Deciphering the Cantarella Duchess

VISA 7482 Gender and Visual Culture in Early Modern Italy Deciphering the Cantarella Duchess Lucrezia Borgia Jessica Donovan - 20613359 Table of Contents Lucrezia Borgia .......................................................................................................................................1 Appendix I – Family Tree of Lucrezia Borgia ......................................................................................... 16 Appendix II – Dosso Dossi Po t ait of a Youth Lu ezia Bo gia , Natio al Galle of Vi to ia, Victoria, Australia, Oil on Canvas .......................................................................................................... 17 Appendix III – Dosso Dossi (1518Ae eas i the El sia Fields , Natio al Galle of Otta a, Canada, Oil on Canvas........................................................................................................................... 18 Appendix IV – Dosso Dossi (1518Dido C i g o e Ae eas , Galle ia Do ia Pa philj, ‘o e, Ital , Oil on Canvas......................................................................................................................................... 19 Appendix V – Dosso Dossi Alfo so I d Este , Galle ia Este se, Mode a, Ital , Oil o Ca as .. 20 Appendix VI – Dosso Dossi E ole I d Este , Galle ia Este se, Mode a, Ital , Oil o Ca as ... 21 Appendix VII – Titia Ta ui ius a d Lu etia , Fitz illia Museu , Ca idge, E gla d .... 22 Appendix VIII – Tables of Symbolism References ................................................................................. 23 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................... 24 i ...she is ery eautiful ut her har of a er is still ore striki g. I short, her haracter is su h that it is i possi le to suspe t a ythi g, ut o the o trary e look o ly for the est . - 1 Gianlucca Pozzi on Lucrezia Borgia 1 Cohan, MJ, and John Major. History on Quotations: Reflecting 5000 Years of World History. London: Cassell, 2004, p268 1 Female portraiture is a relatively young subject of research, gathering a much larger interest after the feminist movement of the nineteen-seventies. The main focus behind the research of this subject lies within the self-fashioned public appearance that is illustrated in the portrait, a static immortal resemblance of the sitter at a particular time in their life. The carefully constructed unchanging image is an idealistic one which shows the sitter at their best and yet this is the main image that is remembered of the i di idual. This afti g of o e s i age is a deli e ate p o ess designed to relay the virtues and characteristics of the sitter through visual representation and symbolism and ea h ele e t of the po t ait has the apa ilit to e eal a lue to a ds the sitte s identity, the personality of the sitter, their virtues or their familial emblems. One such individual was a particular Italian duchess, sister to dukes and a mother to princes and cardinals. Lucrezia Borgia, the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI, has been the subject of criticism, scandal, intrigue and mystery from the moment her father was elected to the throne of Saint Peter on 11th August 1492 after the death of his predecessor, Innocent VIII. She was used by her father just like any other noble or royal daughter before her; auctioned off to the highest bidder, her marriages were used to seal alliances with the most powerful families in the Italian States in return for a rich dowry and the suppo t of ealth a d a s fo he fathe s familial plans of Borgia domination (See Appendix I). For such an infamous historical figure, there remains to be very few portraits that have been potentially identified and attributed to Lucrezia. The National Gallery of Victoria has been in possession of a portrait of an unknown sitter by an unknown artist since the nineteen-sixties and it was not until November 2008 they revealed that they believed to have identified a portrait of Lucrezia Borgia by Dosso Dossi, the Ferrarese court painter during the reign of her third husband, Alfonso I d Este (see Appendix II). What has made identification so difficult is the lack of noticeable indicators which hindered the ability of art historians to positively identify any such individual; as such, the po t ait had ee offi iall a ed Po t ait of a Youth fo e tu ies. If the identification is correct and the sitter is indeed Lucrezia, then it can seem fitting, and perhaps natural, that her alleged portrait is a multi layered mystery veiled in the duality of its symbolism. 