence. Other renowned international museum institutions and exceptional collections
such as the Royal Collection (London), the Louvre (Paris) and even the Städel Museum
(Frankfurt) are also supporting this event with remarkable loans.
• General
curator of the exhibition: M. CARLO FALCIANI
An art critic and art historian, he studied under Carlo del Bravo at the University of Florence.
Formerly Professor of Iconography and Iconology at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, he now
teaches History of Modern Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. He has been curator of a
number of prestigious exhibitions, in particular «Pontormo e Rosso Fiorentino. Divergenti vie della
‘Maniera’», held in Palazzo Strozzi in spring 2014. He has also authored essays on Pontormo and
Rosso Fiorentino.
• Curator of the exhibition: M. NICOLAS SAINTE FARE GARNOT
An art historian specialising in seventeenth-century French painting, Nicolas Sainte-Fare Garnot
has been curator at the Musée Jacquemart-André since 1993. Since his appointment, he has
reorganised the distribution of the collections according to the original programme and has initiated
various restoration and inventory campaigns.
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
7
itinerary OF THE EXHIBITION
The names of numerous artists were ascribed
this painting, before it was eventually attributed
to Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio. What persists from
these conjectures is the unanimous recognition of
the artist’s sensibility to the «maniera moderna»
(modern style) of Leonardo and Raphael.
To begin with, the twisting movement of the body
contributes to the impact of the young woman’s
presence: the three-quarters pose hints at the
upper back and the tilt of the shoulders feigns a
vitality that energises the pyramid in which the body
seems to move.
Next, the hands stage an invitation to look closer:
the right hand seems to be resting on the picture
frame, the fingers exhibiting a disturbing naturalism,
the rings capturing and reflecting the light, as do the
gilded edges of the pages of the Prayer Book.
Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (Ridolfo Bigordi). Florence, 1483 - 1561
Portrait of a Woman (‘La Monaca’) - 1510-1515,oil on panel, 65 x 48 cm
Florence, Istituti museali della Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale
Fiorentino, Galleria degli Uffizi © S.S.P.S.A.E. e per il Polo Museale della
Città di Firenze
ROOM 1 i 1494 - 1512
The Republic of Florence
and the Dawn of the Golden Age of Portraiture
The premature death of Lorenzo il Magnifico, on
4 April 1492, was a turning point in the history of
Florence and the Medici. The decades 1490–
1510 marked a low point for these merchants,
whose good fortune had brought them wealth
and power for more than a century. Il Magnifico
was succeeded by his son Piero who, in 1494
was obliged to flee the city, and Savonarola
took power. It was not until 1512 that the Medici
were finally authorised to return to the city.
Florence underwent a radical political and
cultural transformation. Throughout this period,
young artists depicted their models against
a plain background or before a landscape,
as can be seen in Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio’s
Veiled Woman. Whether depicted in three
quarters or in profile, like the Portrait of a Man
by both Franciabigio and Rosso Fiorentino
respectively, the models are serious and have
a certain simplicity—severity even — in both
their postures and their attire. The rigour and
sobriety characteristic of these works reflected
the return to moral values linked to antique
republican virtues.
The topographical narration is depicted through
the two openings in the loggia. On the left, one can
see the hospital at the convent of San Paolo. On
the right, before a fortified enclosure, stands the
monastery of San Jacopo di Ripoli.
The appearance of the young woman complies with
the standards of beauty that were fashionable at the
time. The shoulders are exposed by a deep neckline
that reveals the beginning of the bosom, with a hint
of the lacework around the edge of the bodice. The
dress and its detachable sleeves are made from
a fine black woollen cloth that Florentine weavers
exported all over Europe. Under a translucent veil,
undulating delicately and coming to rest on the
bare shoulders, a white satin bonnet gathers the
long hair, hiding it from the eyes of a society that
attributed an erogenous power to it.
Despite the restraint in the choice of hues and
the simplicity of the ornaments, the dress and the
bonnet are made from high quality fabrics and their
cut denotes a sensuality that would be astonishing
in a portrait of a religious lady.
In contrast, a certain moderation in the display
of pomp bears witness to a style of attire that
was specific to the ladies of Florence because of
the social context, for the Republic had decreed
sumptuary laws in order to limit the consumption
of luxury goods by the urban elite. The aim was
to promote the export of wealth so as to ensure
the economic sustainability of the province; it was
also a way to return to the moral foundations of the
Republic.
[Extract from the exhibition catalogue.
Text by Gaylord Brouhot]
Francesco Salviati (Francesco de’ Rossi). Florence 1510 - Rome 1563
Portrait of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, 1546-1548,oil on panel, 65 x 46 cm
Florence, Istituti museali della Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale
Fiorentino, Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Palatina © S.S.P.S.A.E. e per il Polo
Museale della Città di Firenze
Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo, dit). Florence, 1503 - 1572
Portrait de Cosme Ier de Médicis à l’âge de quarante ans
1560,oil on panel, 82,5 × 62 cm, Newark, Delaware, The Alana Collection
© The Alana Collection, Newark, Delaware, USA.
room 2
i 1530 - 1537
The Medici Reconquest. Portraits of Men Bearing Arms
room 3
i 1539 - 1574
The Medici Court. Magnificent Portraits
Capturing the city by force in August 1530
after a terrible year-long siege, Alessandro de’
Medici then governed Florence—which had
suffered great hardship and was obliged to
capitulate—, but he was savagely assassinated
seven years later. Although shaken by this
event, the dynasty managed to survive.
Aware of the importance of creating a new
form of representation—both of himself and his
status and authority—, Alessandro entrusted
various artists with commissions to carry out a
veritable image-based rehabilitation campaign.
This resulted in a series of heroic portraits,
in which the model was depicted dressed
in armour, and these were veritable political
propaganda instruments that underlined his
recent accession to power, a noteworthy
example of which is Giorgio Vasari’s Portrait
of Alessandro de’ Medici. Cosimo I also
implemented a strategy of legitimisation, in
which he cultivated not only his own image,
but also that of his father, Giovanni of the
Black Bands, the famous condottiero, whom
he transformed into a second (after Cosimo
the Elder) pater patriae, and for whom he
commissioned a whole series of portraits,
particularly from Francesco Salviati (1546–
1548). The Medici never retreated and never
refrained from using force to achieve their
goals.
By his marriage to Eleonora di Toledo in 1539,
Cosimo I sealed his alliance with Charles V.
In May 1540, the ducal family moved into the
Palazzo Vecchio, the first refurbishment works
were carried out in the duchess’s apartment.
As the inventor of the duchy’s new pictorial
language, Bronzino was the leading artist in the
Medici court. Hence, Bronzino was an integral
part of the development of the representational
codes used in portraits of the duke, which
were stripped of all military connotations in the
1560s, like the recently discovered Portrait of
Cosimo I de’ Medici at the Age of Forty. This
development reflected the consolidation of
the Medicean regime and its ascension to the
status of grand duchy of Tuscany in 1569.
A keen collector, Cosimo I was primarily
interested in monumental projects; and Baccio
Bandinelli was his favourite artist. With other
sculptors and architects, he transformed the
Florentine city into a veritable centre of power.
