Liana De Girolami Cheney, PhD. A scholar in Italian Mannerist iconography and Neoplatonism. Also with interests in Pre-Raphaelite symbolism. She received her BS in Psychology and BA in Philosophy from the University of Miami, Florida
The Altomani & Sons Collection owns a remarkable newly discovered portrait of Guidobaldo II della... more The Altomani & Sons Collection owns a remarkable newly discovered portrait of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino (1514-1574), a historical military figure who was a condottiere, ruler of Urbino, Commander-in-chief of the Papal Estate, and Perfect of Rome, as well as a collector and patron of the Fine Arts. Camilla Guerrieri Nati (1628-1694), a seventeenth-century Italian painter from Fossombrone (in the province of Pesaro and Urbino), portrayed this heroic personage surrounded by emblems associated with his military courage and leadership, including his plumed burgonet helmet, metal gilded armor, a necklace with the golden fleece, and batons of secular and religious dominions. This oil painting on copper-considered a precious metal at the time-emphasizes the importance of the commission. The material and technique also reveals a unique artistic achievement in that it provides the painting with a smooth, reflective surface and vibrant coloration, symbolizing precious imagery.
Journal of the Southeasthern College Art Association, 2002
This study analyzes how sixteenth-century artists in Italy employed emblem books for aesthetic, m... more This study analyzes how sixteenth-century artists in Italy employed emblem books for aesthetic, moral, and philosophical concerns. In doing so, it considers the impact and assimilation of certain books, such as Horapollo's Hieroglyphics and Andrea Alciato's Emblemanta, in Renaissance art, literature, and philosophy. The study further addresses how Vasari's paintings and writings clearly embody these humanistic issues and absorb the emblematic tradition reflecting the cultural milieu of the time as exemplified in his drawing, Allegory of Avarice or Allegory with Hieroglyphs of 1540 (Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth, Fig. 1). In Emblemata, Andrea Alciato implies that the universe is a forest of symbols, signifying that "things that are visible are the mirror of those things which are invisible and all the world objects have a signification." 2 Alciato's theory of the emblem conveys
The novel Hypatia: Or New Foes With an Old Face by Charles Kingsley, published in 1853, provided ... more The novel Hypatia: Or New Foes With an Old Face by Charles Kingsley, published in 1853, provided valuable insight into Hypatia's achievements and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding her untimely demise. Kingsley's novel portrayed a fiercely intelligent woman, Hypatia, who sparked the interest of many artists, particularly sculptors. They were eager to capture in their statues the personification of this remarkable ancient mathematician, philosopher, and scientist of ancient Egypt, Hypatia of Alexandria (355-415). This essay has two parts. The first provides a brief overview of Hypatia's life and accomplishments. The second part focuses on four sculptures from the 19th century created by different artists: Hypatia (1873-1876) by the American Howard Roberts, Hypatia (1874) by the Italian Odoardo Tabacchi, Hypatia (1890) by Francis John Williamson, and Hypatia (1894) by Richard Claude Belt. The two latter works are by British sculptors.
Journal of literature and art studies, Jan 28, 2024
This article delves into the significance of Guido Reni's Infant Bacchus, created during ... more This article delves into the significance of Guido Reni's Infant Bacchus, created during the Italian Baroque period. By examining historical and iconographic elements, the study aims to interpret the symbolism depicted in the painting. The historical aspects include the birth of Dionysus or Bacchus in classical and Italian Renaissance imagery and literary and visual sources that influenced Reni's solo painting. The iconographic components encompass the infant's nude body, the child's bodily functions, and the attributes associated with Bacchus, the God of Agriculture, Revelry, and Wine, such as the grapevines, grapes, ivy, glass flask, kantharos (wine cup), and wine barrel. The emblematic and cosmological associations of Bacchus's divinity are considered as well.