2 Lucrezia, herself, was by no means a traditional Renaissance duchess; she was a mystery, accused of using the Cantarella poison against her enemies, the illegitimate daughter of a Pope, the suspected lover of her brother, Cesare, the mother of an illegitimate son and the widow of a murdered Neapolitan prince. And yet by all contemporary accounts of her, Lucrezia was a sweet natured, intelligent young woman who would be shocked at very rumours surrounding her own reputation. Whilst it must be remembered that this identification of Lucrezia can never be one hundred percent confirmed, the number of subtle and cryptic hints do point towards Lucrezia as being the sitter. However, in order to understand why art historians now believe the portraits to be of Lucrezia and the work of Dossi, the lives and backgrounds of the sitter and the artist must be investigated, to establish the influences of the portrait. The subtle symbolism within the portrait itself must also be analysed and the inspiration behind such a mysterious commission which may have intended to hide its sitte s ide tit i plai sight ith the use of little k o Afte spe di g fou of a Youth , a Natio al Galle efe e es. ea s o du ti g te h i al a d a t histo i al esea h o the Po t ait of Vi to ia o se ato , Ca l Villis, has o luded, a o di g to the evidence uncovered in his investigation, that the artist is Dosso Dossi. The main indicator towards the identity of the artist lay within the composition of the paint used on this particular work; the i g edie ts of the shell gold pai t, po de ed gold, was believed to have been initially used in the Emilia-Romagna area of Italy which included the states of Modena, Parma and Ferrara.2 A technique established during the early sixteenth century was used by several local northern Italian artists, but it was an identifiable technique attributed to Dossi in particular. This gold paint was used on the inscription of the Latin manuscript at the base of the painting and on the hilt of the dagger held on the left side of the sitter. Another indicator that supports that theory of Dossi being the artist is an 2 Victoria, National Gallery of. NGV Solves Renaissance Portrait Mystery. November 2008. http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvmedia/?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cubmd2LnZpYy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYS1hcHAlMkZtZWRpYVJlbGVhc2VzJTJ GMTIxJTJGZGlzcGxheSZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D (accessed May 3, 2011) 3 unusual and unique priming layer which has been known to be used in other works definitively attributed to Dossi.3 Before his appearance at the court of Ferrara, not much is known about the early years of Dosso Dossi, except for his original name, Giovanni di Niccolo de Luterix and some speculation that he may have studied under Titian in Venice before settling in Ferrara, along with his brother and assistant, Battista.4 A la ge i di atio to a ds the p aise held fo Dosso s a tisti tale t as the fa t that he was the court painter in Ferrara, for Alfonso I was a great admirer of a number of artists, including Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian and to choose Dosso as his court painter only speaks of the high regard Alfonso had for him. Ferrara was becoming a e t e of oth hu a ist studies a d a tisti p odu tio du i g the ‘e aissa e u de the pat o age of its e e ole t dukes, E ole I (1471-1505), Alfonso I (1505-1534) and Ercole II (1534-1559); Dossi, as its court painter, would serve all three dukes during his tenure.5 In the Li es of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects Giorgio Vasari proclaims Dosso a sup e e aste at depi ti g the atu al o ld a d as the g eatest of all la ds ape a tists .6 However this was certainly not the limit of his talent, as many Ferrarese courtly documents illustrate the number of different work commissioned over the years, including large scale decoration, easel pictures, theatre sets and tapestries, the provision of banners for trumpets and flags for ships, the gilding of woodwork in the duke's private apartments and polychroming and varnishing of carriages.7 Despite Dosso s success in a wide range of artistic mediums, it is his landscapes for which he is best known and not as a portraiture artist, though his talent in these other areas were no less appreciated by his patron. In the majority of his large scale paintings, Dossi tended to favour a number of Ancient Greek mythology deities and legends as his subject base and of these numerous Greek myths, Dosso 3 Ibid. Bayer, Andrea. Dosso Dossi Court Painter in Renaissance Ferrara. