The Frick Collection
September 18, 2019, through January 12, 2020
Bertoldo di Giovanni,
Hercules on Horseback (detail), ca. 1470–75, bronze, Galleria Estense, Modena,
Su concessione del Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Archivio
fotografico delle Galleria Estense; photo: Valeria Beltrami
This fall, The Frick Collection presents the first exhibition devoted to the Renaissance sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni (ca. 1440–1491). It shines a long-overdue light on the ingenuity and prominence of the Florentine artist, who was a student of Donatello, a teacher of Michelangelo, a favorite of Lorenzo de’ Medici, and an active collaborator with many other artists. By uniting nearly his entire extant oeuvre—more than twenty statuettes, reliefs, medals, a life-sized statue, and a monumental frieze never before shown outside of Italy—the show demonstrates the artist’s creative process and ingenious design across media, his engaging lyrical style, and especially, the essential role he played in the development of Italian Renaissance sculpture. Indeed, Bertoldo was one of the earliest sculptors since antiquity to create statuettes in bronze, an art form that became ubiquitous in prestigious collections during the fifteenth century and thereafter.
The exhibition was organized by Aimee Ng, Curator; Alexander J. Noelle, Anne L.
Poulet Curatorial Fellow; and Xavier F. Salomon, Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator,
with the assistance of Julia Day, Conservator.
Comments Salomon, “The
Frick is the only institution outside of Europe thatowns a statuette by Bertoldo,
and we have long desired the opportunity to study and present this artist’s
work in great depth. We are thrilled that the resulting monographic display—on
view only in New York—will finally bring into focus Bertoldo’s unique position
at the heart of the artistic and political landscape of fifteenth-century
Florence. Mostappropriately our team has enjoyed working on this project in
partnership with that city’s esteemed Museodel Bargello.”
The catalogue that
accompanies Bertoldo di Giovanni: The Renaissance of Sculpture in Medici
Florence is the most substantial publication ever produced on the artist.
A PIVOTAL FIGURE
RECONSIDERED IN HIS OWN LIGHT
Initially, Bertoldo developed
his skills under the aegis of Donatello, inheriting his models and, upon the
master’s death, completing the pulpits that were commissioned to adorn the
Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. Bertoldo went on to gain the life-long
patronage and friendship of the state’s de facto ruler, Lorenzo de’ Medici,
eventually moving into the Medici palace and creating numerous objects for his
patron, some of which were designed as propagandistic tools. Bertoldo was even
appointed the custodian and curator of Lorenzo’s famed garden of antiquities
near San Marco, where he instructed the gifted pupils studying the relics, one
of whom was Michelangelo, whose creative genius flourished under the master’s guidance.
His legacy, however, was largely written out of history by Michelangelo, who
fashioned his own identity as a self-taught artist divinely blessed with
ability.
Michelangelo’s
biographers, including the art historian Giorgio Vasari, reduced Bertoldo’s
role significantly, mentioning him only in passing while focusing more
extensively on the pioneering creativity of Donatello, the magnificent
patronage of the Medici family, and the staggering genius of Michelangelo. Modern
scholarship, as a result, has largely followed this precedent. The exhibition
and catalogue offer a comprehensive exploration of Bertoldo’s work,
reconsidering the sculptor’s associations with Donatello, Lorenzo, and
Michelangelo, which are central to his narrative. These relationships, however,
are reframed, thereby allowing Bertoldo to be appreciated in his own right, his
artistic identity no longer overshadowed but, rather, enhanced by his
connections to three of the most important figures of the Renaissance.
OBJECTS CHART
A CAREER OF COMMISSIONS
ACROSS ITALY
AND BEYOND
While many of the sculptor’s
contemporaries, including Sandro Botticelli and Andrea del Verrocchio, were
also frequently patronized by the Medici family, Bertoldo was Lorenzo’sfavorite.
By the end of his life, Bertoldo was known as his patron’s “familiar” and
traveled with him as part of his retinue—serving as an entertainer, confidant, and
designer—and valued for much more than his sculptural output. Hewas granted a
place in Lorenzo’s household, eventually dying in the Medici villa at Poggio a
Caiano before completingthe monumental frieze forits facade. Some of the
bronzes on display in the exhibition were originally designed for the Medici
palace, commissioned by Lorenzo himself, including the famous Battlerelief(illustrated
on page 4). While Lorenzo was Bertoldo’s most illustrious patron, the sculptor
received commissions from other leading figures. The Hercules on Horseback statuette
for example, was probably cast for Ercole Id’Este, Duke of Ferrara, perhaps in celebration
of his marriage to the princess of Naples. The objects included in the
exhibition chart Bertoldo’s commissions from Rome to Padua, and even as far
afield as Constantinople, revealing his significant network of patrons.
