DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36838#0130
ARTISTS AT URBINO
77
brought many precious marbles and bronzes to adorn
the ducal halls. Chief among these, we know, were
the famous Venus and the Cupid of Michelangelo.
This last passed as an antique statue in Rome, and
in Isabella d' Este's opinion, was unequalled among
modern works of art. Both of these were originally
presented to Guidobaldo by Cesare Borgia when the
Popes son was on friendly terms with him, and after
the conquest of Urbino were given by the victor to
the Marchioness of Mantua, who refused to restore
them to her kinsman.
Among the artists employed at Urbino during
Guidobaldo s reign we find the names of Luca
Signorelli, who painted his Rne altar-pieces of the
Descent of the Holy Ghost and the Crucifixion
in the church of San Spirito; Girolamo Genga, who
decorated the cathedral with frescoes ; and Francesco
Francia, who is said by Vasari to have painted a
panel of the Roman Lucretia and a pair of horses'
bards for the Duke.
Cristoforo Bomano, the accomplished sculptor and
musician, was, as we shall see, a frequent and welcome
guest at the ducal court, a favourite here, as else-
where, with all fair ladies. The portrait medals of
Elisabetta and of Emilia Pia, however, that have
hitherto been ascribed to him are now pronounced
by some experts to be the work of Adriano Fiorentino,
another distinguished sculptor and gifted musician,
who spent three months at Urbino in 1495d Elisa-
betta was herself an accomplished musician, and sang
to her own accompaniment on the lute, while Guido-
baldo inherited his father s love of music, and took
lessons from one of his subjects, Ottaviano de' Petrucci
of Fossombrone, the inventor of the art of type music-
i E. v. Fabriczy in ' Jahrbuch/ xxiv., p. 82.
77
brought many precious marbles and bronzes to adorn
the ducal halls. Chief among these, we know, were
the famous Venus and the Cupid of Michelangelo.
This last passed as an antique statue in Rome, and
in Isabella d' Este's opinion, was unequalled among
modern works of art. Both of these were originally
presented to Guidobaldo by Cesare Borgia when the
Popes son was on friendly terms with him, and after
the conquest of Urbino were given by the victor to
the Marchioness of Mantua, who refused to restore
them to her kinsman.
Among the artists employed at Urbino during
Guidobaldo s reign we find the names of Luca
Signorelli, who painted his Rne altar-pieces of the
Descent of the Holy Ghost and the Crucifixion
in the church of San Spirito; Girolamo Genga, who
decorated the cathedral with frescoes ; and Francesco
Francia, who is said by Vasari to have painted a
panel of the Roman Lucretia and a pair of horses'
bards for the Duke.
Cristoforo Bomano, the accomplished sculptor and
musician, was, as we shall see, a frequent and welcome
guest at the ducal court, a favourite here, as else-
where, with all fair ladies. The portrait medals of
Elisabetta and of Emilia Pia, however, that have
hitherto been ascribed to him are now pronounced
by some experts to be the work of Adriano Fiorentino,
another distinguished sculptor and gifted musician,
who spent three months at Urbino in 1495d Elisa-
betta was herself an accomplished musician, and sang
to her own accompaniment on the lute, while Guido-
baldo inherited his father s love of music, and took
lessons from one of his subjects, Ottaviano de' Petrucci
of Fossombrone, the inventor of the art of type music-
i E. v. Fabriczy in ' Jahrbuch/ xxiv., p. 82.