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998, p3 5 Ibid., p xii 6 Ibid., p xiii 7 Ibid., p3 4 4 seemed to have a particular interest in the the es a d i di iduals f o Vi gil s the Ae eid , having painted scenes and portraits of its hero, Aeneas, a survivor of Troy and ancient founder of Rome (see Appendix III) and the betrayed Queen of Carthage, Dido (see Appendix IV). It should be noted that if the proposed date of 1518 for the Borgia portrait is accurate, then the above aforementioned Ae eid pai ti gs e e also ei g o pleted a ou d the sa e ti e, hi h is i te esti g due to the fact that the Borgia portrait contains a Lati e se f o the Ae eid ; this could perhaps indicate an overarching theme for this period i Dosso s a ee a d i the taste of Alfo so I d Este. It must be mentioned that Dossi painted a number of portraits of family members of Lucrezia Borgia, namely her husband, Alfonso I, (see Appendix V) and her father-in-law, Ercole I (see Appendix VI). Whilst Dosso was generally praised for his works, he had earned the animosity of Giorgio Vasa i i his Li es ; Ba e states that Vasa i had a othe s i the editio a d the u f ie dl dispositio to a ds oth the Dossi editio , this u f ie dli ess had t a sfo ale ole e a d goes e e fu the to suggest that Vasa i as jealous of the ed to ope othe s.8 Despite the fact that Vasari even had to admit that Dosso was indeed a extraordinary landscape painter, he was k o to ha e said the pen of Lodovico has given more renown to the name of Dossi than did all the brushes and colours that he used in the whole of his life. Wherefore I, for my part, declare that there could be no greater good fortune than that of those who are celebrated by such great men, since the might of the pen forces most of mankind to accept their fame, even though they may not wholly deserve it .9 Nevertheless, it was this la ds ape pai te ho as hose to eate a po t ait of o e of the most notorious women in Renaissance history. Lucrezia Borgia was born on 18th April 1480, the third child of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress, Vanozza de Catanei.10 The education of Lucrezia was no different from any other noble child and great care was taken to ensure she would become a young, cultured and intelligent woman; her studies included Italian, Castilian, Catalan, French, Greek, Latin, poetry, dance, 8 Ibid., p17 Ibid., p17 10 Vogt-Luerssen, Maike. Lucrezia Borgia: The Life of a Pope's Daughter in the Renaissance. Unknown: Unknown, 2010, p9 9 5 needlework, music and religion.11 Ten years of peace and obscurity would pass before her father was elevated from Cardinal to Pope and the entire family would be propelled into the very public sphere of the Papacy. Cardinal Borgia certainly was not the first cleric to father illegitimate children during his ecclesiastical career, but once he had been elected to the papal throne, Alexander made no secret about the paternity of the children running around the halls of the Vatican. Before Lucrezia came to Ferrara in 1505, she had been through two broken engagements, a divorce and her most recent marriage had ended with the murder of her husband some five years ea lie . Lu ezia s fi st e gage e t as oke ed he she as just ele e , but the agreement was reneged upon after the passing of one month.12 The second engagement was to the son of a different Spanish count and a proxy ceremony was conducted13; however the face-to-face ceremony never occurred for the path for the Borgia family was about to drastically change. In the July of 1492, Pope Innocent VIII died and after the papal conclave, which lasted just over a month, Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia emerged as Pope Alexander VI, a position he had coveted for some time, lying in wait as I o e t s Vi e-Chancellor. Now that Lucrezia was the daughter of the Pope, her marriage could not be wasted on some lowly count that had no benefit; Lucrezia would now command a much higher price. The Sforza family of Pesaro with their cousin ties to Milan proved to be the most beneficial match for the Pope, aligning Pesaro and Milan