''Portrait of Federico II Gonzaga'' () is a painting by
Titian
Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno.
Ti ...
, who signed it ''Ticianus f.''. Today in the
Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of Art of Europe, European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th ce ...
, Madrid, it portrays
Federico II, Duke of Mantua
Federico II of Gonzaga (17 May 1500 – 28 August 1540) was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua (first as Marquis, later as Duke) from 1519 until his death. He was also Marquis of Montferrat from 1536.
Biography
Federico was son of Francesco ...
who married in 1529; the portrait may have been commissioned for the occasion. The dog, a
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...
, is a symbol of faithfulness.
Description
Federico II Gonzaga is portrayed at half-length, standing against a dark neutral background, with one hand on his sword and the other stroking a Maltese dog, as if to underline his dual nature: friendly with those who are faithful to him, still ready to fight his enemies. The dog was usually used in female portraits and in this case is a symbol of loyalty.
He wears a long beard, according to the 16th-century the fashion, while his gaze is attentive and intelligent. He wears a sumptuous tunic with edges decorated with embroidered inserts, tight at the waist and wide at the hips. Around his neck he wears a necklace of black pearls, with a crucifix that testifies his faith, a notation that underlined his redemption from a stormy past.
[Francesco Valcanover, ''L'opera completa di Tiziano'', Milan, Rizzoli, 1969 (Italian)]
Provenance
The work is mentioned in a 1666 inventory of the
Royal Alcázar of Madrid
The Royal Alcázar of Madrid (Spanish: ''Real Alcázar de Madrid'') was a fortress located at the site of today's Royal Palace of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. The structure was originally built in the second half of the ninth century by the Muslims, ...
, coming from the collection of the
Marquess of Leganés. Previous owners included
Charles I of England
Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649.
Charles was born ...
, who purchased many paintings from the
Gonzaga
Gonzaga may refer to:
Places
*Gonzaga, Lombardy, commune in the province of Mantua, Italy
*Gonzaga, Cagayan, municipality in the Philippines
*Gonzaga, Minas Gerais, town in Brazil
*Forte Gonzaga, fort in Messina, Sicily
Surname
*House of Gonza ...
collection.
See also
*
List of works by Titian
This incomplete list of works by Titian contains representative portraits and mythological and religious works from a large oeuvre that spanned 70 years. (Titian left relatively few drawings.) Painting titles and dates often vary by source.
Lis ...
*''
Portrait of Francesco Gonzaga
''Portrait of Francesco Gonzaga'' (c. 1461) is a painting by Italian Renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna. It is now at the National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
Francesco Gonzaga was the second son of Ludovico Gonzaga, Marquess of Ma ...
''
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Page at museum's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portrait of Federico II Gonzaga
1529 paintings
Portraits by Titian
Paintings by Titian in the Museo del Prado
Portraits of men
Dogs in paintings by Titian
Gonzaga art collection