Italian Renaissance: Leonardo Da Vinci
La Belle Ferronnière by Leonardo Da Vinci 1490-1496
At first glance, this painting gives me the feeling that I am being harshly judged. She is beautiful, but to me it seems in a cruel way that makes her feel superior in someway. The look in her eye like she has some sort of blackmail keeps me on edge evoking guilt. Owning this painting could be a great accomplishment due to the fact that is it painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, but I do not think getting side eyed constantly is something I want hanging up in my house.
When it comes to the art elements the use of shadowing is apparent when comparing her ivory skin to the dark black of the plain background. Even the colors in her dress are somewhat muted making her skin and face more apparent causing the dress to catch the eye second. Red is seen as a color of power and royalty, and even with the muted tones it still promotes a feeling of power that the women possesses. The color of her hair is dark and almost blends in with the background, yet again highlighting her face even more.
The backstory behind the painting is very controversial. There are several theories that link the woman in the painting to King Francis I of France, making the influence of royalty very strong. One theory is that the woman contracted syphilis from her revenge seeking husband, who in turn passes it onto the king. The revenge theory offers a look into how art can be influenced by royalty, but also how royalty can be influenced by art. This piece of art allows for the story, even though it may be false, to be told and influence the opinion of the viewer based on a single rumor.
Another painting by Da Vinci called "Lady with an Ermine" often gets mistaken due to once having the same name of "La Belle Ferronnière" as well. Because ferronnière is what was considered a headband that women wore and is depicted in both paintings, the name was then copied based on the headpiece. The other artwork's name was changed to "Lady with an Ermine" due to the animal she was holding.
“‘La Belle Ferronnière’ by Leonardo Da Vinci.” Joy of Museums Virtual Tours, 22 Aug. 2020, https://joyofmuseums.com/museums/europe/france-museums/paris-museums/the-louvre/la-belle-ferronniere-by-leonardo-da-vinci/.
“Collections Online: British Museum.” Collections Online | British Museum, https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG161741.
Hello Juliana! Thank you for sharing. I have not seen this piece of art before. I agree that it is haunting and not something that would evoke joy in my home; therefore, I don't think I would own a copy of it. I found the history or maybe false history of this piece interesting. Love affairs generations ago, and generations to come. This color of this piece initially made me think that it wasn't Renaissance art but the longer I look at it, the more I can see that it is. The use of negative space is a deliberate attempt to create the illusion of depth. Also, the main focal point, the lady, is centered in the frame and has straight posture, looking directly out of the frame. I would classify this as a Renaissance portrait.
ReplyDeleteJuliana, I can agree with you that I would not hang this piece in my own home because like you said, she seems too judge-mental and I wouldn't want her to be staring at me either. It is clear that this piece was created during the Italian Renaissance and based on your analysis, it can also be inferred that it also has a link with royalty due to the use of colors and other features that are in the painting such as the headpiece. According to https://joyofmuseums.com/museums/europe/france-museums/paris-museums/the-louvre/la-belle-ferronniere-by-leonardo-da-vinci/, it is recently believed that the woman in the painting could also be the wife of Ludovico Sforza, Beatrice d’Este.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you in the fact that I wouldn't really want this in my home, but I think to see it in person in more of a neutral space (ei. museum) would be fantastic. For me, I think the style of this painting is very appealing. I love the contrasts of the shades of subject and background. The color palette of her dress is also very rich and pleasing. I do not like, as you mentioned, the way she is looking at me... I love the history of this piece so, so much. The renaissance painting which I chose for this assignment also had some history possibly surrounding an affair. Perhaps it was quite common at the time? I have to assume it was judging by how many arranged marriages faced the horribly standard lives of royals of the period. Thank you for sharing!
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