with the Papal States creating a block against the looming invading French army whose king had designs on the Neapolitan throne, so the marriage was celebrated on 12th June 1492.14 However when the Sforza armies refused to come to the aid of the Pope, the marriage between Lucrezia and Giovanni no longer held the advantage that was promised; Alexander wanted a more beneficial alliance and divorce proceedings were initiated. During this time, it is believed that a child was born to Lucrezia, sometime in March 1498 that was ot he hus a d s; it was even 11 Ibid., p16 Bellonci, Maria. Lucrezia Borgia. London: Phoenix Press, 2000, p18 13 Vogt-Luerssen, Maike. Lucrezia Borgia: The Life of a Pope's Daughter in the Renaissance. Unknown: Unknown, 2010, p19 14 Ibid., p23 12 6 alleged that the fathe as eithe Lu ezia s fathe o othe .15 The scandal behind this birth was the fact that the divorce was being examined under the pretence of Gio a i s i pote e, a hard thing to refute when one was already full with child. Under pressure from his Milanese relatives, Giovanni bowed to pressure and accepted the sham reason for the divorce and the marriage was declared null and void.16 Lucrezia was not to remain unmarried long, for within three months of the birth of her child, her second husband arrived in Rome during July 1498. Alfonso Trastamara, the illegitimate son of Alfonso II of Naples and brother to Sancha, the wife of Joffre Borgia, was to e the lo e of Lu ezia s life a d the a e a ied within days. Alas this marriage was to become unpopular even faster than the last, for within a o th, the Pope ha ged sides f o the Neapolita s to the F e h; Lu ezia s e hus a d as now an enemy of the Papacy. With the marriage of her brother to a French Navarrese princess, Cha lotte d Al et, the allia e ith the F e h as sealed a d the da s of Alfo so Trastamara were now numbered; he fled Rome secretly and left his pregnant wife behind. Afte Alfo so s etu to Rome, Lucrezia gave birth to her second child, Rodrigo, on 14th October 1499 and it would seem that Alexander s hea t had softe ed fo a ti e, ut it ould ot e e ough to sa e the hild s fathe . O 15th July 1500, Alfonso was attacked and mortally wounded; he was taken within the Vatican walls and tended to by his wife and sister. When it appeared that Alfonso may be recovering three days later, he was strangled in his sick bed and his death was attributed to an accidental fall that ruptured his newly healing wounds.17 Lucrezia was, once again, free to marry and it certainly not long before feelers were put out fo he thi d hus a d; he fathe s hoi e fell o Fe a a a d its uli g House of Este hi h had held the duchy since the twelfth century. After the proxy wedding ceremony on 30th December 1501, Lucrezia left for her new home in the northern parts of Italy and away from Rome; once there, she was more than able to charm her way into the heart of her in-laws, which overcame any doubts the 15 16 17 Ibid., p33 Bellonci, Maria. Lucrezia Borgia. London: Phoenix Press, 2000, p109 Ibid., p158 7 Este family had about her.18 Here Lucrezia would finally be free from her father and the scandal of Rome and would be able to recreate her image and reputation as the new Duchess of Ferrara and become the accomplished, refined Renaissance duchess that was expected of her. The quintessential Renaissance duchess was gracious, kind, chaste and above all, beautiful; all this and more was meant to be portrayed and sealed in paint and oil. Female portraiture could be described as the artistic manifestation of a static image of female virtues; Paola Tinagli describes it as the embodiment of a set of ideals, both aesthetic and social, shared by the artists and by the pat o s ho o issio ed the pai ti gs .19 Portraiture was used as a medium to demonstrate o e s wealth and status within society, therefore it was a carefully constructed and deliberate process meant to show the sitter at their best; an eternal reminder of the sitter for everyone to behold, for as long as the portrait survived. The women in the majority of female portraits were usually the wives and daughters of wealthy and ennobled patrons, commissioned in either tribute or celebration of the sitter to join their predecessors in the family gallery; therefore the very existence of a portrait alone demonstrates the wealth of the patron, as the artists who painted them did not work cheaply. The composition of the portrait would be