The Altomani & Sons Collection owns a remarkable newly discovered portrait of Guidobaldo II della... more The Altomani & Sons Collection owns a remarkable newly discovered portrait of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino (1514-1574), a historical military figure who was a condottiere, ruler of Urbino, Commander-in-chief of the Papal Estate, and Perfect of Rome, as well as a collector and patron of the Fine Arts. Camilla Guerrieri Nati (1628-1694), a seventeenth-century Italian painter from Fossombrone (in the province of Pesaro and Urbino), portrayed this heroic personage surrounded by emblems associated with his military courage and leadership, including his plumed burgonet helmet, metal gilded armor, a necklace with the golden fleece, and batons of secular and religious dominions. This oil painting on copper-considered a precious metal at the time-emphasizes the importance of the commission. The material and technique also reveals a unique artistic achievement in that it provides the painting with a smooth, reflective surface and vibrant coloration, symbolizing precious imagery.
Giorgio Vasari’s educational background and association with Renaissance humanists engendered his... more Giorgio Vasari’s educational background and association with Renaissance humanists engendered his familiarity with the texts and imagery of classical, emblematic, and mythographic traditions. Vasari’s composition of images as a compendium of iconography for a decorative program was in the vein of the literary practices of Andrea Alciato (1482-1550), Pierio Valeriano (1477-1558), and Vincenzo Cartari (1531-1590), and followed Paolo Giovio’s advice on how to depict an emblematic image or impresa (Giovio, 1559, p. 9). For Giovio (1483-1552), an impresa or badge must contain a figure and motto, its meaning should be clear and precise, the imagery must be pleasant to look at, and the motto must be brief, inventive, and unambiguous. But sometimes Vasari did not follow his advice, relying more on the Renaissance Neoplatonic notion of a concept postulated by the Florentine philosopher Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499). In De vita coelitus comparanda (How Life Should Be Arranged According to the Heavens) (Ficino, 1489; 1561-1563; 1996, pp. 7-19; Kerrigan & Braden, 1989, pp. 101-115). Ficino discusses the use and the magic potency of images by deliberating on the virtue of imagery, what power pertains to the figure in the Heavens and on Earth, which of the heavenly configurations are impressed on images by the ancients, and how the images are employed in antiquity (Gombrich, 1972, p. 172; Chastel, 1996, pp. 81-89; Moore, 1990, p. 20, 137, 181; Bull, 2006, pp. 7-36). Vasari assimilated these concepts visually in the fresco painting of the Bride with a Rake (1548), located in one of the rooms in his house in Arezzo, the Chamber of Fortune (Chamber of Virtue), where he composed a paradoxical iconographic image—the subject of this essay. This essay is composed of two parts: an introduction to the location of the painting in the Casa Vasari in Arezzo and an iconographical and iconological interpretation of the imagery.
Most scholarship on Sofonisba Anguissola’s art focuses on her portraits in general and self-portr... more Most scholarship on Sofonisba Anguissola’s art focuses on her portraits in general and self-portraits in particular. To date, however, no art historian has analyzed the gender-based differences between the style and iconography of Anguissola’s male portraits and those of male painters who paint female portraits. The purpose of this essay is threefold: to examine Anguissola’s Ponce Portrait of a Young Man of 1579-1580 (now at the Museo de Arte in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Fig. 1), to attempt to identify its subject, and to address the context in which the portrait was conceived.
... Elizabeth. The mysticism of the Counter-Reformation is evident in the painting of the Madonna... more ... Elizabeth. The mysticism of the Counter-Reformation is evident in the painting of the Madonna and Child with St. ... 9. E. Broun and k Gabhart, "Old Mietreesee: Women Artists of the Past" (Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, April 17June 19, 1972), 2. ...
was a renowned Baroque painter from Portugal who lived between 1630 and 1684. She was an accompli... more was a renowned Baroque painter from Portugal who lived between 1630 and 1684. She was an accomplished artist and one of the most notable female artists of her time. Her works included both secular and religious themes, and she used a variety of mediums with great skill. Despite having different surnames, she signed her paintings under Josepha em Óbidos. This article concentrates on the artist's landscapes (vedute) and integrated still-life paintings (bodegones). It delves into her capacity to depict the changing seasons through these themes. Josefa expertly combined Baroque tenebrism and illusionism with her love of Nature, highlighting both the physical and spiritual aspects of the natural world. Her paintings are visually captivating, with beautiful colors and intricate details. She incorporated emblematic and mystical symbolism, which added to their spiritual significance in portraying the flora and fauna of her homeland.
Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies, Feb 28, 2023
In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed painting an altarpiece of the Madonna of the Rosary... more In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed painting an altarpiece of the Madonna of the Rosary and a Tondo of angels dispersing roses. The commission was for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. In his Ricordanze (Book of Records), Vasari explained the commission as well as documenting the assistance of his favorite Florentine pupil, Jacopo Zucchi (1541-1590), in the completion of the commission. This essay focusses on Vasari's design, location, and meaning of the Tondo and its emblematic symbolism of love through the rose motif.
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) skillfully created small devotional altarpieces depicting h... more Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) skillfully created small devotional altarpieces depicting holy saints with their respective attributes of martyrdom, seen in Saint Agnes of Rome (c. 291-304) with an ewe, Saint Cecilia (c. 200-235) with a portable organ, Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c. 287-304) with a broken spiked wheel, and Saint Justina of Padua (c. 3rd century) with a small sword in her chest. For their physical sacrifice, Heaven rewarded them with a palm frond as an honorific spiritual gift. Barbara included some of these saints in her paintings on the theme of holy conversation (sacra conversazione; a religious gathering with the Madonna and Child) and depicted the female saints as a single panel-solo image-for private devotion or supplicatory assistance. Most of the biographies and historicity about the lives of these saints are recounted by Jacobus de Voragine (1222-1298), Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). This essay only comments on the iconography of one of Barbara's female saints, Saint Justina of Padua.
Professor of Art History (emerita), UMASS Lowell, USA "O fortunately-born one, you, to... more Professor of Art History (emerita), UMASS Lowell, USA "O fortunately-born one, you, to whom grace concedes the right to see the thrones of eternal triumph, before you abandon the place of militancy, we are fired by the light that burns through all the heavens, and therefore if you want to be lit by us, satisfy yourself at pleasure." Dante, The Divine Comedy, Paradise, Canto V
Image, Word and God in the Early Christian Centuries, 2016
This collection of essays explores the scope of the important relationships between the philosoph... more This collection of essays explores the scope of the important relationships between the philosophical system of Neoplatonism and the arts in Italy.
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy ... more Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy saints, in particular Saint Agnes (c. 291-304). This saint's life and martyrdom was recorded by the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose (339-397), a Doctor of the Church and theologian, in his book Concerning Virgins (374) and by Jacobus de Voragine, the Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). The saint's story continues to be imaged and recounted to the present day because she is an icon of a pure and virtuous adolescent female. Barbara Longhi, along with her father, Luca Longhi (1507-1580), painted several versions of Saint Agnes. In their many depictions they composed two types of images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and her presence in a group of saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings of Saint Agnes, however, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of the saint as virgo, a young maiden of virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) an account of the life and martyrdom of Saint Agnes; and (2) an iconographical interpretation of Barbara Longhi's Saint Agnes of Rome.
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy ... more Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy saints, in particular Saint Agnes (c. 291-304). This saint's life and martyrdom was recorded by the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose (339-397), a Doctor of the Church and theologian, in his book Concerning Virgins (374) and by Jacobus de Voragine, the Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). The saint's story continues to be imaged and recounted to the present day because she is an icon of a pure and virtuous adolescent female. Barbara Longhi, along with her father, Luca Longhi (1507-1580), painted several versions of Saint Agnes. In their many depictions they composed two types of images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and her presence in a group of saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings of Saint Agnes, however, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of the saint as virgo, a young maiden of virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) an account of the life and martyrdom of Saint Agnes; and (2) an iconographical interpretation of Barbara Longhi's Saint Agnes of Rome.
