| Madonna della Vittoria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Andrea Mantegna |
| Year | 1496 |
| Medium | Tempera on canvas |
| Dimensions | 280 cm × 166 cm (110 in × 65 in) |
| Location | Louvre Museum, Paris |
TheMadonna della Vittoria is a painting by the ItalianRenaissance painterAndrea Mantegna; the painting was executed in 1496.
On 6 July 1495 the French army ofCharles VIII of France, retreating from Italy after theFrench Invasion of 1494-1498, fought the Italic League at theBattle of Fornovo. The League, commanded byFrancesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua, was made up of numerous nation-states determined to prevent French dominance in Italy, and included the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Venice, Milan, and the Papal States controlled byPope Alexander VI. In the battle, the League's army failed to capture Charles VIII, who retreated back to France,[1] but captured the French treasure and supplies. Both the French and Italians claimed victory at Fornovo:[a][2] To celebrate the battle, Francesco commissioned Mantegna to paint theMadonna della Vittoria.[3]
During Francesco's absence from Mantua, Daniele da Norsa, a Jewish banker, had purchased a house in the city's San Simone quarter and replaced the image of theVirgin Mary which decorated its façade with his own coat of arms. The regent,Sigismondo Gonzaga, ordered him to restore the depiction. Although Daniele agreed to do so, the populace, inflamed by anti-semitic feeling, destroyed his house.[citation needed]
When Francesco returned, he forced Daniele to fund a chapel and a devotional painting. The painting was to be executed by the Mantuan court painter, Mantegna, and was inaugurated in 1496 on the anniversary of the duke's victory at Fornovo. The work was placed in the church ofSanta Maria della Vittoria, which had been constructed over the ruins of Daniele da Norsa's house.[citation needed]
The painting was one ofthe artworks looted by the French during theNapoleonic invasion of Italy, and by 1798 was being exhibited in theLouvre. The painting was never returned; the given excuse was that its large size made the transport difficult. The presence of asulphur-crested cockatoo in the painting is considered as evidence of Arab trade in the Australasian region which dates all the way to when one such bird was gifted fromSultan al-Kamil toFrederick II in the 1240s.[4]
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The altarpiece shows Francesco Gonzaga paying homage to Mary, who sits on a high throne decorated with marblesintarsias andbas-reliefs. The base of the throne, with lion paws, has, within a medallion, the inscription "REGINA/CELI LET./ALLELVIA" (Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia); it lies on a circular basement with a bas-relief of the "Original Sin" and other stories from theBook of Genesis which are partly obscured by the praying figures. The throne's back has a large solar disc, decorated with weavings andvitreous pearls.
The child Jesus, who holds two red flowers (symbols of thePassion) and Mary look at Francesco Gonzaga, who is kneeling and has a grateful and smiling expression while receiving their blessing. The protection given to Gonzaga during the battle is also symbolized by Mary's mantle, which partially covers his head. Opposite to the donor areSt. John the Baptist with a cross featuring the usualcartouche saying "ECCE/AGNVS/DEI ECCE/Q[VI] TOLL/IT P[ECCATA] M[VNDI]" (Behold theLamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world), and his mother,St. Elizabeth, protector ofIsabella d'Este, wife of Francesco Gonzaga. The choice of St. Elizabeth in the place of a patron may have been chosen as a message of judgement to the Norsa who were made to pay for the work as a penalty for removing an image of the Madonna from their home. Unlike the Norsa, St. Elizabeth who is represented as a Jewess in a yellow turban, was said to be the first to recognize the sanctity of Mary.[5]
At the sides are two couples of standing saints: in the foreground are two military saints, the archangelSt. Michael with a sword andSt. Longinus with a broken spear, donning richly decorated armors; behind them areSt. Andrew, patron saint of Mantua, with a long stick with the cross andSt. George, another military saint, with a helmet and a long red lance.
The scene is set in anapse formed by apergola of leaves, flowers and fruits, with several birds; the pergola's frame has at the top a shell (an attribute of the Virgin as newVenus), from which hang threads ofcoral pearls androck crystal, as well as a large piece of red coral, another hint to the Passion of Jesus. Theparrot is a comment on the birth of Jesus.[6]
Media related toMadonna della Vittoria at Wikimedia Commons