carefully decided upon between the patron and the artist and perhaps on occasions, with the sitter as well; certain objects and symbols would be included at the pat o s e uest, i o de to illust ate a pa ti ula ualit of the sitte , alo g ith ide tifia le sigils of their royal house, giving the spectator subtle and not so subtle clues to the identity of the sitter. Beaut as ost o eted ualit illust ated i the po t aitu e of o e ith the i h ess of head jewels, the complexities of the head-dresses and of the twisted and plaited strands of hair, placed well away from the face to expose and emphasise the profile .20 Any object within a painting could have a hidden meaning; certain trees and flowers can indicate grief or happiness, ornaments and jewels can indicate purity or lust and the colours of the clothes they wear can indicate some 18 Vogt-Luerssen, Maike. Lucrezia Borgia: The Life of a Pope's Daughter in the Renaissance. Unknown: Unknown, 2010, p59 Tinagli, Paola. Women in Italian Renaissance. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1997, p2 20 Ibid., p50 19 8 wealth or quite a lot of wealth. The pearl represents purity and virginity, the rose represents love and desire, the apple tree represents marriage and fidelity; just to name a few and all of these seemingly innate objects are hidden icons which indicate either masculine and feminine qualities.21 A number of objects were obviously depicting masculine qualities; things such as books, weapons, armour and horses were tools of war, a deeply masculine tradition that women were barred from and those who dared to cross that particular gender line were disliked by both sexes for not being content with their own station in life. Other things such as music, flowers, children, babies a d atu e e e fe i i e ualities, dis ega ded e as o e s o k a d those e who prefer such work as thought of as weak. However, there are some which seem to balance the gender difference and can represent either sex. A common method of invoking feminine qualities was to display trees, fruit, animals or flowers that were synonymous with a particular Ancient Greek or Roman goddess; using the juniper tree could indicate a wild spirit as Artemis, the Greek goddess of hu ti g, ilde ess a d ild a i als ; o the holdi g of a u h of g apes o a i e hali e ould i di ate ho age to Dio sus, the G eek god of i e, egetatio , pleasu e a d festi it .22 The portrait of Lucrezia Borgia is an allegory of her pain, her suffering and her life su ou di g the ole she as fo ed to pla i he fathe s ga e of o uest efo e he deli e a e into the hands of the Este family with her third marriage in 1505. Particular subtle feminine symbols were chosen to give an artistic manifestation to hidden clues that direct the spectator through the tale of grief, loss and scandal that was the life of Lucrezia Borgia. A family emblem of the Borgia family was the goddess of beauty, love, pleasure and procreation, Aphrodite. 23 This Greek goddess is older than Zeus and his fellow Olympian Gods, having been born of the sea as a result of the castration of the sky god Ouranos by his son, the Titan Kronos; [he] ut his father s loi s ith unmanning sickle until the foam got a mind and made the water shape itself into a self-perfected 21 Atsma, Aaron. Theoi Greek Mythology - Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature and Art. 2008. http://www.theoi.com (accessed April 16, 2011). 22 Ibid. 23 Victoria, National Gallery of. NGV Solves Renaissance Portrait Mystery. November 2008. http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvmedia/?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cubmd2LnZpYy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYS1hcHAlMkZtZWRpYVJlbGVhc2VzJTJ GMTIxJTJGZGlzcGxheSZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D (accessed May 3, 2011). 