After symbolically taking up residence in the
Palazzo Vecchio, where Vasari created a
grandiose decor that celebrated the glory of the
Medici in the room known as the ‘Salone dei
Cinquecento’ (the Room of the Five Hundred),
Cosimo had a large administrative building—the
Uffizi Palace—erected nearby.
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
9
Continuation of the itinerary
Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo, dit) Florence, 1503 - 1572
Portrait of Francesco de Medici, 1555-1565, oil on tin, 16 x 12,5 cm
Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi
© S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della città di Firenze
Francesco Salviati, 1510 - 1563, Portrait of a Young Man with a Fawn
Circa 1545-1548, oil on panel, 88,5 × 68,5 cm
Vaduz-Vienne, Liechtenstein Princely Collections
© LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna
ROOM 4
i 1539 - 1574
The Medici Heirs. Magnificent Portraits
room 5
Francesco I preferred refined works and the
decorative arts, a result perhaps of his cultivated
upbringing and education, which comprised the
study of the sciences, arts, and literature.
Between 1570 and 1572, he entrusted Giorgio
Vasari and Vincenzo Borghini with the project
to refurbish his Studiolo inside the Palazzo
Vecchio. From 1580 onwards, Francesco also
established an area known as La Tribuna within
the Uffizi that was dedicated to his collection—
comprising antique sculptures, small bronzes,
hard-stone objects, goldsmithed objects... — in
a decor that combined natural treasures with
artistic marvels. In the Florence of the second
half of the Cinquecento, the art of Medicean
portraiture attained its zenith. Bronzino was still
the unparalleled master, as attested by the
wonderful series of 29 small family portraits
painted on tin that he created with the
collaboration of his workshop, to adorn Cosimo
I’s office. More precious than ever, the portraits
comprised luxurious materials such as gold,
silver, lapis lazuli, and other precious stones,
attesting to an increasing emphasis on the
sumptuary dimension, complemented by great
attention to detail and the rendering of textures.
Such refinement was also often associated
with miniaturisation, and sometimes resulted in
technical accomplishments. Nothing was deemed
too luxurious to celebrate the prince’s life.
Like the Medici portraits, those of their courtiers
were composed with great finesse. Nothing
was left to chance, neither in terms of the
work’s composition, the arrangement and
positioning of the sitters, or their postures
and expressions—or rather their absence
of expression—, nor their garments and
accessories.
i 1539 - 1574
Magnificent Portraits of the Courtiers
The courtiers’ portraits rivalled one another
in their representation of every detail of
luxury and refinement, while taking care not
to surpass the sumptuous representations
of their rulers. The intention behind these
highly naturalistic ceremonial portraits was
to transcribe the physiognomy and character
of the models and convey their social status,
and sometimes even specify their rank within
an extremely hierarchical court society. These
portraits attest to the emergence of the grand
duchy’s court society, and the affirmation of
the nobility of those who belonged to it. The
images convey this transmutation of bourgeois
codes into specific aristocratic codes, which
were indispensable for promoting the princely
grandeur of the Medici court.
ROOM 6
i
Mannerist Portraiture as a Mirror of the Arts
As a keen patron of the arts Cosimo I de’ Medici
made a point of officialising and supporting the
recently established Academy of Florence—
whose purpose was to promote the Tuscan
language. Likewise, he collaborated with Vasari
on the foundation of the Accademia delle Arti
del Disegno (‘Academy and Company for the
Arts of Drawing’). However, beyond the strict
and elitist framework of these academies,
the artists also assembled in confraternities
(‘Companies of pleasure’), whose main aim
was to have a good time and indulge in artistic
jousts. A healthy emulation resulted from this
coming together of the arts, as most of the
artists of the era were polyvalent.
Francesco Salviati (Francesco de’ Rossi). Florence, 1510 - Rome, 1563
Portrait of a Lute Player
1527-1530, oil on panel, 96 x 77 cm, Paris, Musée Jacquemart-André –
Institut de France © Paris, Musée Jacquemart-André - Institut de France/
Studio Sébert Photographes
This lute player is the Frenchman,
Jacquet du Pont, a protégé of Cardinal
Giovanni Salviati from whom the painter of
the portrait adopted the name.
Born in Florence and trained in the workshop
of Andrea del Sarto, a prolific painter and a
highly popular one right from his Florentine
debut, Francesco Salviati (1510 - 1563)
nevertheless spent most of his career in
Rome. Deeply concentrated, the musician
is playing a difficult chord, that of G major
in its second inversion, on his tenor or bass
lute of imposing dimensions. Restricted to an
erudite public, this noble instrument is closely
linked to the first experiments in abstract
polyphonic music.
The success enjoyed by these figures of
musicians demonstrates the esteem in which
they were held by the courts, particularly
those of the French in Italy.
Either via instruments or scores, musical
references were recurrent, and there were
many portraits of musicians, reflecting the
fundamental role of music in Florentine culture.
The lute—a symbol of court music, introduced
to Florence by Galileo’s father—was the
favourite instrument of professional musicians
and the cultivated elite, as evoked by the
portraits of Pontormo and Salviati. The men and
women who feature in the portraits of Bronzino
and Andrea del Sarto are often depicted with
books.
The art of Florentine portraiture was, in fact,
rooted in the vernacular poetic tradition, and
necessarily incorporated references to the
great poets who had established the Florentine
identity and culture: Dante (1265–1321),
Petrarch (1304–1374), and Boccaccio (1313–
1375).
The success of the portrait of one’s beloved,
inherited from the first two writers, was
considerable at the time, and endlessly
employed by painters and poets, in a fertile
dialogue between painting and poetry, as with
Bronzino and Vasari.
The artist working in the erudite context of the
court had to be cultivated, and often devoted
themselves to writing. Painted or praised
in verse, the beloved lady was generally
distinguished by her ideal and eternal beauty, as
can be seen in Andrea del Sarto’s portrait of the
facetious young woman holding a book.
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
11
Continuation of the itinerary
room 7 i The Majestic Grand Portraits
of the End of the Century
The Medici court adopted the models of the
major European monarchies, and even more so
after two of its family members became queens
of France: firstly, Catherine—the daughter of
Lorenzo, duke of Urbino—, who married Henri
II in 1533; then Maria, Francesco I’s daughter,
who married Henri IV in 1600, as attested in
her official portrait by Santi di Tito. This portrait
highlighted her status as both queen of France
and a Tuscan princess—an ambassador of the
flourishing state, Medici finances, and a wife
and future mother.
In its desire to capture the contemporary
mood, portraiture obeyed the conventions
and ever-increasing demands for dignity,
magnificence, and luxury in the Florentine court.
This was particularly true after the arrival in
1539 of Eleonora di Toledo, who introduced
Spanish fashions to the court. State portraits
strictly employed ritual and repetitive codes,
emphasising in particular the insignia of
rank. Costumes, coiffures, and accessories
constituted various weapons in the discreet
but cruel battles of international diplomacy.
The portraitists working in the court in the
second half of the century were expected to
pay particular attention to rendering sumptuary
details, as attested by the significant volume of
work produced in Santo di Tito’s workshop.
