Isabella dEste: Her Ideal of the Renaissance Female Portrait Essay Example

portrait of the marchioness held a greater meaning than just showcasing her beauty and wealth. Unlike other court ladies, the marchioness actively participated in political and cultural affairs. During the Renaissance period, she was an exceptional patron amongst women, commissioning portraits from different artists to reflect her aspirations as a collector. By examining the records and surviving portraits, we can understand what the marchioness aimed to achieve as the most renowned court lady of her time.

Portraiture has a long history, dating back to the birth of art. It became particularly popular during the Classical period, and underwent a turning point with the revival of classical ideas from the Quattrocento. Renaissance art, characterized by harmony and balance influenced by humanism, succeeded the religious tradition of medieval art. Portraiture evolved from the limited artistic frames and imagination of medieval donor portraits, which primarily focused on showcasing the sitter's religious faith and wealth. It now has its own unique character as a means of self-expression.

The artist's aesthetic manipulation of portraiture no longer adhered to the stereotypical, fixed form of earlier eras for representing women. Instead, they started to portray real individuals rather than personifications of beliefs or values. The portraits of Isabella by different artists provide an initial glimpse into the overall representation of Renaissance court ladies and, more specifically, Isabella's own ideal. As a result, her portraits showcase explicit social functions that her female peers did not aspire to.

Isabella was not content to remain a leader hidden from view; she confidently assumed her place on the throne whenever necessary. Leonardo's profile portrait of Isabella (Fig. 1) exemplifies her fragility and intense

fascination with a particular artist. Despite exploring the portraits by Mantegna, Giovanni Santi, Bonsignori, and Maineri, Isabella eventually had the opportunity to obtain the desired rendition by this Florentine artist. Unfortunately, she only obtained a cartoon of her image, rather than a complete painted portrait.

This earliest existing image adheres to the Quattrocento tradition, known for its lack of direct eye contact between subject and viewer. Profile portraits were primarily used to indicate family lineage and wealth, showcasing social status along with personal virtues or areas of expertise. It is uncertain why Leonardo reverted back to this outdated style after experimenting with three-quarter view portraiture twenty years earlier.

Nonetheless, in this new example executed in the Quattrocento style, he made a clear distinction from the traditional profile portrait. Leonardo's earlier portraits, like those of Genevra or Cecilia Gallerani, portrayed his subjective exploration of the self and his psychological approach to the sitter. The humanist perception expands and the subject becomes more relatable through direct eye contact with the viewer. Initially, Isabella's profile cartoon could be misinterpreted as a step backward due to the potential effects of this new invention.

The Marchioness's portrait style seems to have been influenced by her social standing compared to other women. It is believed that Isabella had already seen Leonardo's painting, the Lady with the Ermine, a year before he came to Mantua. Cecilia and Isabella were connected through Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. Before marrying Beatrice d’Este, who was Isabella's older sister, Ludovico Sforza had a relationship with Cecilia.

The social contrast between Isabella, a princess of Ferrara, and Cecilia, from a non-noble background, is

clearly evident. If Isabella were to be captivated by Cecilia's portrait, she would not want her own portrait to be depicted similarly. This particular depiction seems to show a mistress rather than a courtly woman; it lacks the desired quality Isabella seeks in portraits. Considering Isabella's relationship with her sister Beatrice, the Duchess of Milan is important when analyzing her determination for Leonardo to paint her portrait.

Isabella definitely had access to the famous profile portrait of Beatrice (Fig. 3) that was painted in the early 1490s, as well as the portrait of Cecilia. There is ongoing debate about who actually painted it. The Duchess, who gained tremendous wealth and social standing through her marriage, would have been aware of her older sister's image. If it wasn't for Isabella's betrothal to Francesco Gonzaga, which was arranged just a few months before the Sforza family requested her hand in marriage, she could have become the mistress of the Milanese court.

It created a family rivalry when Isabella's mother, Leonora of Aragon, became a cultural role model for Isabella and a goal to surpass. Even after Beatrice's untimely death and the fall of Ludovico Sforza, Isabella must have still remembered the extravagant wedding where Leonardo decorated everything in Milan. In the portrait and altarpiece with Il Moro, Beatrice is depicted in profile, which was a common convention in the Quattrocento, particularly in Northern Italian courts.

The persistence of the profile tradition in female portraits can be seen as a desire to uphold ideals and emphasize the importance of family lineage. This tradition is also evident in donor portraits. However, in the late 15th century,

the strict profile began to be replaced by a three-quarter pose. Isabella's profile portrait showcases this shift, as her gaze is focused on a distant point rather than being passive like the traditional strict profile.

The simplicity of a noblewoman's appearance, with minimal decoration on her attire and hair, along with her elegant smile, suggests her modesty. In a replica of this artwork, the lady's hands are depicted together resting on the parapet, which is not visible in the original version at the Louvre. The inclusion of a book next to her in the reproduction implies that the Marchioness possesses intellectual depth. Although Leonardo's chosen artistic style may be considered old-fashioned, Isabella appears content with acquiring his piece, as well as the flattering idealization portrayed in the portrait itself.

