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 "The Medici family redefined arts patronage. They did it for many reasons, including political ones, but their legacy, like the city they built, endures. They even had examples of Mesoamerican art, and this was in the 1580s." -Larry J. Feinberg The show's catalogue is available at the Art Institute's shop or from Yale University Press. It includes Mr. Feinberg's essay on The Studiolo of Francesco I.
The Medici, Michelangelo, and the Art of Late Renaissance Florence Art Institute Shop: (800) 518-4214 ISBN (cloth): 0-300-09495-7 $60.00 ISBN (pbk): 0-89558-158-2
Read more about the discovery at theCooper-Hewitt’s website. |
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LARRY FEINBERG
Northwestern University Graduate Brings Florentine Splendor to Art Institute
Larry J. Feinberg, two time Northwestern graduate, and Art Institute of Chicago curator, has given Chicago's art lovers their best holiday present in years with his exhibit, The Medici, Michelangelo, and the Art of Late Renaissance Florence.
A production of three museums, Mr. Feinberg organized and hung the show for its US premiere on November 9th, 2002. On February 2nd, the show will relocate to The Detroit Institute of Arts, where it will conclude its international tour on June 8th.
The exhibit collected over 200 pieces from ten countries and twelve US cities. While roughly seventy-five percent of the works come from Florence, others are on loan from the Louvre, the British Museum, the Metropolitan, the Getty, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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INTERVIEW
January 10, 2003 - Chicago
Clio caught up with Mr. Feinberg to talk art, the Medici, and what it takes to produce a first-rate show. An excerpt from the interview follows.
CLIO: What sort of preparation went into this exhibit?
LJF: Almost five years of research and collaboration with museums, governments, and collectors.
CLIO: How much has this cost?
LJF: I'm not at liberty to disclose the show's finances, but the funding came from, among others, The National Endowment for the Humanities, Bank One, and here in Chicago from The Women's Board of the Art Institute.
CLIO: Why isn't the Art Institute issuing tickets?
LJF: That was a controversial decision made by the director. Ultimately, I think it's for the best. I've seen lots of people in the gallery, like large families, that I don't think would have made the trip otherwise.
CLIO: You've been to Florence many times. Were you ever tempted to do a show just for connoisseurs like yourself, excluding obvious pieces?
LJF: Most of the pieces are being shown in the US for the first time. We have works by Michelangelo, who is always a draw, but we also have works by lesser-known artists, like Cavalori. I think what makes this show special is its ability to convey the period without using the obvious works all to frequently associated with Florence and Renaissance art. Moreover, the show has pieces from different medias, from paintings to decorative arts. The latter thanks to the expertise of Alan Darr in Detroit.
CLIO: Your special contribution to the show was your recreation of the Studiolo of Francesco I. Tell us about that.
LJF: Francesco I de' Medici commissioned his Studiolo in the winter of 1569-70. Thirty-one artists were involved. It was not so much a study as a vault for the prince's collection of rare and precious objects, like sea corals and mirrors. We believe he suffered from manic depression and would self-medicate using what he kept in his vault.
CLIO: How did you discover that?
LJF: Mostly from period accounts. He was a powerful prince, so people paid a good deal of attention to his moods. The Studiolo had nineteen cabinets with corresponding paintings that depicted the cabinets' contents. One of the paintings was Naldini's Gathering of Ambergris, and we learned that ambergris was used as an antidepressant in the sixteenth century.
CLIO: One of the other paintings is of a wool factory done by Cavalori. Why did it interest you?
LJF: One of his two in the Studiolo. I did my doctoral thesis on Cavalori, so it was a treat for me to hang one of his works in the show.
CLIO: What became of Francesco's Studiolo? Is it still intact?
LJF: Yes and no. In 1586, only eleven years after it was finished, Francesco had it dismantled and its art moved to the Uffizi. In 1908, it was returned to the Palazzo Vecchio, but was incorrectly installed. Our recreation may be the first time it has been shown as it was originally designed.
CLIO: Are there any plans to correct it in Florence?
LJF: It's funny you should ask. I got an e-mail about that the other day. Fingers crossed.
CLIO: Give us one of your favorite museums.
LJF: Small museums? I'd have to say the Frick in New York.
CLIO: What's next for you?
LFJ: I'm working on a book about the Medici with the authors of Pollock: An American Saga, which won a Pulitzer (1991). I'll keep you posted.
CLIO: Well congratulations on the show, and thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
LJF: You're most welcome.
RESOURCES
12.09.02: Read Robert Hughes' review of the show for Time magazine,
Mighty Medici.($)
7.10.02: Read about Sir Timothy Clifford's discovery of a Michelangelo in the Cooper-Hewitt (New York Times)