9 birth, delivered of Aphrodite from the sea? .24 Therefore it would seem only natural that the portrait of a Borgia should have several references to the goddess of love. There are a number of items in the Lucrezia Borgia portrait that refer to Aphrodite; the flowering myrtle tree which sits behind Lucrezia and covers the majority of the background and the Latin scripture that lies on a table or bench in front of Lucrezia at the base of the portrait. The flowering myrtle tree in the background of the painting is a sacred plant of Aphrodite because her most favourite love, the young and beautiful Adonis, sprung from the trunk of a myrtle tree. Adonis was a prince of Kypros in western Asia and was born from the incestuous love of Smyrna and her father, a punishment visited upon the princess: Because of Aphrodite s rath (for she did not honour Aphrodite), Smyrna developed a lust for her father, and with the help of her nurse slept with him for twelve nights without his knowing it. When he found out he drew his sword and started after her, and as he was about to overtake her, she prayed to the gods to become invisible. The gods took pity on her and changed her into the tree called the Smyrna. Nine months later the tree split ope a d the a y a ed Ado is as or .25 Adonis caused much jealously among the gods who were all eager to keep him for themselves; such was the brawling that Zeus was asked mediate and his decision was much akin to the agreement settled upon Persephone. The manifestation of the perfect man was made to spend a third of a year with Aphrodite, another third with Persephone and finally a third by himself.26 Jealous as ot o fi ed to the fai e se ; the s o ed fo e lo e of Aph odite, the god of War, Ares, transformed himself into a boar and gored the young man to death whilst he was hunting.27 Having heard the scream of her beloved, Aphrodite rushed to his side, as she saw him lifeless, writhing in his blood, she rent her garments, tore her lovely hair, and bitterly beat her breast, and springing down reproached fate .28 24 Atsma, Aaron. Theoi Greek Mythology - Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature and Art. 2008. http://www.theoi.com (accessed April 16, 2011). 25 Ibid. 26 Ibid. 27 Ibid. 28 Ibid. 10 According to Carl Villis, the translation of the Latin scripture that lies on a table in front of Lu ezia is ighte is the i tue eig i g i this eautiful od hich he also identifies as being adapted from Vi gil s epi poe , the Aeneid.29 This biopic tells the story of Aeneas, survivor of the long war of Troy, co-founder of Ancient Rome and the mortal son of Aphrodite. A prince of Dardania, which lay near Troy, Aeneas was born of its king, Ankhises, and the love goddess; Ankhises, most glorious of mortal men, take courage and be not too fearful in your heart. You need fear no harm from me nor from the other blessed ones, for you are dear to the gods: and you shall have a dear son who shall reign among the Trojans and children's children after him, springing up continually. His name shall be Aeneas, because I felt awful grief in that I laid me in the bed mortal man .30 During his time in Troy, Aeneas was married to one of the many daughters of King Priam, thus becoming brother-in-law to both Hector and Paris; however she died before the end of the war. After the final defeat and sacking of Troy, Aeneas escaped the burning city and after wandering for six years, landed in Carthage and seduced its Queen, Dido; however when Aeneas was pushed along in his journey and he left Carthage, the Queen was devastated to the point of committing suicide. He completed his journey in the north of Italy where it is thought he founded Rome. The final noticeable object is the dagger of which only the hilt is visible, held between Lu ezia s t o ha ds. Villis otes this as a a o al o u e e i po t aitu e alo e, let alo e i any difference between male and female portraits, and as far as his research can reveal, there are no other portraits from the Renaissance period which displays a dagger, as all ruling men in portraiture wield a sword.31 Villis argues that there is but one explanation in the Ancient Roman myth of Lucretia (see Appendix VII). Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus was riding in the company of Sextus Tarquinius, the youngest son of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, king of Rome, when they began to 29 Usher, Robin. Portrait of Renaissance Femme Fatale Lucrezia Borgia found at NGA. 26 November 2008. http://www.theage.com.au/national/portrait-of-renaissance-femme-fatale-lucrezia-borgia-found-at-ngv-20081125-6hh9.html (accessed April 16, 2011). 30 Atsma, Aaron. Theoi Greek Mythology - Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature and Art. 2008. http://www.theoi.com (accessed April 16, 2011). 31 Usher, Robin. Portrait of Renaissance Femme Fatale Lucrezia Borgia found at NGA. 26 November 2008. http://www.theage.com.au/national/portrait-of-renaissance-femme-fatale-lucrezia-borgia-found-at-ngv-20081125-6hh9.html (accessed April 16, 2011). 