Santi di Tito. Florence, 1536 - 1603
Portrait de Marie de Médicis
1600, oil on convas, 193,5 x 109 cm
Florence, Istituti museali della Soprintendenza Speciale per il Polo Museale
Fiorentino, Galleria Palatina
© S.S.P.S.A.E. e per il Polo Museale della Città di Firenze
... Also in the exhibition
LES MAINS MANIÉRISTES
(MANNERIST HANDS)
A film by Hector Obalk
A montage lasting 9 minutes, from the movie
LES MAINS MANIÉRISTES (MANNERIST HANDS)
- from the GRAND’ART series - takes a look at
the reborn art of portraiture based on a study of
several hundreds of hands painted by Correggio,
Del Sarto and Bronzino.
Stripped of the noble and official codes of
visual representation that applied to the
portraits of the rulers, the portraits of courtiers
are less rigid and feature various references
to their personalities, and even their tastes
and sentiments. In fact, two tendencies
became apparent in the portraits of the closing
decades. On the one hand, the emergence of
an allegorical language, and on the other, a
return to a certain simplicity in the portrayal of
the sitters and their sentiments, in favour of a
certain naturalism. This was particularly true of
the portraits of children, which were a speciality
of Santi di Tito and his son Tiberio. And lastly,
portraits continued to become more popular
and were commissioned by the bourgeoisie and
less affluent families.
the maniera moderna & mannierism
In the 16th century, Florence saw the beginnings of the artistic movement that Giorgio Vasari
defined as the «modern style» and which nineteenth century critics baptised with the name
«mannerism».
For a long time regarded as pejorative, the term mannerism is derived from maniera, widely
used by Giorgio Vasari in his “Lives”.
He used the expression maniera moderna to designate the style of artists of his time, from
which he developed the concept of the bella maniera, or the perfect manner, to denote in
particular the art of Michelangelo, unsurpassable in his opinion.
Grace, harmony, imagination, fantasy and virtuosity; such were the exceptional qualities
that characterised the bella maniera.
The movement that 19th century critics called Mannerist was born in Rome and Tuscany
during the troubled period between 1515 and 1520.
Strong personalities such as Rosso Fiorentino and Pontormo in Florence, or Beccafumi in
Siena, crystallised the anxieties and formal research already perceptible in certain of their
elders such as Andrea del Sarto and Michelangelo.
Profoundly innovative, as much in the field of composition and the handling of forms and
space, as in its use of colours, Mannerist art abounds with quotations and references to
the works of its predecessors, starting with Michelangelo.
More or less naturalistic, it takes extremely varied forms depending on the interpreter, the
location and the era. Among its most common manifestations are a lengthening of forms,
angularity, dynamism and languor. Formal devices became established, including the
famous serpentine or amphora silhouettes, bulbous at the waist.
A movement of this kind was not confined to Rome and Tuscany.
Different manifestations appeared all over the peninsula, especially at Parma, with
Parmigianino, but also at Bologna, where Primaticcio lived, and in Venice, with Titian and
especially Tintoretto. Moreover, it spread throughout Europe from the 1530’s onwards.
It was propagated either by foreign artists visiting Italy who carried it back to their home
country, for example Alonso Berruguete returning to Spain from Florence, or Jan van
Scorel returning to the Netherlands from Rome, or by Italian artists who emigrated, such as
Rosso Fiorentino and Primaticcio who came to France at the behest of François 1st.
They were at the origin of the School of Fontainebleau, at the chateau of the same name,
one of the finest expressions of European Mannerist art.
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
13
The Medici dynasty
La dynastie des MÉdiCis
Giovanni di Bicci
(1360-1429)
gonfalonier 1421
Piccarda Bueri dite nannina
CoSMe l’anCien
laurent l’ancien
(1395-1440)
(1389-1464)
Contessina de’ Bardi
lorenzo il Popolano
(1463-1503)
(1514-1548)
(1416-1469)
lucrezia tornabuoni
Maria
( † 1474)
Giovanni il Popolano
(1467-1498)
Caterina Sforza
Pier Francesco
(1487-1525)
lorenzino
Pierre le Goutteux
Giovanni
(1421-1463)
Pier Francesco
(1430-1476)
lucrezia
(1470-1553)
Jacopo Salviati
Jean deS BandeS noireS
Maria Salviati
(1498-1526)
(1499-1543)
laurent le MaGniFique
Julien
(1449-1492)
Clarice orsini
Jean
Julien
(1475-1521)
leon x PaPe
(1479-1516)
duc de nemours
ClariCe
(1493-1528)
Filippo Strozzi
(1453-1478)
Pierre le Malchanceux
(1472-1503)
alfonsina orsini
laurent
(1492-1519)
duc d’urbino
Madeleine
de la tour d’auvergne
CoSMe i
er
(1519-1574 grand duc)
Catherine
éléonore de tolède
Maria
(1540-1557)
FrançoiS
(1541-1587)
Jeanne d’autriche
Marie
(1575-1642)
henri iv de France
(1519-1589)
henri ii de France
Ferdinand 1er
(1549-1609)
Christine de lorraine
JuleS
(1478-1534)
CléMent vii PaPe
alexandre
(1511-1537)
duC de FlorenCe
Marguerite d’autriche
FLORENCE, HISTORICAL LANDMARKS
1494
The Medicis are expelled from
Florence by an official edict.
Advent of the Republic: the
theocratic government of Girolamo
Savonarola (the bonfire of the
vanities).
1498
Savonarola is burnt at the stake in
the Piazza della Signoria, a year
after his excommunication by Pope
Alexander VI.
1502–1512
The Republic is governed by Piero
Soderini (1450–1522).
1512
Return of the Medicis to Florence.
Lorenzo II de’ Médici (1492–1519)
allies himself with Pope Julius II and
the Holy League in order to restore
his family’s power.
1513
Giovanni de’ Medici (1475-1521)
is elected pope under the name of
Leo X. His cousin Giulio is named
cardinal the same year.
1515
Giuliano de’ Medici, son of Lorenzo
the Magnificent, is appointed duke
of Nemours by king François I of
France.
1523
Giulio (1478-1534), nephew of
Lorenzo the Magnificent, is elected
pope under the name of Clement
VII.
1527
The sack of Rome by
Italian, Spanish and German
(Landsknechkts) troops under the
orders of Charles V. The pope is
imprisoned at Castel Sant’Angelo,
but is ultimately restored to power
by the Emperor.
THE GREAT COMMISSIONS
1527–1530
Second Florentine Republic; the
Medicis are once again driven from
the city.
1503 - 1504
Leonardo da Vinci returns to
Florence where he begins work on
the Mona Lisa and Leda.
1537
Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519-1574),
from an younger branch of the
family, defeats the Republican
troops at Montemurlo on 1st
August and is given custody
of Florence by members of the
Senato dei Quarantotto (Senate
of the Forty-eight). He is the son
of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and
Maria Salviati (the niece of Lorenzo
the Magnificent). He is named duke
by the emperor Charles V.