Art experts widely consider Titian's portrayal of Isabella at the age of twenty-five as highly accurate. He created two paintings of her, with Rubens replicating one version that features her in a red dress, while another depicts her wearing black clothing. The exact date of the painting titled Isabella in Red (Fig. 4) remains uncertain, but it is believed to have been completed around 1530 after Isabella's return from Rome when she was approximately forty-four years old. Titian painted the middle-aged Marchioness directly from life.

Ruben's copy from the early seventeenth century, created during his visit to Mantua, portrays an older-looking Isabella compared to a later version. This indicates that the painting was present in Mantua at that time. Subsequently, it made its way to England and was catalogued as "No. 92. Done by Titian" in Charles I's collection. The catalogue provided a

brief description and size of the artwork, but unfortunately disappeared after being sold from the royal collection in 1649. In contrast to other portraits of the Marchioness that were often given as gifts shortly after completion, this specific portrait seems to have remained at the Gonzaga palace for a substantial period.

It's possible that Isabella kept the portrait in her hand because it truly resembled her aged appearance, which contradicted her idea of a perfect portrait. Despite Rubens' Flemish retouch, the portrait is enough to imagine the original Titian. The rosy cheeks and creamy ivory skin tone, rather than the marble-like texture, are likely the style of the later artist. However, the headdress and costume represent the fashion of Renaissance noble ladies.

The earlier portrait of Isabella by Leonardo demonstrates the Marchioness's fluidity and gracefulness. However, in this depiction, she appears plump and flaccid, adorned with excessive jewelry and wearing a heavy red velvet dress, which suffocates her. This lack of refinement and elegance, along with the portrayal's deviation from the truth about Isabella, would not have been an ideal representation for her. Consequently, Titian painted another portrait of Isabella a few years later, which showcased his artistic flexibility. To fully understand this later version by Titian, it is necessary to delve into its complex background history.

During his visit to Mantua, Rubens copied the latter version of the painting, but unfortunately, the painting itself was lost. However, an engraving of Rubens' copy by Lucas Vorstermann, who was his contemporary, confirmed that the original painting was titled Isabella in Black (Fig. 5) and it is now housed in Vienna. The engraving clearly

displays the marchioness's name and attributes the original model to Rubens and Titian. As a result, the Vienna Isabella painting is widely recognized as the most well-known prototype of Isabella, showcasing her youthful features. It is also notable for being the only identified original painting of her.

Titian's painting, Isabella in Black, represents Isabella's ideals on portraiture but does not accurately depict her. The painting was executed when Isabella was in her late fifties, suggesting that Titian did not paint her from life. Interestingly, the irony in the manipulated image of Isabella can be seen from the beginning of its execution. Titian used Francia's version as a guide for the commission, even though it was considered to have a cruel defect and did not resemble the model.

Francia, an artist based in Bologna, was initially chosen to create a piece for Isabella’s Storia. However, this plan fell through and he was later commissioned by Isabella's half-sister, Lucrezia d'Este of Bentivogli, to paint a portrait of Isabella. Isabella, who had a longstanding dislike for sitting for portraits and did not want to hurt the feelings of her court painter, Lorenzo Costa, refused to meet with the artist in person. Instead, she provided a drawing of herself for reference, and Francia completed the portrait based on this drawing and Lucrezia's description of Isabella.

During the process of creating the painting, Lucrezia wrote to Isabella, expressing her concern that the artist seemed more focused on creating a masterpiece rather than accurately depicting her likeness. Ultimately, Lucrezia deemed the finished portrait a "failure" because it bore little resemblance to Isabella. Ironically, Isabella was thrilled with the

portrait, feeling that the artist had made her appear even more beautiful than nature had. Although Isabella did note a few minor mistakes, the portrait was never corrected as the artist passed away.

Isabella gave away this portrait, along with many others she created. She exchanged it with Gianfrancesco Zaninello for a volume of verse he had given her. After more than twenty years, the new Marquis of Mantua, Federico Gonzaga, wanted a youthful portrait of his mother. Isabella recalled the Francia portrait that had brought her great satisfaction and asked Zaninello's brother to lend it to her so that Titian could use it as a reference when commissioned to do a second portrait of Isabella.

The painting of Isabella by Titian was kept in the artist's workshop for two years, indicating that it was created between 1534 and 1536. The Marchioness expressed great satisfaction with the final portrait, stating that it captured a pleasing depiction of her beauty during that stage of her life. Titian's second portrait of Isabella remained in the Gonzaga palace until the next century when it was gifted to her son. However, at some point in the sixteenth century, the portrait made its way to Vienna and became part of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm's collection.

The painting by Titian portrays a woman who seems younger than her real age, and it is unclear if the purpose was to showcase her youth and beauty exclusively. The subject wears a golden headdress embellished with pearls and gemstones, resembling how the older Isabella dresses in red. Her gaze is focused slightly away from the viewer, fixed on something in the distance.