Czére Andrea szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei (Budapest, 2008)
ANNUAL REPORT • A 2008. ÉV - AXEL VÉCSEY: The Splendour of the Medici: Art and Life in Renaissance Florence
fresco from the Cathedral of Prato depicting Jacopone da Todi from a clever perspective; Fra Angelico's gentle, yet assertive predella panel from the San Marco Mtarpiece; and Andrea del Castagno's emblematic masterpiece, the portrait of Pippo Spano from the Villa Carducci in Legnaia. Works representing the art of the multifarious period after the Medici were exiled from Florence were also displayed in this same section: Leonardo's unfinished picture of captivating beauty, La Scapigliata, Michelangelo's powerful study of a head for the Doni Tondo, and Pontormo's fresco representing Madonna and Child with Saints were the main attraction in this group. The curators took the opportunity to present and revisit some highlights of the Museum of Fine Arts' own collections in the context of the period's artistic environment. The Budapest works linked to Leonardo's Battle ofAnghiari —the bronze statuette of a mounted warrior and the two sheets with studies of heads for the warriors —were complemented by a sixteenth-century copy of the destroyed fresco, while Raphael's Esterházy Madonna could be compared with a very early and interesting copy made in the painter's immediate environment. From the perspective of the history of the Medici, the new century began in 1513, when the family attained the papal throne and wdth only one short break held it for two decades. Exploiting this they were able to return to Florence; moreover, they were empowered with the title of ruling princes with absolute power. Numerous excellent portraits representing the important members of the family in the sixteenth century were on show in the fourth section of the exhibition; nevertheless, the most outstanding work here was a delicately fashioned gilded silver crozier, which was presented to the family church, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, by Pope Leo X. The following chapter examined two important areas of the Medici's activities as rulers in the sixteenth century: their monumental building projects and military ventures. This exhibition hall was dominated by four huge lunette paintings from the decoration of the Palazzo Pitti, each depicting an important square in Florence. The change in the style of patronage was perceptibly reflected by a small golden relief from Giambologna's workshop, which depicted the presentation of the model for the façade of the Duomo to Grand Duke Francesco I. The final chapter, Art and Life at the Medici Court, was devoted to the arts in the service of courtly representation. The highlight was without doubt Bronzino's portrait of Laura Battiferri exuding elemental pow r er: the lady —one of the leading lights of cultural life at court —is surrounded by an air of authority and intellectual superiority. An exciting and wide selection of artefacts, including a model for a theatre stage, costume designs as well as depictions in various forms of graphic art and tapestries, provided visitors with an insight into the world of spec-