From the variety of types of portraiture, there evolved the imaging of a self-portrait as we see ... more From the variety of types of portraiture, there evolved the imaging of a self-portrait as we see in Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). The self-portrait is a unique work of art, an intimate record of a sitter's personality. It is an acknowledgment of worth, an exercise in technique, and a designator of era, style, and likeness. The self-portrait can be a study in expression, an impersonation of a virtue, or a document in a history of aging. As William Shakespeare noted in Hamlet, "[The self-portrait is] to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." In the sixteenth-century in Italy, artists often included themselves or their self-portraits in religious and secular scenes as a type of signature, as seen in the paintings of the Longhi family. In their many depictions of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the Longhis composed two types of such images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and also her presence in a group with saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, using herself as a model for the figure of the saint or as a muse impersonating or personifying the saint's virgo virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) a brief explanation of the meaning of self-portraits in sixteenth-century Italy; and (2) a study of Barbara Longhi's self-portraits as Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
The essay examines for the first time the Christian symbolism in the Immaculate Conception or Mad... more The essay examines for the first time the Christian symbolism in the Immaculate Conception or Madonna Purissima (1620-1625) of Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). In the Italian sixteenth century, she is the first female painter to concentrate in her oeuvre on sacred devotional painting of Marian iconography. This endeavor reveals her aim to fuse physical motherly love and spiritual devotion. Her religious images reflect the artistic patronage of Ravenna as well as the religious decrees of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. Longhi's Immaculate Conception represents the Virgin Mary (Madonna) as the Woman of the Apocalypse described by Saint John in the Book of Revelation (12:1, 2, and 5). Longhi paints the Madonna emerging from a cloud of light and standing on a crescent moon holding her son, Christ. Rays of light emanate from her being and continue to expand in vortices within a nimbus (mandorla) to a ring of twelve stars crowning her and her son. The Madonna's virginal nature embodied in the divine golden light designates her as "Maria Purissima." The stars forming a celestial crown metaphorically symbolize her immortality and wisdom. In the doctrinal precepts of the Counter-Reformation, the Virgin Mary became honored as the Virgo Sapientissima and Gloriosa, the Queen of Wisdom and Glory, and Regis Coeli, the Queen of Heaven. In her artistic manner, Longhi paved the way for mystical devotion, which would later be interpreted by female painters in the seventeenth century.
The Altomani & Sons Collection owns a remarkable newly discovered portrait of Guidobaldo II della... more The Altomani & Sons Collection owns a remarkable newly discovered portrait of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino (1514-1574), a historical military figure who was a condottiere, ruler of Urbino, Commander-in-chief of the Papal Estate, and Perfect of Rome, as well as a collector and patron of the Fine Arts. Camilla Guerrieri Nati (1628-1694), a seventeenth-century Italian painter from Fossombrone (in the province of Pesaro and Urbino), portrayed this heroic personage surrounded by emblems associated with his military courage and leadership, including his plumed burgonet helmet, metal gilded armor, a necklace with the golden fleece, and batons of secular and religious dominions. This oil painting on copper-considered a precious metal at the time-emphasizes the importance of the commission. The material and technique also reveals a unique artistic achievement in that it provides the painting with a smooth, reflective surface and vibrant coloration, symbolizing precious imagery.
Journal of the Southeasthern College Art Association, 2002
This study analyzes how sixteenth-century artists in Italy employed emblem books for aesthetic, m... more This study analyzes how sixteenth-century artists in Italy employed emblem books for aesthetic, moral, and philosophical concerns. In doing so, it considers the impact and assimilation of certain books, such as Horapollo's Hieroglyphics and Andrea Alciato's Emblemanta, in Renaissance art, literature, and philosophy. The study further addresses how Vasari's paintings and writings clearly embody these humanistic issues and absorb the emblematic tradition reflecting the cultural milieu of the time as exemplified in his drawing, Allegory of Avarice or Allegory with Hieroglyphs of 1540 (Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth, Fig. 1). In Emblemata, Andrea Alciato implies that the universe is a forest of symbols, signifying that "things that are visible are the mirror of those things which are invisible and all the world objects have a signification." 2 Alciato's theory of the emblem conveys
The novel Hypatia: Or New Foes With an Old Face by Charles Kingsley, published in 1853, provided ... more The novel Hypatia: Or New Foes With an Old Face by Charles Kingsley, published in 1853, provided valuable insight into Hypatia's achievements and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding her untimely demise. Kingsley's novel portrayed a fiercely intelligent woman, Hypatia, who sparked the interest of many artists, particularly sculptors. They were eager to capture in their statues the personification of this remarkable ancient mathematician, philosopher, and scientist of ancient Egypt, Hypatia of Alexandria (355-415). This essay has two parts. The first provides a brief overview of Hypatia's life and accomplishments. The second part focuses on four sculptures from the 19th century created by different artists: Hypatia (1873-1876) by the American Howard Roberts, Hypatia (1874) by the Italian Odoardo Tabacchi, Hypatia (1890) by Francis John Williamson, and Hypatia (1894) by Richard Claude Belt. The two latter works are by British sculptors.
