DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42861#0064
36
MANTEGNA’S FRESCOES
Marquis goes out to welcome him, with his sons,
Federico and Gianfrancesco, and his two little grand-
sons, Francesco, afterwards the husband of Isabella
d’Este, and Sigismondo, the future Cardinal. In
both of these family groups the striking personality
of the different personages has been clearly brought
out by the painter. We see the gallant bearing of
the soldier-sons, the culture and wisdom of the man
of the world mingled with the sober gravity of the
ecclesiastic in the sleek face and portly figure of the
young Cardinal, while all the strength and goodness
of Barbara’s character lives in the sensible German
face that looks out from under the quaint square
head-dress, and in the grave, black eyes that are fixed
on her lord’s face, and seem to express her readiness
to help him with her sympathy and advice. The
sunny landscape, with the Pantheon and Coliseum
among the seven hills, recalls the Eternal City from
which Francesco had lately returned, and if the
medallions of Ceesars and myths of Hercules and
Orpheus are emblems of Lodovico’s taste for classical
history and love of music, the peacock on the balus-
trade, the tame lion crouching at his feet, and the
favourite greyhound asleep under his chair, remind
us of his interest in birds and animals.
Thus, in these noble frescoes which still light up
the old walls of the Castello with colour and bright-
ness, the great master has not only left us a faithful
picture of Eodovico and his family, but has enabled
us to realise the strong German sense of family
affection and home life, combined with the splendour
and culture of an Italian court, which Isabella found
at Mantua when she became the wife of Francesco
Gonzaga.
MANTEGNA’S FRESCOES
Marquis goes out to welcome him, with his sons,
Federico and Gianfrancesco, and his two little grand-
sons, Francesco, afterwards the husband of Isabella
d’Este, and Sigismondo, the future Cardinal. In
both of these family groups the striking personality
of the different personages has been clearly brought
out by the painter. We see the gallant bearing of
the soldier-sons, the culture and wisdom of the man
of the world mingled with the sober gravity of the
ecclesiastic in the sleek face and portly figure of the
young Cardinal, while all the strength and goodness
of Barbara’s character lives in the sensible German
face that looks out from under the quaint square
head-dress, and in the grave, black eyes that are fixed
on her lord’s face, and seem to express her readiness
to help him with her sympathy and advice. The
sunny landscape, with the Pantheon and Coliseum
among the seven hills, recalls the Eternal City from
which Francesco had lately returned, and if the
medallions of Ceesars and myths of Hercules and
Orpheus are emblems of Lodovico’s taste for classical
history and love of music, the peacock on the balus-
trade, the tame lion crouching at his feet, and the
favourite greyhound asleep under his chair, remind
us of his interest in birds and animals.
Thus, in these noble frescoes which still light up
the old walls of the Castello with colour and bright-
ness, the great master has not only left us a faithful
picture of Eodovico and his family, but has enabled
us to realise the strong German sense of family
affection and home life, combined with the splendour
and culture of an Italian court, which Isabella found
at Mantua when she became the wife of Francesco
Gonzaga.