Lorenzo the Magnificent and the Giraffe as a Symbol of Power

• Autores: Christiane L. Joost-Gaugier
• Localización: Artibus et historiae: an art anthology, ISSN 0391-9064, Nº. 16, 1987, págs. 91-99
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • In Vasari's painted portrait of Lorenzo the Magnificent, painted for the apartments of Duke Cosimo I in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, prominent exposure is given to a giraffe, one of the gifts presented to Lorenzo by his ambassadors. The article shows that the giraffe, which is critical to the composition of the painting, has not only a historical motive but also an iconographic significance. The admiration of Lorenzo for Julius Caesar is reflected in this demonstration, the second time in history when a giraffe was presented to the Italian people. It may therefore be interpreted as a symbol of the power of the tyrant.