Why Italy

  Others were created for the celebration of marriages between

Summary:   Others were created for the celebration of marriages between the princely families of Italy and Europe The Marriage of Vincenzo Gonzaga and Eleonora de Medici also in the Uffizi by the Florentine painter Jacopo da Empoli portrays a politically advantageous marriage of 1584 between the daughter of the Grand Duke of Florence and the future Duke of Mantua that linked the ruling dynasties of the Medici and the Gonzaga Five costumes reconstruct the sumptuous attire of the bride groom and wedding guests as depicted by Jacopo bringing into real life a late 16th century court spectacle Another type of ceremonial costume is Vincenzo Gonzaga s attire for his 1587 coronation as Duke of Mantua A great deal of research was necessary to recreate a costume which is described at length in contemporary chronicles and depicted in paintings by Giovanni Bahuet private Collection Mantua and Rubens Palazzo Ducale Mantua Made of white satin embroidered gold silver and pearls and topped with an ermine cape it is the most lavish and costly of all the costumes in the exhibition The centerpieces of the show are court costumes of the mid to late 16th century Some of them are based on paintings by Florentine artists such as Bronzino whose Eleonora di Toledo and her son Giovanni Uffizi Gallery Florence is one of the masterpieces of 16th century portraiture It depicts the duchess in a magnificent white black and gold court dress the reconstruction of which occupied Fornasari and his team for three years The history of Italian Renaissance court attire is introduced by two mid 15th century costumes from the North Italian city of Ferrara These which have never been previously exhibited recreate an elegant blue and white dress of a princess which is based on a costume study by Pisanello and a similar costume worn in his portrait of Margherita Gonzaga wife of Leonello d Este of the ruling family of Ferrara Explained and illustrated at the beginning are some of the exacting techniques that Fornasari s craftsmen used to make the reconstructions The costumes themselves are dramatically presented on life size mannequins All the costumes are based on Renaissance portraits and other paintings large color reproductions of which are displayed next to the mannequins The exhibition is presented in collaboration with King Studio of Codisotto di Luzzara near Mantua and is the creation of its director Fausto Fornasari In 2002 03 Fornasari s exhibition toured museums in major cities in Italy and Spain as well as being shown in five South American capitals and in Canada The exhibition which it has been my pleasure to curate makes its U S debut at the Graduate Center Sumptuous Renaissance costumes are familiar from portraits of the period but New Yorkers now have a rare opportunity to experience the heights of sartorial luxury in three dimensions Fifteen carefully researched and executed reconstructions of Italian court costumes dating mainly from the mid 16th to the early 17th centuries will be on view in Splendors of the Renaissance Princely Attire in Italy which opens in the Art Gallery of the Graduate Center on March 10 it runs until April 24 rulers who used the art of costume together with the figural arts of painting and sculpture to proclaim their political power and magnificence   Others were created for the celebration of marriages between the princely families of Italy and Europe The Marriage of Vincenzo Gonzaga and Eleonora de Medici also in the Uffizi by the Florentine painter Jacopo da Empoli portrays a politically advantageous marriage of 1584 between the daughter of the Grand Duke of Florence and the future Duke of Mantua that linked the ruling dynasties of the Medici and the Gonzaga Five costumes reconstruct the sumptuous attire of the bride groom and wedding guests as depicted by Jacopo bringing into real life a late 16th century court spectacle Another type of ceremonial costume is Vincenzo Gonzaga s attire for his 1587 coronation as Duke of Mantua A great deal of research was necessary to recreate a costume which is described at length in contemporary chronicles and depicted in paintings by Giovanni Bahuet private Collection Mantua and Rubens Palazzo Ducale Mantua Made of white satin embroidered gold silver and pearls and topped with an ermine cape it is the most lavish and costly of all the costumes in the exhibition The centerpieces of the show are court costumes of the mid to late 16th century Some of them are based on paintings by Florentine artists such as Bronzino whose Eleonora di Toledo and her son Giovanni Uffizi Gallery Florence is one of the masterpieces of 16th century portraiture It depicts the duchess in a magnificent white black and gold court dress the reconstruction of which occupied Fornasari and his team for three years The history of Italian Renaissance court attire is introduced by two mid 15th century costumes from the North Italian city of Ferrara These which have never been previously exhibited recreate an elegant blue and white dress of a princess which is based on a costume study by Pisanello and a similar costume worn in his portrait of Margherita Gonzaga wife of Leonello d Este of the ruling family of Ferrara Explained and illustrated at the beginning are some of the exacting techniques that Fornasari s craftsmen used to make the reconstructions The costumes themselves are dramatically presented on life size mannequins All the costumes are based on Renaissance portraits and other paintings large color reproductions of which are displayed next to the mannequins The exhibition is presented in collaboration with King Studio of Codisotto di Luzzara near Mantua and is the creation of its director Fausto Fornasari In 2002 03 Fornasari s exhibition toured museums in major cities in Italy and Spain as well as being shown in five South American capitals and in Canada The exhibition which it has been my pleasure to curate makes its U S debut at the Graduate Center Sumptuous Renaissance costumes are familiar from portraits of the period but New Yorkers now have a rare opportunity to experience the heights of sartorial luxury in three dimensions Fifteen carefully researched and executed reconstructions of Italian court costumes dating mainly from the mid 16th to the early 17th centuries will be on view in Splendors of the Renaissance Princely Attire in Italy which opens in the Art Gallery of the Graduate Center on March 10 it runs until April 24 rulers who used the art of costume together with the figural arts of painting and sculpture to proclaim their political power and magnificence

Image Dimensions: 115 x 220