1508 - 1520
Michelangelo paints the frescoes
on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
1539
Marriage of Cosimo I with Eleonor
de Toledo, daughter of Don Pedro
Alvarez de Toledo, viceroy of
Naples.
1508 - 1512
Raphael moves to Rome where he
paints the frescoes in the Vatican
Stanze (reception rooms).
1511 - 1514
Andrea del Sarto, Pontormo
and Rosso Fiorentino paint the
Episodes from the life of the
Virgin in the church Santissima
Annunziata.
1533 - 1539
Rosso decorates the Great Gallery
in the Château of Fontainebleau for
François 1st.
1564
Cosimo I abdicates in favour of
his son Francesco, who becomes
Prince Regent.
1536 - 1541
Michelangelo paints the Last
Judgement.
1569
Cosimo I is granted the title of
grand duke of Tuscany by the
pope.
1540 - 1545
Bronzino decorates the chapel of
Eleonora of Toledo at the Palazzo
Vecchio.
1573
Birth of Marie de’ Medici, daughter
of Francesco I de’ Medici and the
future queen of France
1549 - 1550
Eleonora of Toledo acquires the
Palazzo Pitti.
1574
Death of Cosimo I.
1556 - 1557
Francesco Salviati decorates the
Château of Dampierre.
1587
Death of his brother Francesco I.
Cardinal Ferdinando returns to
Florence.
1560
Cosimo I commissions Giorgio
Vasari to construct the Uffizi
Gallery.
1589
Ferdinando renounces the
cardinalship and marries Christina
of Lorraine
1563
Creation of the Accademia e
Compagnia dell’Arte del Disegno
(Academy of Art and Design) in
Florence.
1600
Marie de’ Medici marries Henri IV,
king of France.
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
15
carlo Falciani, cURATOR
3 QUESTIONS TO CARLO FALCIANI, COMMISSIONER OF THE EXHIBITION:
The Jacquemart-André Museum is hosting an exhibition on
Florentine portraiture for the first time in France.It is extremely
surprising that France has overlooked this subject until now.
How do you explain this?
•
The exhibition at the Jacquemart-André Museum is the first
devoted to the Florentine portraiture of the 16th century, in
France as well as abroad. Hitherto, major exhibitions have
concentrated on the Medicis and the major artists of the period
such as Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, Pontormo, Bronzino and
Salviati. After many studies on the topic, the time has come to
offer the French public an overall perspective of portrait painting,
a genre which more than others allows us to understand the
modernity and complexity of the arts in Florence during this
century. The gaze of those men and women who entrusted to art
the portrayal of their image is undoubtedly a privileged viewpoint
for reflecting on the whole era.
With these portraits we often speak of Mannerism; what should
we understand by this term?
•
It is a complex question. Twentieth century critics have used the
expression Mannerist to designate an art that was expressed
through an elegant and sophisticated style, one that was antinaturalistic compared to the language of Michelangelo, as well
as that of Leonardo and Raphael. This style produced works
with a highly allegorical content, the style of a period extending
from the second decade of the 16th century up to the CounterReformation, and which over and above other eras examined
the meaning of art in society. Today we prefer to replace the
term Mannerism with that of Modern Style, used by Vasari in
his «Lives», more apt for denoting the complexity, altogether
modern, of art in the 14th century. An art which employed a new
language, with a highly individualized expression, born at the
beginning of the century by means of the fusion of naturalism
with classical art and the ability to shake off the rules and codes
of the Quattrocento.
The power of these «modern» languages, born at this time,
rightly finds in the art of portraiture one of the main genres.
•
Has this style left behind a legacy in the history of art?
The power of the so-called Mannerist language has made its
mark on posterity, in particular when the artists expressed
themselves conceptually, with a sophisticated and codified
vocabulary. Many contemporary artists found inspiration in the
works of the Cinquecento. For example, Pasolini in his now
famous movie «La ricotta», and closer to our time, artists such
as Giulio Paolini, Cindy Sherman and Matthew Barney have
particularly favoured the art of portraiture.
Carlo Falciani
is a graduate
of the University of Florence.
The subject of his thesis was
Rosso Fiorentino. He held a
scholarship at the «Villa i Tatti,
the Harvard Center for Italian
Renaissance Studies,» with a
project devoted to the Gallery
of Fontainebleau, and at the
Centre for Advanced Studies in
the Visual Arts at the National
Gallery in Washington, where
Bronzino was his topic of
research.
He teaches the History of Art at
the Accademia di Belle Arti at
Florence. Olschki has published
his monograph on Rosso
Fiorentino and the catalogue,
Pontormo, disegni degli Uffizi,
as well as several essays on 16th
century painting in Florence,
Venice and France. He has
worked on many exhibitions in
Italy and abroad. With Antonio
Natali, he was commissioner
at the following exhibitions:
Bronzino, pittore e poeta alla
corte dei Medici (Bronzino,
painter and poet at the court of
the Medici), Florence, Palazzo
Strozzi 2010-2011; Pontormo
e Rosso, divergenti vie della
maniera (Pontormo and Rosso,
divergent paths of the maniera),
Florence, Palazzo Strozzi 2014.
HUBERT LE GALL, Scenographer
From Giotto to Caravaggio, the passions of Roberto Longhi I Jacquemart-André Museum, Paris
To embellish the mannerist portrait style and accompany its evolution from republican austerity to the
pomp of the court, Hubert le Gall has designed a scenography based on nuanced colours and powerful
graphical elements.
2015
• Jacquemart-André Museum, Paris
From Giotto to Caravaggio, the passions of Roberto
Longhi
2012
• Jacquemart-André Museum, Paris
Canaletto – Guardi, the two masters of Venice
The Twilight of the Pharaohs
• Musée
• Musée
d’Orsay, Paris
Pierre Bonnard. Painting Arcadia
du Luxembourg, Paris
The Tudors
Maillol, Paris
Artemisia
• Musée
2011
• Musée
2014
Jacquemart-André Museum, Paris
Perugino, Master of Raphael
From Watteau to Fragonard, les fêtes galantes
Maillol, Paris
Miró
Jacquemart-André Museum, Paris
The Caillebotte brothers’ private world. Painter and
photographer
Fra Angelico and the Masters of Light
•
•
2013
• Jacquemart-André Museum, Paris
Désirs & Volupté, Victorian Masterpieces
Eugène Boudin
• Galeries
nationales du Grand Palais, Paris
Odilon Redon, prince of dream
Aimé Césaire, Lam, Picasso
• Musée
de l’Orangerie, Paris
Frida Khalo / Diego Rivera
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Masculin / Masculin.
•
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
17
Visitor Information Tools
guided tour on iPhone/iPad and
Android
This application, available in French and English, offers a video presentation of the
exhibition, a selection of twenty commented works, as well as practical information.
The variety of content (video, audio, image) and a fluid navigation, thanks to the «cover
flow» style of presentation, make it an indispensable tool for an in-depth tour of the
exhibition.
With the iPad version, enjoy a high-definition visit with an exceptional depth of zoom.
The Jacquemart-André Museum offers on-site downloading without the need for a
3G connection thanks to Wi-Fi access that is exclusively dedicated to downloading
from the App Store and Android Playstore. This on-site downloading facility is also
accessible to foreign visitors without a surcharge for roaming data.
