Early Life & Roman Life
Early Life
Francesco Maria del Monte (1549-1626) was born in Venice to a Tuscan family. His family was in the service of the Duke of Urbino at the time [1]. Del Monte was known as an eclectic patron of the arts, science, and music, and is particularly celebrated for being an early patron of Caravaggio in Rome. He studied at the della Rovere court at Urbino and later moved to Rome around 1575 [2]. There, he worked in the court of several cardinals, including Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici. Cardinal de Medici eventually became the Grand Duke of Tuscany and persuaded Pope Sixtus V to appoint del Monte as his successor as cardinal in 1588 [3].
Roman Life
Del Monte is particularly famous as the first patron of Caravaggio, who was his guest in Palazzo Madama from 1596–7 to at least November 1600 [4]. Palazzo Madama was the Cardinal’s Roman residence, offered to him by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando de Medici. Palazzo Madama was one of multiple palazzos owned by the Medici family, but one of their more modest properties. The Grand Duke helped furnish the palazzo prior to the Cardinal’s arrival in Rome. It is important to note that the exterior façade of Palazzo Madama was decorated with the Medici coat of arms, and much of the interior adornment including luxury items and paintings were owned by Ferdinando de Medici and were intended to increase the prestige of the house [5]. The interior and exterior decor of the palazzo recalled the cultural, political, and economic capital of the Medici family, underscoring del Monte’s role as a guest within the hallowed halls of a celebrated family. Del Monte certainly understood his place within Palazzo Madama; therefore, he acquired Palazzo Avogadro in 1615, a property that would be all his own. There, del Monte transferred his colossal collection of art, adapting the palace as a museum. Palazzo Avogadro was connected to a vineyard and had more than 30 rooms, an inner courtyard, and three gardens [6]. The majority of this exhibit will focus on Palazzo Avogadro, as the majority of the Cardinal’s collection was installed there.
The Gifting of the Medusa: del Monte’s balance of political and private tastes
Cardinal del Monte owed much of his success to the Grand Duke and repaid him with great loyalty, advancing the Grand Duke’s political interests through procuring works of art on his behalf. For a comprehensive understanding of the cardinal’s patronage, it is important to acknowledge his work acting on behalf of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in conjunction with his celebrated personal collection. Famously, Cardinal del Monte gifted Caravaggio’s Medusa to the Grand Duke––a somewhat peculiar subject choice for a present, painted on a convex shield. In 1598 the Cardinal presented the shield to Grand Duke Ferdinand [7]. The subject choice of the Medusa elucidates Cardinal del Monte’s careful and calculated patronage, both advancing his personal interests alongside political ones. Medusa’s severed head spurts with blood as her face contorts in anguish, depicting the realization that she has been decapitated. It is a moment of high drama characteristic of the Baroque era as well as of Caravaggio’s subject matter. As scholar Marie Ladino argues, the subject choice of the Medusa pays homage to the Medici family. The imagery hails back to the Tazza Farnese, often described as a cup or bowl decorated with Medusa’s head. This piece originated in the first century BC and was acquired by the Medici family in 1471, before entering the Farnese collection. The Farnese was a rivaling family of the Medici, which Cardinal del Monte would have been aware of [8]. Additionally, Vasari recorded an unfinished painting of Leonardo da Vinci with the severed head of the Medusa that was a part of the collection of Cosimo de Medici. Vasari provided a detailed description of said piece, whose subject matter was later taken up by Caravaggio [9]. Therefore, Caravaggio’s Medusa may have attempted to replace and rival the value of the lost Tazza and the unfinished da Vinci painting, and lend further prestige to the Medici collection and family name.
Del Monte’s gifting of the Medusa not only highlights his political maneuverings and attempts to honor the Medici family but also elucidates his own personal interests. Del Monte was interested in furthering Caravaggio’s career, as Caravaggio was a resident in Palazzo Madama. It would be beneficial for del Monte to have a guest under his instruction gain prestige. Furthermore, del Monte was interested in naturalism and scientific accuracy in art. Caravaggio’s Medusa displays accurate anatomical representations, as well as experiments with optics and perspective since it is painted on a convex shield. This gift would bolster Caravaggio’s reputation and work to solidify del Monte’s status as a patron.
Herein lies the catalyst for my argument. Cardinal del Monte’s patronage unflinchingly synthesizes political and personal interests, creating a collection that represents a hierarchy of interests that are not mutually exclusive. The private space of del Monte’s Palazzo Avogadro still remains somewhat public, serving didactic, political, and more intimate purposes. Moving through the displayed space of the palazzo demonstrates a “public intimacy” in del Monte’s renowned collection.
References:
[1] Zygmunt Wazbinski, Il Cardinale Francesco Maria del Monte 1549-1626. Edited by Leo S. Olschki. (Firenze: Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere, 1994), 13.
[2] Creighton Gilbert, Caravaggio and his Two Cardinals (University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995), 118.
[3]Pietro Roccasecca, “Bourbon Del Monte, Francesco Maria,” in Oxford Art Online (Oxford University Press, 2003), https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T010570.
[4] Pietro Roccasecca, “Bourbon Del Monte, Francesco Maria.”
[5] Zygmunt Wazbinski, Il Cardinale Francesco Maria del Monte 1549-1626. Edited by Leo S. Olschki. (Firenze: Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere, 1994), 114.
[6] Zygmunt Wazbinski, Il Cardinale Francesco Maria del Monte 1549-1626. Edited by Leo S. Olschki. (Firenze: Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere, 1994), 310.
[7] Marie Ladino, In the Graces of His Highness the Grand Duke: Caravaggio's Roman Patron Del Monte as a Florentine Courtier and Agent, (University of Maryland, College Park, 2009), 37.
[8] Marie Ladino, In the Graces of His Highness the Grand Duke: Caravaggio's Roman Patron Del Monte as a Florentine Courtier and Agent.
[9] Creighton Gilbert, Caravaggio and his Two Cardinals (University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995), 125.