Journal of literature and art studies, Jan 28, 2024
This article delves into the significance of Guido Reni's Infant Bacchus, created during ... more This article delves into the significance of Guido Reni's Infant Bacchus, created during the Italian Baroque period. By examining historical and iconographic elements, the study aims to interpret the symbolism depicted in the painting. The historical aspects include the birth of Dionysus or Bacchus in classical and Italian Renaissance imagery and literary and visual sources that influenced Reni's solo painting. The iconographic components encompass the infant's nude body, the child's bodily functions, and the attributes associated with Bacchus, the God of Agriculture, Revelry, and Wine, such as the grapevines, grapes, ivy, glass flask, kantharos (wine cup), and wine barrel. The emblematic and cosmological associations of Bacchus's divinity are considered as well.
The Altomani & Sons Collection owns a remarkable newly discovered portrait of Guidobaldo II della... more The Altomani & Sons Collection owns a remarkable newly discovered portrait of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino (1514-1574), a historical military figure who was a condottiere, ruler of Urbino, Commander-in-chief of the Papal Estate, and Perfect of Rome, as well as a collector and patron of the Fine Arts. Camilla Guerrieri Nati (1628-1694), a seventeenth-century Italian painter from Fossombrone (in the province of Pesaro and Urbino), portrayed this heroic personage surrounded by emblems associated with his military courage and leadership, including his plumed burgonet helmet, metal gilded armor, a necklace with the golden fleece, and batons of secular and religious dominions. This oil painting on copper-considered a precious metal at the time-emphasizes the importance of the commission. The material and technique also reveals a unique artistic achievement in that it provides the painting with a smooth, reflective surface and vibrant coloration, symbolizing precious imagery.
Giorgio Vasari’s educational background and association with Renaissance humanists engendered his... more Giorgio Vasari’s educational background and association with Renaissance humanists engendered his familiarity with the texts and imagery of classical, emblematic, and mythographic traditions. Vasari’s composition of images as a compendium of iconography for a decorative program was in the vein of the literary practices of Andrea Alciato (1482-1550), Pierio Valeriano (1477-1558), and Vincenzo Cartari (1531-1590), and followed Paolo Giovio’s advice on how to depict an emblematic image or impresa (Giovio, 1559, p. 9). For Giovio (1483-1552), an impresa or badge must contain a figure and motto, its meaning should be clear and precise, the imagery must be pleasant to look at, and the motto must be brief, inventive, and unambiguous. But sometimes Vasari did not follow his advice, relying more on the Renaissance Neoplatonic notion of a concept postulated by the Florentine philosopher Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499). In De vita coelitus comparanda (How Life Should Be Arranged According to the Heavens) (Ficino, 1489; 1561-1563; 1996, pp. 7-19; Kerrigan & Braden, 1989, pp. 101-115). Ficino discusses the use and the magic potency of images by deliberating on the virtue of imagery, what power pertains to the figure in the Heavens and on Earth, which of the heavenly configurations are impressed on images by the ancients, and how the images are employed in antiquity (Gombrich, 1972, p. 172; Chastel, 1996, pp. 81-89; Moore, 1990, p. 20, 137, 181; Bull, 2006, pp. 7-36). Vasari assimilated these concepts visually in the fresco painting of the Bride with a Rake (1548), located in one of the rooms in his house in Arezzo, the Chamber of Fortune (Chamber of Virtue), where he composed a paradoxical iconographic image—the subject of this essay. This essay is composed of two parts: an introduction to the location of the painting in the Casa Vasari in Arezzo and an iconographical and iconological interpretation of the imagery.
