Equestrian Portrait Of Pietro Strozzi, Florentine Painter, 17th–18th Century

Florentine painter, 17th–18th century
Equestrian portrait of Pietro Strozzi (Florence, 1511 – Thionville, 1558)

Oil on canvas
79 x 115 cm - Framed: 92 x 127 cm

Full details (click HERE)

A valiant knight, proud in his sumptuous armor adorned with golden ornaments, intent on controlling his rearing horse, is placed at the center of our painting. In the background is a landscape of the Tuscan Apennines, with army troops preparing to engage in battle.

This is believed to be the condottiero Pietro Strozzi (Florence, 1511 – Thionville, 1558), immortalized here during one of the phases of the War of Siena (the Battle of Marciano): when, in July 1554, the Medici army, together with its imperial allies, after besieging Marciano—which was in French hands—was attacked by the army of Florentine exiles led by Pietro Strozzi.

This same event was frequently depicted in sixteenth-century painting, for example by Giovanni Stradano (Bruges, 1523–1605) or by his pupil Antonio Tempesta (Florence 1555–Rome 1630), a leading artist in the 17th-century development of the “battle” genre; the painting, as a whole, reflects the style and compositional choices of their work; both were leading figures in the culture of late Mannerism at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, emulated by many artists of the period.

The equestrian portrait of the condottiero highlights the armor, in all its splendor and opulence, reminiscent of the styles prevalent in the Tuscan courts during the 16th century, drawing inspiration from ancient art, contemporary paintings, and above all from the widely circulated engravings by the disciples of Raphael and Giulio Romano.

The detail of the mask engraved on the shield is particularly beautiful—one of the imaginative decorations typical of the turbulent Mannerist period.


Pietro Strozzi and the Battle of Marciano
Giovanni Stradano (Bruges, 1523–1605)


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is framed in a lovely gilded wooden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

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