The application is priced at 1.99 € for the low-resolution version and 3.99 € for the
high-definition version.
audioguide
An audio-guide offering a selection of major works is available in two languages
(French and English) at a price of 3 €.
for children: the activity book
Provided free of charge to each child (7/12 years) visiting the exhibition, this booklet
is a guide for youngsters to help them study the exhibition’s major works in an
entertaining way by means of various puzzles.
the exhibition catalogue
A richly illustrated 208 page catalogue analyses all the works presented at the
exhibition Florence, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis. It contains several essays
by the general commissioner of the exhibition and by art historians specialising in the
subject, whose commentary sheds light on the exhibition itinerary and the portraits
from the mannerist period.
On sale at the Jacquemart-André Museum bookshop, price 32€,
and online at http://boutique-culturespaces.com
special edition i connaissance des arts
The Special Edition of «Connaissance des Arts» highlights the stylistic evolution of
the 16th century Florentine portrait, by means of in-depth articles and a spotlight on
the major works of the exhibition, as well as the Medici dynasty and the political and
historical circumstances in Florence at the time. On sale at the Jacquemart-André
Museum bookshop, price 9.50 € and online at http://boutique-culturespaces.com
Éloge
De lA DAMe
FlorenCe,
CAPitAle Culturelle
AnAlySe
D’œuvre
page 4
page 10
page 12
the «journal de l’expo» i beaux-arts magazine
This magazine retraces the itinerary of the exhibition and offers feature articles that
explain the main themes, such as the Republican era, the re-conquest of the city of
Florence by the Medici family, as well as the splendour of the court of the Medicis.
On sale at the Jacquemart-André Museum bookshop, price 5 €
and online at http://boutique-culturespaces.com
Le journal de l’expo
5€
Musée Jacquemart-André • Du 11 septembre 2015 au 25 janvier 2016
florence
Portraits
à la cour des
Médicis
Au xvie siècle, après les affres de la guerre,
Florence connaît un nouvel âge d’or.
L’art du portrait devient un instrument
de promotion. Ou comment asseoir
le pouvoir des nouveaux Médicis…
égitimité, le maître mot, l’obsession des Médicis ! À
chaque étape de leur ascension la question est soulevée :
pourquoi un Médicis ? À quel titre Laurent le Magnifique se permet-il de gouverner la République de Florence ? Qui a accordé à Alexandre le Maure le titre de
duc en 1532, lui si peu apprécié du popolo et qui finira assassiné par
Lorenzaccio ? Qui a permis à Cosme 1er de se parer du titre de grandduc de Toscane en 1569 ?
1532 : date essentielle dans l’histoire de la Toscane et de la famille, qui
revient une nouvelle fois au pouvoir. Cinq ans plus tôt, dans le chaos
accompagnant le sac de Rome par les lansquenets de Charles Quint,
elle avait été chassée de Florence sans ménagement. Mais, désormais,
l’empereur et le pape sont alliés. Ce dernier, Clément VII, est un
Médicis. Après le massacre sans pitié des opposants lors d’un siège
long et sanglant, les deux hommes mettent sur le trône florentin
Alexandre, officiellement fils de Laurent II et petit-fils du Magnifique,
mais plutôt bâtard du pape… Ils décident d’en faire un duc héréditaire mettant fin à cette république agonisante, dont les Médicis seront
à la fois les héritiers et les fossoyeurs. Les portraits commandés par
les principaux acteurs vont concourir à asseoir la légitimité de cette
nouvelle monarchie. Ceux de la belle Eléonore de Tolède, épouse de
Cosme Ier, en apportent une illustration frappante. Bronzino, qui s’y
attelle, donne calme, sérénité, distinction aristocratique à la fille du
puissant vice-roi de Naples. Dans l’image d’une dynastie pérenne, la
femme disparaît derrière la souveraine, qui marque son rang par la
richesse de ses atours et la splendeur de sa robe.
La légitimité se conjugue aussi avec l’exposition au peuple d’une galerie d’ancêtres, en tentant de gommer au maximum les origines marchandes de la dynastie. Par chance, au xvie siècle, les Médicis s’enorgueillissent de deux papes dont les portraits sculptés figurent en bonne
place dans la salle des Cinq Cents du Palazzo Vecchio, où Cosme a la
bonne idée de s’installer en 1540, en l’agrandissant.
Au début du xvie siècle, en temps de guerre, la légitimité d’un souverain se juge sur son aptitude à s’illustrer sur un champ de bataille. Rois
et ducs montent encore en première ligne. François Ier est fait prison-
3 questions à
Carlo FalCiani
Commissaire général de l’exposition
Prague, národnÍ galerie © national gallery of Prague 2014
L
nier à Pavie en 1525. Le père de Cosme Ier, Jean des Bandes noires,
célèbre condottiere, meurt au combat face aux Impériaux après des
retournements d’alliance incessants. En peignant Cosme Ier bardé
d’une puissante armure, Bronzino lui donne l’autorité du chef de
guerre. Plus tard, en 1560, il sera temps de le peindre en habit de cour,
souverain civil, épris de culture et de paix… La légitimité est gagnée,
sans ambiguïté. claude Pommereau
le portrait à florence au xvie siècle :
un reflet de la situation politique ?
l’évolution du portrait est complexe
et dépend de nombreux facteurs, culturels,
religieux, politiques. il suffit de comparer
la première section de l’exposition
– les œuvres réalisées durant la période
républicaine de Soderini – à celles
qui datent du gouvernement de Cosme ier.
Dans la première, on exalte la simplicité et
l’austérité, fondements d’une attitude qui
doit être sobre et sévère. Dans la seconde,
sous le jeu d’autres influences, notamment
de rome et d’italie du nord, se crée
un langage élégant, somptueux, capable
d’exprimer les ambiances de cour.
Quels sont les plus grands portraitistes
de l’époque ?
Chaque moment du xvie siècle a son
champion : raphaël dans ses années
florentines (1504-1508) puis Pontormo, doté
d’une extraordinaire acuité psychologique, ou
encore Salviati, qui est à la fois plein de force
et d’élégance. Mais le plus grand portraitiste
du siècle est probablement Bronzino, qui, des
années 1530 aux années 1560, est capable
de s’exprimer dans une multitude de registres
unique pour son époque, depuis l’extrême
réalisme du Portrait du nain Morgante
jusqu’à la représentation glacée de la beauté
idéale d’eléonore de tolède ou
de la puissance politique de Cosme ier.
Agnolo Bronzino
Portrait d’Eléonore de Tolède
1522, huile sur bois, 59 × 46 cm
fille du vice-roi de naples, eléonore, qui épouse
cosme Ier de Médicis, incarne le faste de la cour florentine.
elle aura neuf enfants et l’une de ses petites-filles,
Marie de Médicis, sera reine de france.