CREATIVE PROCESS
REVEALED BY DESIGN ACROSS MANY
MEDIA
Bertoldo’s artistic
production in wood, metal, and terracotta is reconsidered, exploring the
innovation of the sculptor’s work across media revealing both his versatility
as well as his ability to create a unified style, mediated through diverse
scale, media, and hands. The objects shed light on his creative process—the
development of a sculpture from idea to design to production—which has puzzled
scholars for the past century. While certain stylistic elements unify his
artistic output, the various materials used necessitated different approaches
for their fabrication. It is clear, through documents and inscriptions as well as
technical analysis conducted for the exhibition, that Bertoldo—not known to
have had a workshop of his own—enlisted other artists to help transform his
models into artworks. By bringing these sculptures together, the exhibition
elucidates hisrole as a designer, modeler, and collaborator.
The majority of
Bertoldo’s sculptural production falls into three categories: statuettes,
reliefs, and medals. In many media, Bertoldo demonstrated his witty, lyrical
style that combined iconographic innovation with the use of motifs from ancient
sources. The resulting visual language is both instantly recognizable as an invention
by Bertoldo, yet layered with classical resonance.
The Shield Bearer, purchased
in 1916 by Henry Clay Frick along with fifty Renaissance bronzes from the
holdings of the late J.P. Morgan, is displayed publicly for the first time with
its pendant from Vienna’s Liechtenstein: The Princely Collections. Reunited,
the two Shield Bearers reveal Bertoldo’s combination ofimagery associated with
the fantastical fauns of the Arcadian forest, the ancient hero Hercules, and
the medieval fable of the monstrous “wild man.” The two statuettes present
multivalent identities, corresponding neither to each other nor to any established
iconography, thereby facing the viewer with an intriguing game of identification
designed to beguile the learned Renaissance mind.
The Bellerophon
Taming Pegasus displays Bertoldo's engagement with antique texts as he
transformed the words of the ancient poet Pindar into his own version of the
myth. Heralded by modern scholars as one of the most beautiful small bronzes
ever produced, the sculpture is signed in Latin “Bertoldo modeled me; Adriano
[Fiorentino] cast me.”The bronze is thus a prime example of Bertoldo's artistic
collaboration in which he provided the design and model yet other hands
physically cast his sculptures. The Bellerophon, when compared to the other
five statuettes on view, serves as a cardinal point for examining Bertoldo’s
deft detailing of the surfaces of his bronzes, illustrating a consistency of
intricate marks that unite the appearance of such works.
The five bronze
reliefs displayed in the exhibition include scenes from the life of Christ to
mythological festivities. They range in size from diminutive and intimate to
the grand, arresting vision of a melee presented in the Battle, Bertoldo’s
largest bronze, which, according to modern scholars, is "the most
important of [Bertoldo’s] surviving works."
The Battle is an
imaginative reconstruction of a severely damaged ancient sarcophagus. He intentionally
departed from the traditional depiction of Romans fighting Barbarians, which is
clearly delineated on the sarcophagus, and instead fashioned a scene of
organized chaos in which the figures attack one another in seemingly endless
combinations, with no underlying logic or allegiances. The central figure,
adorned with the lion skin and club of Hercules as well as the helmet of
Hermes, presents an identity that is as conflated and unclear as the battle
itself. Bertoldo conceived of the relief with an unfixed narrative, thereby encouraging
discussion amongst the viewers who attempted to discern its subject.
Bertoldo is known to
have designed six medals, the prime examples of which are included in the
exhibition. All of the medals demonstrate the sculptor's adept ability to
present the convincing likeness of the sitter on the obverse accompanied by an
inventive allegorical scene or incredibly detailed historical event on the
reverse, an impressive feat given the relative nascence of this medium.
