This dissertation is a study of the iconography of the sculpture and the frescoes in the Palazzo Magnani (1577-1592) in Bologna, Italy. The central purpose is to examine the decoration for the meaning it once had for the owner, Lorenzo Magnani. / The Carracci series of frescoes on the Life of Romulus in the salon d'onore of the Palazzo has long been praised and described from the point of view of style. However, until this study, it has not been examined iconographically, or discussed as part of a decorative concetto. / The major unanswered question which is addressed in this dissertation is whether there is an iconographic connection between the sculpture of Hercules with two boys which stands in a niche in the cortile of the Palazzo and the fresco series. Nine busts all'antica flanked by urns placed over the doorways of the Palazzo are also included in the analysis of the decoration. / Chapter one surveys previous scholarship and includes in an appendix the stylistic analyses which major scholars have made regarding the Carracci frescoes since the time of Malvasia. Since these analyses have not lead to a clarification of the meaning the decoration may have had for the owner, the first chapter serves to underscore the need for an iconographic approach. The second chapter describes the niche sculpture of Hercules with two young boys who stand one behind the other in an unique grouping. The multiple associations surrounding Hercules are explored as well as the parallels between Hercules and Romulus. Hercules as a twin, as the protector of bastards, and as a model of virtu are among the aspects of the hero which are shown to be relevant to an understanding of the importance of this group. Chapter three describes the busts and the flanking urns which are placed over the doorways in the Palazzo. These are treated as a sixteenth century interpretation of the Roman ius imaginum. Hercules, Romulus and the great Romans form a genealogical succession down to the Magnani family. The fourth chapter examines Cardinal Gabriele Paleotti's (1522-1597) attitude toward profane art and shows that the decoration of the Palazzo Magnani would have followed the requirements which he set forth. The historicity of Romulus in the 16th century is an important aspect of the scheme allowing the frescoes to be seen as history and not myth. Chapter five presents documents which establish the prestige of Lorenzo Magnani and his status in the government of Bologna. Baptismal and genealogical records reveal the birth of two sons, one of whom was born in 1592, the date recorded on the camino of the salon d'onore. / The dissertation concludes that the niche sculpture of Hercules and the two boys is linked iconographically to the frescoes of the Life of Romulus through the figure of Hercules who can be seen in this context as the prototypical ancestor of the Magnani family. The sculpture in the niche is also linked to the family history of the Lorenzo and his children. Hercules, although a pagan figure, was acceptable to both the humanist and the churchman of sixteenth century Bologna as a model of virtu who proclaimed to the viewer the power and the status of the Magnani. The dissertation sees the decoration of the Palazzo Magnani as the expression of a unified concetto and also one which expressed the Neo-Romanism of the late sixteenth century. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-01, Section: A, page: 0003. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77781 |
| Contributors | RUBENSTEIN, BETTY ROGERS., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 306 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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