Présentez-vous des tableaux peu vus ?
nous avons des œuvres importantes qui,
d’habitude, ne sortent pas de leurs musées
comme le Portrait de dame en jaune
d’Andrea del Sarto, des collections royales
anglaises, ou l’Éléonore de tolède de
Bronzino, de Prague. J’ai aussi souhaité
soumettre à l’examen de la critique deux
inédits : le Portrait de Cosme Ier à quarante
ans, par Bronzino, dont on ne connaissait
jusqu’à présent que des copies d’atelier,
provenant d’une collection particulière
américaine, et le Portrait d’Eléonore de
Tolède de Pontormo, qui nous était connu
dans deux autres versions, conservé dans
une collection anglaise.
SoMMAIre
1. florencee au XVIe siècle
les Médicis de gré ou de force
PorTfolIo
Éloge de la dame
2. Images du pouvoir
le portrait, un art très politique
PleIn cAdre
Deux portraits de luthistes peints
par Pontormo et Salviati
3. l’âge d’or des grands-ducs
Florence, capitale culturelle
4. Analyse d’œuvre
Portrait d’Alexandre de Médicis
devant la ville de Florence
2
4
6
8
10
12
1
website dedicated to the exhibition
www.florence-portraits.com
Clear and detailed notes on the major works.
• Images in high-definition for enjoying the works in detail.
• The opportunity to learn more about the exhibition by photographic articles.
• Regular quizzes to win free admissions and exhibition catalogues
•
The partners of the exhibition
This year, Le Parisien is partnering an eagerly-awaited exhibition based on the theme of «Florence,
Portraits at the Court of the Medicis», organised at the Jacquemart André Museum. An exhibition
dedicated to the art of portraiture through works by the emblematic painters of the court of the
Medicis. Le Parisien has always accompanied major cultural events: music, exhibitions, cinema,
theatre and literature, analysing all artistic news in its «culture» pages. Le Parisien covers all topics
in an uncomplicated manner so as to impartially provide everyone with the keys for understanding
the world today. Its goals: to inform, to entertain and to be of service. Le Parisien incorporates ten
regional issues with editorial offices installed in the heart of the departments of Ile-de-France and
Seine et Marne. Each edition reports current events in the capital’s districts and in its department’s
towns and neighbourhoods, dealing with political, social and cultural events, as well as providing
practical information. Le Parisien in numbers... In 2014, the circulation of Le Parisien (the number of
newspapers sold each day) was more than 400,000 copies, representing 2,451,000 readers each
morning. On internet, Le Parisian occupies first place on the social networks, 3rd on mobile phones
and 5th on news websites
www.leparisien.fr
Created in October 1978, the Figaro Magazine is situated at the intersection of information and
pleasure. A magazine with a strong personality, it combines high quality writing with the beauty of
photography. Directed by Guillaume Roquette, the editorial team of Figaro Magazine offers a different
interpretation of the news each Friday, via the opinions of its renowned columnists (Eric Zemmour,
Frédéric Beigbeder, Philippe Tesson ...), its large format reports and its exceptional selection of
photographs. The Figaro Magazine also offers the «Quartiers libres» guide, devoted exclusively to
Culture and Art of Living; and its pages on art, cinema, literature, theatre and music which have
established the legitimacy of its reputation as a true benchmark in the field of culture.By partnerng with
the exhibition «Florence, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis», to be held at the Jacquemart-André
Museum from 11th September 2015 to 25th January 2016, the Figaro Magazine is delighted to reveal
to the public the art of portraiture that was glorified in 16th century Italy by artists such as Bronzino,
Salviati, Pontorno, Fiorentino and Allori. The thematic diversity and richness of the exhibited paintings
are exceptional: condottiere (mercenary warlords), heroic figures in the service of Alessandro or
Cosimo de’ Medici, and women portrayed in beauty and majesty. In the context of this partnership, the
Figaro Magazine will devote an article to the exhibition in its 11th September 2015 issue.
France Info, a radio station belonging to the Radio France group directed by Laurent Guimier, is the
worldwide public service news medium. A large editorial team comprising 160 journalists is focused
on two goals: to be the best source of information and to provide the keys to understanding current
events in real-time, ranging from the traditional radio station to the latest social network. Reports,
invited guests and commentaries by specialists follow one another, live, 365 days a year, on the air
and via the digital media.
France Info, the news reflex.
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
19
is proud to be associated with the Jacquemart-André Museum on the occasion of the exhibition
event «Florence, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis» taking place from 11th September 2015 to 25th
January 2016. The aim of the France Télévisions public group is to make culture living, accessible
and intelligible for the greatest number of people and to satisfy the curiosity and the aspirations of all
audiences. Committed to this ambitious policy, France 3, the regional channel, focuses more than ever
on promoting cultural diversity, and in particular, on the richness of the French and European artistic
heritage, especially when it has a strong affinity with history.
A partner of all cultures, France 3 honours its commitments through numerous regular broadcasts
that bring people together; from the successful cultural magazine Des racines et des ailes (roots and
wings) to the regional cultural programmes; from the daily TV programme Midi en France (midday in
France), broadcast live from a different town each day, to cultural agendas and reports in the national
and regional news programmes (19/20, 12/13 and Grand Soir 3). France 3 also broadcasts recordings
of operas, shows and theatrical plays throughout France, not forgetting the history magazine «l’instant
H» (the H moment) presented by Franck Ferrand.
Thanks to Culturebox, internet users have access to videos of all the cultural and artistic events
throughout France, and can share their comments and favourites.
France 3 will be present at the exhibition at the Jacquemart-André Museum and applauds the quality
and richness of this event, of which it is delighted to be a partner.
www. francetelevisions.fr
Since 1955, l‘Œil (the Eye) has been THE leading magazine for news about the arts in Paris, in the
regions and around the world. Each month, with passion, l‘OEil provides its 100,000 readers with
analyses and critiques of over a hundred exhibitions, from Antiquity to the most contemporary
creations, preserving its openness to all the arts: painting, drawing, installations, photography,
architecture, design... L’OEil offers a dynamic and in-depth scrutiny of news from the world of art by
an enthusiastic team of journalists and art critics, led by Fabien Simode.
A work of art, universal and absolute, enchants and intrigues us. This is why Art absolument
(absolutely Art) targets an audience that is open and curious about art’s diversity, fulfilling its ambition
by creating bridges between contemporary art, the great artists of the past and those from other
civilizations.
In each issue, which is published every two months, the magazine devotes articles to key events
and artists. Deliberately independent of fashions and conventional networks, it brings together the
viewpoints of committed artists, writers, curators and critics who are eager to report on what they
consider to be the essential news about heritage exhibitions and artistic creation today. It highlights
the plurality of artists who are French, or residing in France, regardless of their medium and reflects
on the role of art in our societies. Happy to be a partner of the exhibition at the Jacquemart-André
Museum, Art Absolument is devoting a major article to Florentine portraiture, with a particular accent
on the reproduction of its masterpieces.
The magnificent exhibition Florence, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis will be held at the
Jacquemart-André Museum. This exceptional event, supported by the UGC Group, will arouse
the curiosity of Parisians and all art lovers. The Jacquemart-André Museum is devoting an original
exhibition to the great portrait painters of the 16th century, when Florentine art was becoming more
widespread among the elites who wanted to record their appearance for posterity. Besides presenting
the masterpieces of Pontormo, pupil of Sarto and a master of mannerism, this is an opportunity to
appreciate the refined and graceful features that are typical of the portraits by Bronzino or those
of Salviati. By partnering once again with the Jacquemart-André Museum, UGC is continuing its
commitment to providing the widest possible access to a rich cultural offering.