The Pazzi Conspiracy
medal, however, reveals Bertoldo's ability to revolutionize the art form derived
from ancient currency. Unlike any other medal, this work collapses obverse and
reverse, fusing portraiture, allegorical figures, and historical depictions
together. The medal recounts the attempted coup led by the Pazzi family against
the Medici brothers, Lorenzo and Giuliano, in 1478. Each side shows the bust of
one brother hovering above his fate during the attack on holy ground in the Florentine
cathedral, flanked by allegorical figures that underline the tragedy of
Giuliano's murder and the celebration of Lorenzo's deliverance from harm.
Commissioned by Lorenzo himself as part of a propagandistic campaign of interrelated
artwork and literature, the innovative medal provided a visual component to the
commentaries, poems, and elegies produced by the prominent writers in the
Medici circle in response to the event. This double-portrait medal, intended to
shock, was distributed across Europe to garner support for Florence, which was
embroiled in war with the Pope, Rome, and Naples as a result of the
assassination.
The largest sculpture
Bertoldo designed was the terracotta frieze for the portico of the Villa Medici
at Poggio a Caiano. Spanning over fifteen meters long and located directly above
the main entrance, the frieze originally adorned the facade of Lorenzo's
country villa. The monumental frieze is presented in its entirety in the
exhibition, marking the first time that all five sections have traveled beyond
Tuscany. The narrative divisions align with the architecture of the villa
itself, designed by Giuliano da Sangallo, although the precise interpretation
of the imagery continues to elude scholars. It is generally assumed that the composition
is either an allegory of time or an allegory of the journey of the soul, based
on ancient texts. It is almost certain that this complex iconography drawn from
antique sources was devised by a humanist in the Medici circle as a celebration
of Lorenzo and his personal motto “Time Returns.” Bertoldo would have worked closely
with both his patron and the poet who provided the underlying structure of each
scene. He also collaborated closely with numerous artisans to produce the frieze
itself; while the design of the overall composition ascribes to Bertoldo’s
style, the varying execution of the figures indicates that multiple hands were
employed to mold, fire, and glaze the terracotta.
Through the reunion
and reconsideration of Bertoldo’s oeuvre, this exhibition seeks to redefine the
sculptor by celebrating his distinct style and notable achievements, allowing
him to step out of the shadow of Donatello, Lorenzo, and Michelangelo. Bertoldo
is presented as an active and influential participant at the nexus of art and
politics in Florence. He was a pioneer in the new mediums of bronze statuettes
and portrait medals, an innovative designer who found inspiration in classical
models yet created his own unique iconography, and a collaborative partner who
worked for, with, and instructed some of the most important sculptors of both
the Early and High Renaissance. The statuettes, reliefs, medals, statue, and
frieze on display reveal Bertoldo's striking ingenuity; it is clear why Lorenzo
selected the sculptor as his favorite and why his designs were celebrated as “immortal.”
ABOUT THE PUBLICATION
A fully illustratedcatalogue of the exhibition featuring contributions from a team of international
scholars, will accompany the exhibition and is available in the museum shop.
This book, published in association with D Giles Ltd, London, is by far the
most substantial text on Bertoldo ever produced. 300 color illustrations.
Bertoldo di Giovanni Shield
Bearer, ca. 1470–80Gilt bronze H 8 7/8 inches The Frick Collection, New York Photo:
Michael Bodycomb
Bertoldodi Giovanni Hercules on Horseback, ca. 1470–75BronzeH
10 3/4 inches Galleria Estense, ModenaSu concessione del Ministero per i Beni e
le Attività Culturali -Archivio fotografico delle Galleria Estense;photo:Carlo
Vannini
Bertoldo di Giovanni and collaborators Frieze for the Portico of the Medici Villa at Poggio a Caiano (detail), ca. 1490 Glazed terracotta22 7/8 x 571 1/4 inches Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano, Polo Museale della ToscanaGabinetto Fotografico delle Gallerie degli Uffizi
Bertoldo di GiovanniOrpheus(detail),ca. 1471BronzeH 17 1/8 inchesMuseo Nazionale del Bargello, FlorenceSu concessione del Ministero per i beni e le attività culturali; photo Mauro Magliani
Bertoldo di Giovanni The PazziConspiracy (Giulio de' Medici), 1478 BronzeDiam. 2 5/8 inStephen K. and Janie Woo Scher Collection; Promised gift to The Frick Collection, New York; photo: Michael Bodycomb
Great review