11 discuss to virtues of women and to prove his claim that it was his own wife, Lucretia, who was most i tuous, the pa t i ediatel ade fo Collati us ho e; upon their arrival, it was discovered that Lucretia was weaving in the company of her maids.32 Having won the bet, Collatinus invited his guests to stay within the walls of his city in their te ts a d du i g the ight Ta ui ius s u k i to the ha e s of his host s ife a d held a s o d to he th oat, p o isi g that resistance is vain [for] I ll ro thee of ho our [or] of life. I, the adulterer, will bear false witness to thine adultery. I ll kill a sla e, a d ru our ill ha e it that thou ert aught ith hi .33 Her virtue stolen from her, the very next day Lucretia dressed in black and travelled to he fathe s house i ‘o e. Th o i g he self at “pu ius Lu etius feet, Lu etia de anded that the audience chamber be filled with witnesses and gave each and every detail of the rape. Despite the o soli g of he fathe , Lu etia de la ed the pa do that ou gi e, I do efuse self a d immediately drew a hidden dagger from amongst her clothes and plunged it into her own breast; even in death, :Lucretia took care to fall in a decent manner.34 The fallout from these actions was a large uprising and rebellion against the kings of Rome, their ultimate deposition and the establishment of the Roman republic in 509BC. The two main references behind the symbolism in the portrait of Lucrezia Borgia are Aphrodite and the city of Rome itself, although many of the emblems have a duality in their meanings. The myrtle tree speaks of Aph odite s lo e for her most beloved, Adonis, for it was from such a tree that he sprung from after his mother bedded her own father and was turned into such a tree upon the discovery. This may very well mirror Lucrezia own life s, if the u ou s su ou ding her and her family are to be believed; it had been suggested that Lucrezia was the lover of both her brother, Cesare, and her father, Alexander VI, and that she gave birth to an illegitimate child during the divorce proceedings against Giovanni Sforza. This child, Giovanni Borgia the infans Romanus, was claimed by in separate bulls by both Cesare and Alexander; however the true identities of both 32 Atsma, Aaron. Theoi Greek Mythology - Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature and Art. 2008. http://www.theoi.com (accessed April 16, 2011). 33 Ibid. 34 Ibid. 12 parents have never been confirmed and the child remained in Rome when his alleged mother left for Ferrara. The Latin inscriptio i the po t ait righter is the irtue reig i g i this eautiful ody speaks of the womanly virtues of beauty and grace, a well sought after commodity in the realm of female portraiture. The ph ase is f o the A ie t ‘o a lassi poe the Ae eid by Virgil and the tale focuses on Aeneas, a princely warrior who fights for Troy in the war against the amalgamated Greek army. After escaping the destruction of Troy, Aeneas took to the Mediterranean Sea, sailing along the southern coast and eventually settling in northern Italy; there he founded Rome and it was his descendants who later became the Kings of Rome. This efe e e to the Ae eid of he a e a othe efle tio upo Lu ezia s o life; the ti e a iage to Alfo so d Este, Cesa e had laid waste to the Romagna region of Italy at the behest of their father, Alexander, who had designs to create a new kingdom of Rome by incorporating these newly vanquished territories and install Cesare as its ruler. It is possible that Lucrezia saw her father trying to establish himself as a contemporary modern day Aeneas by creating another Roman kingdom and ensuring that his heirs would be kings. It must be noted that one of the family emblems of the House of Borgia was Aphrodite herself, thus it would make sense to reference Aeneas, the child of Aphrodite who sits in Rome. The Venus who sits in Rome would be, in a contemporary interpretation, the Pope himself, as the head of the Borgia family and Cesare is in the place of Aeneas as the descendant who is destined to be king. However, this argument could be countered by the reference hidden within the dagger held by Lucrezia. Whilst the dagger does represent the rape and subsequent suicide of Lucretia, the ultimate consequence of the actions of both Sextus Tarquinius and Lucretia is the rebellion against and destruction of the monarchy of Rome; which would contradict the above theory in regards to the establishment of a new