This partnership forms part of UGC’s comprehensive approach in support of art and culture, which is
also reflected in the lyric field, by Viva l’Opera! (Long live Opera!), a selection of grand operas shown in
cinemas, and the live broadcasting of the opera and ballet season of the National Opera of Paris, with
which UGC is associated.
This approach is in complete harmony with the policy that UGC seeks to deploy every day in
its cinemas by offering spectators the full diversity of French and international cinema and by
accompanying cinematic talents in the production, distribution and distribution of their films. UGC
is one of the leading European film companies, having activities in cinema theatres and also in the
production and distribution of films. There are 407 UGC cinemas in France and 43 in Belgium, which in
2014 screened more than 700 movies and welcomed 30.6 million spectators.
The French leader in the distribution of tickets for entertainment and recreation, the Fnac proposes
more than 60,000 events each year in France, Belgium and Switzerland: museums, monuments,
exhibitions, concerts, festivals, major shows, theatre, comedy, dance, classical music, opera, cinema,
sports, exhibitions/fairs, amusement parks, restorations, recreation activities... With 117 stores in
France, a website, a telephone platform, a mobile site and its “Box Office “ application for iPhone,
Samsung Bada and Android, the Fnac allows you to promptly reserve and receive your tickets. The
Fnac is also a meeting place between the public and artists: throughout the year it organizes almost
1000 cultural encounters, debates and mini-concerts in its Forums and beyond its walls.
It is associated with numerous events, playing its role of cultural ambassador to the full. Through its
partnership with the Jacquemart-André Museum, home of the exhibition «Florence, Portraits at the
Court of the Medicis», it reaffirms its commitment to artistic creativity and its determination to defend
access to all forms of culture for everyone.
www.fnac.com
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
21
THE musée Jacquemart-André
Owned by the Institut de France, the Musée Jacquemart-André has been developed and managed
by Culturespaces since 1996. The Musée Jacquemart-André, the home of collectors from the late
19th century, offers the public, in this temple of art, numerous works of art bearing the most famous
signatures of:
Italian Renaissance art: Della Robbia, Bellini, Mantegna, Uccello, etc.
Flemish painting: Rembrandt, Hals, Ruysdaël, etc.
French painting of the 18th century: Boucher, Chardin, Fragonard, Vigée-Lebrun, etc. together with
significant items of furniture, indicative of Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart’s taste for the
decorative arts.
This collection, unique in terms of both its quality and the diversity of the works it contains, boasts
exceptional visitor facilities which makes it accessible to everyone. With more than 2 million visitors
since it reopened in March 1996, the Musée Jacquemart-André is one of the top museums in Paris.
The André mansion very quickly became the Jacquemart-André mansion, so great was the role which
Nélie Jacquemart was able to play in its evolution and development.
This mansion and its collections appear today as the legacy which this wealthy and childless couple,
who dedicated their lives to the finest aspects of art, wished to leave to posterity. The beneficiary
of this asset, the Institut de France, has since strived to ensure that Nélie Jacquemart’s wishes are
respected and to introduce her lovingly compiled collections to as many people as possible.
Today there are fifteen magnificent exhibition rooms, the most intimate of reception rooms,
still exquisitely decorated, occupying almost 1,000 m², which are open to visitors to the Musée
Jacquemart- André. The restoration and renovation work undertaken in 1996, with a view to reopening
to the public, was intended to make, as far as possible, the mansion feel like a home, so that visitors
would find themselves surrounded by the warmth of a living, welcoming, rather than educational,
setting. Art, the lifeblood of Édouard and Nélie André, enabled this pair of collectors to gather, in just a
few decades, almost 5,000 works, many of which are of exceptional quality.
To satisfy their eclectic tastes, the Andrés were able, with rigour and determination, to call on the
greatest antiques dealers and traders, travel the world in search of rare objects, spend considerable
sums of money on masterpieces, sacrifice second-rate pieces - and sometimes even return them
to the seller - in order to be true to their criteria of excellence, which makes the Jacquemart-André
mansion a top international museum.
Like the Frick Collection in New York, the Musée Jacquemart-André combines presenting an
exceptional 19th century collectors’ house with visitor facilities which meet the expectations of people
today.
www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com
the institut de France
Created in 1795 in order to contribute on a non-profit basis to the renown of the Arts, Sciences and
Humanities, the Institute de France (French Institute) groups together five academies: the French
Academy, the Academy of inscriptions & belles-lettres, the Academy of sciences, Academy of fine arts
and the Academy of moral & political sciences.
At the same time, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions practicing philanthropy and
administering donations and legacies. For two centuries, it has housed foundations and awarded
prizes that play an unparalleled role in modern philanthropy. Created by individuals or companies, the
Institute’s foundations and prizes benefit from the experience of this secular institution in the areas
of sponsorship and philanthropy, as well as from the proficiency of academicians in their fields of
expertise.
The Institute also owns an important artistic heritage, consisting of residences and exceptional
collections of that have been bequeathed to it since the late 19th century; in particular: the Château de
Chantilly, the Musée Jacquemart-André, the Abbey de Chaalis, the chateau de Langeais, the manoir
de Kerazan as well as the villa Kérylos.
www.institut-de-france.fr
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
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Culturespaces,
PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR OF THE EXHIBITION
Culturespaces produces and manages, with an ethical and professional approach, monuments,
museums and prestigious historic sites entrusted to it by public bodies and local authorities.
These include the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris, the Ephrussi de Rothschild and Kerylos Villas on
the French Riviera, the Roman Theatre of Orange, the Château des Baux-de-Provence, the Carrières
de Lumières, the Nîmes Arena, the National Automobile and Train Museums in Mulhouse.
It is thanks to these management methods, approved by AFNOR, that Culturespaces has been
awarded ISO 9001 certification for the quality of the services it provides and its successful
management of cultural heritage. Culturespaces welcomes thus more than 2 millions visitors each
year. In 20 years, in close collaboration with curators and art historians, Culturespaces has organised
many temporary exhibitions of international standing in Paris and in the regions.
Culturespaces manages the whole chain of production for each exhibition, in close collaboration with
the public owner, the curator and the exhibition sponsor: programming, loans, transport, insurance,
set design, communications, partnership and sponsorship, catalogues and spin-off products.