Most scholarship on Sofonisba Anguissola’s art focuses on her portraits in general and self-portr... more Most scholarship on Sofonisba Anguissola’s art focuses on her portraits in general and self-portraits in particular. To date, however, no art historian has analyzed the gender-based differences between the style and iconography of Anguissola’s male portraits and those of male painters who paint female portraits. The purpose of this essay is threefold: to examine Anguissola’s Ponce Portrait of a Young Man of 1579-1580 (now at the Museo de Arte in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Fig. 1), to attempt to identify its subject, and to address the context in which the portrait was conceived.
... Elizabeth. The mysticism of the Counter-Reformation is evident in the painting of the Madonna... more ... Elizabeth. The mysticism of the Counter-Reformation is evident in the painting of the Madonna and Child with St. ... 9. E. Broun and k Gabhart, "Old Mietreesee: Women Artists of the Past" (Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, April 17June 19, 1972), 2. ...
was a renowned Baroque painter from Portugal who lived between 1630 and 1684. She was an accompli... more was a renowned Baroque painter from Portugal who lived between 1630 and 1684. She was an accomplished artist and one of the most notable female artists of her time. Her works included both secular and religious themes, and she used a variety of mediums with great skill. Despite having different surnames, she signed her paintings under Josepha em Óbidos. This article concentrates on the artist's landscapes (vedute) and integrated still-life paintings (bodegones). It delves into her capacity to depict the changing seasons through these themes. Josefa expertly combined Baroque tenebrism and illusionism with her love of Nature, highlighting both the physical and spiritual aspects of the natural world. Her paintings are visually captivating, with beautiful colors and intricate details. She incorporated emblematic and mystical symbolism, which added to their spiritual significance in portraying the flora and fauna of her homeland.
Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies, Feb 28, 2023
In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed painting an altarpiece of the Madonna of the Rosary... more In 1569, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) completed painting an altarpiece of the Madonna of the Rosary and a Tondo of angels dispersing roses. The commission was for the private chapel of the Capponi family in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. In his Ricordanze (Book of Records), Vasari explained the commission as well as documenting the assistance of his favorite Florentine pupil, Jacopo Zucchi (1541-1590), in the completion of the commission. This essay focusses on Vasari's design, location, and meaning of the Tondo and its emblematic symbolism of love through the rose motif.
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) skillfully created small devotional altarpieces depicting h... more Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) skillfully created small devotional altarpieces depicting holy saints with their respective attributes of martyrdom, seen in Saint Agnes of Rome (c. 291-304) with an ewe, Saint Cecilia (c. 200-235) with a portable organ, Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c. 287-304) with a broken spiked wheel, and Saint Justina of Padua (c. 3rd century) with a small sword in her chest. For their physical sacrifice, Heaven rewarded them with a palm frond as an honorific spiritual gift. Barbara included some of these saints in her paintings on the theme of holy conversation (sacra conversazione; a religious gathering with the Madonna and Child) and depicted the female saints as a single panel-solo image-for private devotion or supplicatory assistance. Most of the biographies and historicity about the lives of these saints are recounted by Jacobus de Voragine (1222-1298), Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). This essay only comments on the iconography of one of Barbara's female saints, Saint Justina of Padua.
Professor of Art History (emerita), UMASS Lowell, USA "O fortunately-born one, you, to... more Professor of Art History (emerita), UMASS Lowell, USA "O fortunately-born one, you, to whom grace concedes the right to see the thrones of eternal triumph, before you abandon the place of militancy, we are fired by the light that burns through all the heavens, and therefore if you want to be lit by us, satisfy yourself at pleasure." Dante, The Divine Comedy, Paradise, Canto V
Image, Word and God in the Early Christian Centuries, 2016
This collection of essays explores the scope of the important relationships between the philosoph... more This collection of essays explores the scope of the important relationships between the philosophical system of Neoplatonism and the arts in Italy.