kingdom. It could be argued that Lucrezia Borgia identifies with her ancient Roman counterpart and sees herself as a atal st fo the dest u tio of he fathe s s he es 13 for the foundation of a new Roman kingdom. Nevertheless, it must be noted that by the time of the o issio i g of Lu ezia s po t ait, Ale a de had al ead ee dead fo o e ten years from fever and Cesare had been slain in battle in 1507 at Viana in the Spanish kingdom of Navarre; therefore the kingdom that Alexander had dreamed of and Cesare had fought for never materialised and their plans for conquest died with them. These symbolic objects are of a feminine nature, although their meanings are not clearly evident. The myrtle tree can be a reference to nature and thus to Mother Nature or Gaia, the Ancient Greek Titian goddess of the earth and the premier feminine presence within the world; the beauty of the natural world has been synonymous and linked through verse and song with the beauty of virtuous women. The Latin inscription, whilst in a language that the majority of women would not have been able to read, is nonetheless poetry, a definite feminine pastime. The dagger would initially be thought of as a masculine symbol as it is a weapon and war is a very masculine venture; however the dagger is not the typical choice of a successful warrior and was more commonly used by women due to its smaller size, ease of use and its ability to be hidden within the female costume to allow for surprise attacks. This portrait does not contain any obvious feminine symbol such as jewels, flowing richly coloured gowns, musical instruments or ornate hair styles and head dresses; instead trees, daggers and Latin inscriptions are utilised. Whilst the femininity of the symbols in the portrait is not clear, it can be seen once all theories have been explored. The multiple references to Aphrodite, Adonis and Aeneas are portrayed through the use of symbols, such as trees, daggers and inscriptions, which are not usually identified with feminine virtues such as nature, beauty and poetry. The background narratives behind the initial meaning clearly reference her father as the Venus that lies in Rome with strategies to institute a new era of monarchy upon Rome with his own son as king (see Appendix VIII). 14 The portrait is a concealed biography of the life of Lucrezia Borgia; accused of incest with her father and gave birth to an illegitimate child like Smyrna, a descendant of the Venus who suffered the loss of a spouse through death like Aeneas, and the daughter who removed herself from her fathe s g asp, aki to e o i g he self f o ou se to ause the de ise of he fathe s the fa il , hi h ga e the est of the Italia states the o a hi al a itio s for Italy like Lucretia. What is interesting is the fact that these symbols a d these sto ies e e hose to illust ate Lu ezia s o background and history, but it is not known exactly who commissioned Dossi to paint such a portrait nor is it known how these particular symbols were agreed upon and whether Lucrezia was content enough to be portrayed as such. Although a potential artist and sitter has been put forward, this portrait shall remain a mystery to art historians as the symbolism behind the prospective identity is complex and multilayered with a first layer indicating feminine virtues and pursuits that is coupled with a secondary layer that references the main influences in the life of Lucrezia and the male individuals of the Borgia family. 15 Appendix I – Family Tree of Lucrezia Borgia 16 Appendix II – Dosso Dossi 5 8 Portrait of a Youth Lucrezia Borgia , National Gallery of Victoria, Victoria, Australia, Oil on Canvas 17 Appendix III – Dosso Dossi (1518- Aeneas in the Elysian Fields , National Gallery of Ottawa, Canada, Oil on Canvas 18 Appendix IV – Dosso Dossi (1518- Dido Crying over Aeneas , Galleria Doria Panphilj, Rome, Italy, Oil on Canvas 19 Appendix V – Dosso Dossi (1530 Alfonso ) d Este , Galleria Estense, Modena, Italy, Oil on Canvas 20 Appendix VI – Dosso Dossi 5 5 Ercole ) d Este , Galleria Estense, Modena, Italy, Oil on Canvas 21 Appendix VII – Titian (1570 Tarquinius and Lucretia , Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England 22 Appendix VIII – Tables of Symbolism References Aphrodite Rome Masculine Feminine Myrtle Tree Yes No No Yes Dagger No Yes Yes Yes Latin Inscription Yes Yes Yes Yes 23 Bibliography Atsma, Aaron. 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