Imagining the Americas in Medici Florence

261 Pages·2016·32.32 MB·English

by  Lia Markey

ImagInIng the amerIcas
In medIcI Florence
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ImagInIng the amerIcas
In medIcI Florence
lia markey
the pennsylvania state university press
university park, pennsylvania
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This publication is made possible in part from the Barr Ferree The Pennsylvania State University Press is a member of the
Foundation Fund for Publications, Department of Art and Association of American University Presses.
Archaeology, Princeton University, and from the Lila Acheson
Wallace-Reader’s Digest Publication Subsidy at the Villa I Tatti. It is the policy of The Pennsylvania State University Press to use
acid-free paper. Publications on uncoated stock satisfy the mini-
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data mum requirements of American National Standard for Informa-
Names: Markey, Lia, author. tion Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Title: Imagining the Americas in Medici Florence / Lia Markey. Material, ansi z39.48–1992.
Description: University Park, Pennsylvania : The Pennsylvania
State University Press, [2016] | Includes bibliographical refer- Additional credits: page ii, detail of Alessandro Allori, Indians
ences and index. Catching Geese Using Squash (fig. 44); page vi, detail of Jacopo
Summary: “Studies the impact of the discovery of the Americas Zucchi, detail of birds on the ceiling of Ferdinando’s casino
on Italian Renaissance art and culture, focusing on the Medici (fig. 47); page viii, detail of Giovanni Stradano, America (fig. 92);
engagement with the New World and its effects on collecting page xviii, detail of Giovanni Stradano, Vespucci (fig. 88); page 6,
and art production in Florence during the sixteenth and early detail of workshop of Giovanni della Robbia, Adam and Eve (fig.
seventeenth centuries”—Provided by publisher. 4); page 16, detail of Agnolo Bronzino, La Dovizia (fig. 5); page
Identifiers: LCCN 2015044332 | ISBN 9780271071152 (cloth : alk. 28, detail of Egnazio Danti, New Spain (fig. 20); page 46, detail of
paper) Jacopo Ligozzi, Pineapple (fig. 27); page 62, detail of Jacopo Zuc-
Subjects: LCSH: Medici, House of—Art collections—History. | chi, Mining (fig. 34); page 78, detail of feather miter, mid-
Indian art—Collectors and collecting—Italy—Florence— sixteenth century (fig. 49); page 92, detail of Ludovico Buti,
History—16th century. | Indian art—Collectors and collect- center roundel on the ceiling of room 20 of the Armeria (fig. 65);
ing—Italy—Florence—History—17th century. | Indian page 118, detail of Giovanni Stradano, America (fig. 90); page 138,
art—Influence. | Art, Renaissance—Italy—Florence— detail of Jacopo Ligozzi, Pope Bonifacio VIII Receiving Twelve
Themes, motives. | Art, Italian—Italy—Florence—Themes, Ambassadors (fig. 98); page 158, detail of Antonio Rodríguez (?),
motives. | America—In art. Montezuma (fig. 110); page 164, detail of Jan Sadeler, America (fig.
Classification: LCC N5273.2.M43 M37 2016 | DDC 67); page 194, detail of Giovanni Stradano, Indians Catching
704.9/4997—dc23 Geese Using Squash (fig. 43); page 226, detail of Matthias Greuter,
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015044332 Gioco del Ponte (fig. 104).
Copyright © 2016 The Pennsylvania State University
All rights reserved
Printed in China by Oceanic Graphic International
Published by The Pennsylvania State University Press,
University Park, PA 16802-1003
00 Frontmatter.indd 4 5/24/16 2:02 PM
this book is dedicated
with great love to
richard and oren schwartz.
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contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xvi
Introduction 1
one The New World and Italy
in the Early Sixteenth Century 7
two A Turkey in a Medici Tapestry 17
three The Americas in the Guardaroba Nuova 29
four Francesco’s Exchange and
Documentation of American Nature 47
five The Stanzino and the
Representation of the New World 63
six Between Ethnography and
Fantasy in Ferdinando’s New World 79
seven The Florentine Codex
and Buti’s Frescoes of Amerindians 93
eight Stradano’s Invention of the Americas 119
nine The Americas Both Real and Imagined 139
Conclusion: Vicarious Conquest 159
Notes 165
Bibliography 195
Index 227
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IllustratIons
1 Mixtec mask, ca. 1430–1520, turquoise. Museo Palaz zo Vecchio, Florence. Photo courtesy of Musei
nazionale preistorico ed etnografico “Luigi Pigo- civici fiorentini. 23
rini,” Rome. Photo © S-MNPE “L. Pigorini,” Roma- 9 Sandro Botticelli, Abundance, ca. 1475–82. British
EUR, courtesy of the Ministero dei beni e delle Museum. Photo © The Trustees of the British
attività culturali e del turismo. 12 Museum / Art Resource, New York. 24
2 Mixtec mask, ca. 1430–1520, turquoise. Museo 10 Giorgio Vasari, detail from Allegory of the Earth in the
nazionale preistorico ed etnografico “Luigi Pigo- Sala degli Elementi, ca. 1550, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.
rini,” Rome. Photo © S-MNPE “L. Pigorini,” Roma- Photo: Scala / Art Resource, New York. 25
EUR, courtesy of the Ministero dei beni e delle 11 Pierino da Vinci, La Dovizia, ca. 1550. Piazza della
attività culturali e del turismo. 13 Berlina, Pisa. 25
3 Giovanni da Udine, detail of a turkey in the Sala di 12 Agnolo Bronzino, detail of La Dovizia, ca. 1545.
Giulio Romano, ca. 1520, Villa Madama, Rome. 14 Museo degli argenti, Florence. Photo: Scala / Art
4 Workshop of Giovanni della Robbia, Adam and Eve, Resource, New York. 26
1515. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. Photo © The 13 Sala delle Carte Geografiche, or Guardaroba
Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 15 Nuova, ca. 1563–65, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.
5 Agnolo Bronzino, La Dovizia, ca. 1545. Museo degli Photo: Alinari / Art Resource, New York (Raffaello
argenti, Florence. Photo: Scala / Art Resource, New Bencini). 31
York. 18 14 One of two feather capes in the Museo nazionale di
6 Triumphal Arch from the 1541 Entry of Charles V into antropologia e etnologia, Florence. Photo courtesy
Milan, from Giovanni Albicante, Trattato del’intrar of the Museo nazionale di antropologia e etnologia,
in Milano di Carlo V, 1541. Getty Research Institute, Università degli studi di Firenze. 33
Los Angeles (2893-040). Photo: Getty Research 15 Aztec head of a dog, ca. 1430–1520, onyx. Museo di
Institute. 20 mineralogia, Florence. Photo courtesy of the Museo
7 Francesco Salviati, Estate, ca. 1545–48. Gabinetto dise- di storia naturale dell’Università di Firenze, sez.
gni e stampe, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Photo: Mineralogia. 34
Polo museale fiorentino, courtesy of the Ministero dei 16 Aztec head of a dog, ca. 1430–1520, amethyst. Museo
beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo. 22 di mineralogia, Florence. Photo courtesy of the
8 Francesco Salviati, detail from the Triumph of Museo di storia naturale dell’Università di Firenze,
Camillus in the Sala dell’Udienza, ca. 1543–45, sez. Mineralogia. 34
ix
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