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy ... more Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy saints, in particular Saint Agnes (c. 291-304). This saint's life and martyrdom was recorded by the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose (339-397), a Doctor of the Church and theologian, in his book Concerning Virgins (374) and by Jacobus de Voragine, the Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). The saint's story continues to be imaged and recounted to the present day because she is an icon of a pure and virtuous adolescent female. Barbara Longhi, along with her father, Luca Longhi (1507-1580), painted several versions of Saint Agnes. In their many depictions they composed two types of images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and her presence in a group of saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings of Saint Agnes, however, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of the saint as virgo, a young maiden of virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) an account of the life and martyrdom of Saint Agnes; and (2) an iconographical interpretation of Barbara Longhi's Saint Agnes of Rome.
Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy ... more Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638) enjoyed creating small devotional paintings depicting holy saints, in particular Saint Agnes (c. 291-304). This saint's life and martyrdom was recorded by the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose (339-397), a Doctor of the Church and theologian, in his book Concerning Virgins (374) and by Jacobus de Voragine, the Archbishop of Genoa, in his Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea, 1275). The saint's story continues to be imaged and recounted to the present day because she is an icon of a pure and virtuous adolescent female. Barbara Longhi, along with her father, Luca Longhi (1507-1580), painted several versions of Saint Agnes. In their many depictions they composed two types of images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and her presence in a group of saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings of Saint Agnes, however, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of the saint as virgo, a young maiden of virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) an account of the life and martyrdom of Saint Agnes; and (2) an iconographical interpretation of Barbara Longhi's Saint Agnes of Rome.
From the variety of types of portraiture, there evolved the imaging of a self-portrait as we see ... more From the variety of types of portraiture, there evolved the imaging of a self-portrait as we see in Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). The self-portrait is a unique work of art, an intimate record of a sitter's personality. It is an acknowledgment of worth, an exercise in technique, and a designator of era, style, and likeness. The self-portrait can be a study in expression, an impersonation of a virtue, or a document in a history of aging. As William Shakespeare noted in Hamlet, "[The self-portrait is] to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." In the sixteenth-century in Italy, artists often included themselves or their self-portraits in religious and secular scenes as a type of signature, as seen in the paintings of the Longhi family. In their many depictions of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the Longhis composed two types of such images: a single-solo-image of the saint; and also her presence in a group with saints-a theme known as holy conversation. In her paintings, Barbara Longhi preferred to depict the solo image of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, using herself as a model for the figure of the saint or as a muse impersonating or personifying the saint's virgo virtue. This essay is composed of two parts: (1) a brief explanation of the meaning of self-portraits in sixteenth-century Italy; and (2) a study of Barbara Longhi's self-portraits as Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
The essay examines for the first time the Christian symbolism in the Immaculate Conception or Mad... more The essay examines for the first time the Christian symbolism in the Immaculate Conception or Madonna Purissima (1620-1625) of Barbara Longhi of Ravenna (1552-1638). In the Italian sixteenth century, she is the first female painter to concentrate in her oeuvre on sacred devotional painting of Marian iconography. This endeavor reveals her aim to fuse physical motherly love and spiritual devotion. Her religious images reflect the artistic patronage of Ravenna as well as the religious decrees of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. Longhi's Immaculate Conception represents the Virgin Mary (Madonna) as the Woman of the Apocalypse described by Saint John in the Book of Revelation (12:1, 2, and 5). Longhi paints the Madonna emerging from a cloud of light and standing on a crescent moon holding her son, Christ. Rays of light emanate from her being and continue to expand in vortices within a nimbus (mandorla) to a ring of twelve stars crowning her and her son. The Madonna's virginal nature embodied in the divine golden light designates her as "Maria Purissima." The stars forming a celestial crown metaphorically symbolize her immortality and wisdom. In the doctrinal precepts of the Counter-Reformation, the Virgin Mary became honored as the Virgo Sapientissima and Gloriosa, the Queen of Wisdom and Glory, and Regis Coeli, the Queen of Heaven. In her artistic manner, Longhi paved the way for mystical devotion, which would later be interpreted by female painters in the seventeenth century.
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