Portrait of Duke Alessandro de' Medici d.1537
Son of Lorenzo de'Medici
We briefly
discussed about Duke Alessandro de’Medici in class today, so I did a little
research and found him quite intriguing. What makes him different from any other
duke is that he was actually the first Duke of Florence in 1530 and was an illegitimate
son of Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino (1492-1519) with a house Moorish
slave. (VA)The article describes the Medici as an Italian family of merchants,
bankers, rulers, patrons and collectors dominated the political and cultural
life of Florence from the 15th century to the mid 18th century. (VA) Alessandro‘s
reign ended in 1537 when he was assassinated by his cousin and rival Lorenzino
de' Medici. (VA)
If we
focus on the self portrait of Alessandro, we can see that the painter Jacopo
Pontormo portray Alessandro with black features such as the tight curly hair,
darker complexion, big lips, and wide nose. (VP) It surprises me that he was
painted because I did not expect to see an illegitimate son or less often a
mixed child become powerful during this time period. As this article states,” As
the first of the Medici to be installed as a hereditary ruler of Florence,
Alessandro has received surprisingly little study. Historians have criticized
his rule for its severity, but contemporaries were more favorable. They
commented on his political skills, spontaneous generosity and concern for the
poor, as well as his informal style of leadership. Like other members of the
Medici dynasty, Alessandro was also a patron of the arts.” He was like any
other Medici regardless of his race; it’s a shame that he was murdered at the
age of 26. It would have been so cool to read what he could have done for
Florence.
FUN Fact: His nickname "The Moor" is actually the term used in Italy to describe Africans and also Europeans with dark complexions or hair.
I find it interesting that he was a respected and valued leader in of Florence given the time period of his rule. Even today mixed race individuals face some discrimination, and the fact that he was also an illegitimate son makes it all the more interesting.
ReplyDelete