Today Culturespaces works with some of the most prestigious national and international museums in
the world. Recent exhibitions organised at the Musée Jacquemart-André :
Recent exhibitions organised at the Musée Jacquemart-André :
2015 From Giotto to Caravaggio, the passions of Roberto Longhi
2014 Pietro Perugino, Master of Raphael
2014 From Watteau to Fragonard, les fêtes galantes
2013 Désirs & Volupté, Victorian masterpieces from the Perez Simon collection
2013 Eugène Boudin
2012 Canaletto – Guardi, the two Masters of Venice
2012 The Twilight of the Pharaohs
2011 Fra Angelico and the Masters of Light
2011 The Caillebotte brothers’ private world. Painter and photographer
2010 Rubens, Poussin and 17th century artists
2010 From El Greco to Dalí. The great Spanish masters. The Pérez Simón collection
2009 Bruegel, Memling, Van Eyck… The Brukenthal Collection
2009 The Italian Primitives. Masterpieces of the Altenbourg Collection
2008 Van Dyck
2007 Fragonard
2006 The Thracians’ Gold
2005 David, intimité et grandeur
www.culturespaces.com
Musée Jacquemart-André - Paris
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - Côte d’Azur
Caumont Centre d’Art - Aix-en-Provence
Villa Grecque Kérylos - Côte d’Azur
Carrières de Lumières - Les Baux-de-Provence
Château des Baux-de-Provence
Arènes de Nîmes
Maison Carrée et Tour Magne - Nîmes
Théâtre Antique et musée d’Orange
Cité de l’Automobile - Mulhouse
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
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IMAGES AVAILABLE FOR THE press
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Agnolo Bronzino, Portrait of Eleonora di Toledo, 1522, Oil on panel, 59 x 46 cm, Prague, NárodnÍ Galerie
© National Gallery of Prague 2014
2I
Agnolo Bronzino, Portrait of a Lady in red. 1532-1535, Oil on panel, 89,8 x 70,5 x 2,6 cm
Francfort, Stadel Museum © Städel Museum - U. Edelmann / ARTOTHEK
3I
Jacopo Pontormo, Portraits of two friends, circa 1522-1523, Oil on panel, 88,2 x 68 cm
© Venezia, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Matteo De Fina
4 I Giorgio Vasari, Portrait of Alessandro de’ Medici in front of the city of Florence, circa 1534, Oil on panel, 157 x 114 cm
Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi © S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della città di Firenze
5I
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Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, Portrait of a Woman (‘La Monaca’), circa 1510-1515, Oil on panel, 65 x 48,1 cm,
Florence, Galerie des Offices © S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della Città di Firenze
6I
Francesco Salviati, Portrait de Jean des Bandes Noires, 1546-1548, Oil on panel, 65 x 45 cm, Florence, Galleria Palatina
© S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della città di Firenze
7I
Agnolo Bronzino et atelier, Portrait of Cosimo I de’ Medici aged Forty. 1560, Oil on panel, 82,5 x 62 cm
The Alana Collection, Newark, USA. © The Alana Collection, Newark, USA.
8I
Agnolo Bronzino et atelier, Portrait de Côme Ier de Médicis en armes. before 1560, Huile sur étain, 75 x 58 cm
Florence, Galerie des Offices © S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della Città di Firenze
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
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Francesco Salviati, Portrait of a Young Man with a Fawn, circa 1545-1548, Oil on panel, 88,5 x 68,5 cm
Vaduz-Vienne, Liechtenstein, The Princely Collections © LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz–Vienna
10 I
Francesco Salviati, Portrait of a Lute Player, 1529-1530, Oil on panel, 96 x 77 cm, Paris, Musée Jacquemart-André – Institut
de France © Paris, Musée Jacquemart-André – Institut de France / Studio Sébert Photographes
11 I
Santi di Tito et atelier, Portrait of Maria de’ Medici, circa 1600., Oil on panel, 193,5 x 109 cm, Florence, Galleria Palatina
© S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della Città di Firenze
12 I
Andrea del Sarto, Portrait of a Woman in Yellow, circa 1529-1530, Oil on panel, 64,3 x 50,1 cm
London Windsor Royal Collection © Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2015
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Fra’ Bartolomeo, Portrait of Savonarole, 1498-1499, Oil on panel, 53 x 37,5 cm, Florence, Musée de San Marco
© S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della Città di Firenze
14 I
Bronzino et atelier, Portrait of Francesco de Medici, 1555-1565, oil on tin , 16 x 12,5 cm, Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi
© S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della città di Firenze
15 I Rosso Fiorentino, Portrait of a man, 1520-1522, Oil on panel, 50,5 x 39,5 cm, Florence, Galleria Palatina
© S.S.P.S.A.E e per il Polo Museale della città di Firenze
16 I
Jacopo Pontormo, Portrait of a Lute Player, Circa 1529-1530, Oil on panel, 81,2 x 57,7 x 4 cm, Private Collection
© Eckart Lingenauber
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
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practical Information
Jacopo Pontormo
Pontorme, 1494 – Florence, 1557
Portrait of a Lute Player
Circa 1529 – 1530, Oil on panel, 81,2 x 57,7 x 4 cm, Private collection
© Eckart Lingenauber
Getting to the museum
158 boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris - France
Website
www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com
Acces
Lines 9 et 13, stations Saint-Augustin, Miromesnil ou Saint-Philippe du Roule
Line A, station Charles de Gaulle-Étoile
Lines 22, 43, 52, 54, 28, 80, 83, 84, 93
Station Rue de Berri
By car: Parking Haussmann-Berri, au pied du musée, ouvert 24h/24
Opening times
Open every day from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.
Late night opening on Mondays until 8.30 p.m during exhibitions.
Rates
Full rate: 12 € I Reduce rate : 10 €
Audio guide : exhibition: €3 / permanent collections: free
Offers for families : free entry for the second child aged 7 to 17 when two adults and one
child entries have been bought.
Reduced rate for children aged 7-17, students, and unemployed (on presentation of written
proof). Free for children under the age of 7, members and staff of the Institut de France and
journalists (on presentation of written proof). A disability card grants free, priority access to
the museum. Carers benefit from a reduced rate.
The cultural gift shop
is open during the museum’s opening hours, including Sundays.
The Café Jacquemart-André
is open from Monday to Friday from 11.45 a.m to 5.30 p.m (lunch from 11.45 a.m to 3 pm
and snacks from 3 p.m to 5.30 pm) and from 11 a.m to 2.30 p.m on Saturday and Sunday for
brunch. Late-night opening on Mondays until 6.30 p.m. during exhibition
Contacts
• Fanny Ménégaux, Head of Communication & Marketing
[email protected]
• Laurence Gillion, Press & Sponsorship
T. +33(0)1 56 59 01 72 I [email protected]
More information
Musee Jacquemart-André
facebook.com/MuseeJacquemartAndre
@jacquemartandre #FlorencePortraits
twitter.com/jacquemartandre
+Culturespaces
plus.google.com/+CulturespacesParis
@Culturespaces #FlorencePortraits
instagram.com/culturespaces/
CULTURESPACES
youtube.com/CulturespacesTV
FLORENCE, Portraits at the Court of the Medicis I
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MUSÉE
JACQUEMART-ANDRÉ
INSTITUT DE FRANCE
158 bd. Haussmann - 75008 Paris
The exhibition is open daily 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Late opening on Mondays until 8:30 p.m.
www.florence-portraits.com
#FlorencePortraits
PRESS CONTACTS
Claudine Colin Communication
Dereen O’Sullivan
+33(0)1 42 72 60 01
[email protected]
www.claudinecolin.com