Tribuna of the Uffizi (painting)

The Tribuna of the Uffizi
Artist Johann Zoffany
Year 1772–78
Medium Oil painting
Dimensions 123.5 cm × 155.0 cm (48.6 in × 61.0 in)
Location Royal Collection, Windsor Castle

The Tribuna of the Uffizi (1772–1778) by Johann Zoffany is a painting of the north-east section of the Tribuna room in the Uffizi in Florence, Italy. The painting is part of the United Kingdom's Royal Collection.

Production

In the summer of 1772 Zoffany left London for Florence with a commission from Queen Charlotte to paint 'the Florence Gallery'. (Neither she nor her husband George III ever visited Italy in person.) Felton Hervey who had a large art collection and who knew the Royal family met Zoffany in Florence. He was included in a prominent position in the painting by December 1772.[1] Zoffany was still working on the painting late in 1777, he only finally returned to England in 1779.[2] By this time Hervey had died.[1]

History

Johann Zoffany was a German born painter who had become successful in London. One of his principal patrons was the Royal family. Queen Charlotte had sent Zoffany to Florence where he had agreed to paint the Tribuna of the Uffizi. The agreed price was high and he was paid £300.[2]

Artworks shown

Zoffany has varied the arrangement of the artworks and introduced others from elsewhere in the Medici collection. He gained special privileges, with the help of George, 3rd Earl Cowper (1738–80), and Sir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet (1706–86), such as having seven paintings, including Raphael's Madonna della Sedia, temporarily brought in from the Pitti Palace so that he could paint them in situ in the Tribuna. In thanks Zoffany included a portrait of Cowper looking at his recent acquisition,[3] Raphael's Niccolini-Cowper Madonna (Cowper hoped to sell it on to George III – it is now in the Washington National Gallery of Art), with Zoffany holding it (to the left of the Dancing Faun).

The unframed Samian Sibyl on the floor was acquired for the Medici collection in 1777 - it was a workshop copy of the pendant to Guercino's Libyan Sibyl, recently bought by George III, and may be intended as a compliment to him.

Venus with a Satyr and Cupids by Annibale Carracci Raphael, Madonna della Sedia (Madonna of the Chair), c.1514 Guido Reni, Charity, 1607 Raphael, St John the Baptist Reni, Madonna Madonna della seggiola Correggio, Madonna and Child Justus Sustermans, Galileo Raphael, Madonna of the Goldfinch Franciabigio - Madonna of the Well Guido Reni, Cleopatra, 1635–40 Holy Family, then attributed to Perugino Rubens, Justus Lipsius with his Pupils, c.1615 Portrait of Leo X with two Cardinals by Raphael Tribute Money? by Carravagio? Rubens, Justus Lipsius with his Pupils, c.1615 Raphael, Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi, 1518 Niccolini-Cowper Madonna by Raphael Large central painting Holbein, Sir Richard Southwell, 1536 Cristofano Allori, Miracle of St Julian Holy Family, attributed to Niccolò Soggi ummm Raphael, Niccolini-Cowper Madonna, 1508, then in Lord Cowper’s possession, having bought it from Zoffany, now National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC Titian, Venus of Urbino, 1538 Cupid and Psyche, Roman copy of a Greek original of the 1st or 2nd century BC The ‘Arrotino’ (Knife-Grinder), a Pergamene original of 2nd or 3rd century BC Dancing Faun, marble replica of a bronze of the circle of Praxiteles, 4th century BC The Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpents The Wrestlers, marble copy of a bronze Permamene original, 2nd or 3rd century BC Chimera - Etruscan art 8 Oil lamps Egyptian ptahmose, 18th dynasty Greek bronze torso Bust of Julius Caeser Roman silver shield Head of Antinous South Italian crater Etruscan jug Octagonal table with pietra dura top made for the Tribuna, designed by Jacopo Ligozzi and Bernardino Poccetti. Charles Loraine Smith (1751–1835) Richard Edgcumbe, later 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (1764–1839) George, 3rd Earl Cowper (1738–89) Sir John Dick (1720–1804), British Consul at Leghorn Other Windsor, 6th Earl of Plymouth (1751–99) Johann Zoffany George Legge, Lord Lewisham, later 3rd Earl of Dartmouth (1755–1810) unknown young man Mr Gordon Hon. Felton Hervey (1712–73) Thomas Patch (1725-82), Painter Sir John Taylor Bt., (d. 1786) Sir Horace Mann (1706–86), British Consul in Florence George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea prob. Roger Wilbraham (1743-1829) Mr Watts Mr Doughty, travelling with Charles Loraine Smith Probably Thomas Wilbraham (b. 1751), brother of Roger The Medici Venus, Roman copy of a Greek original of the 2nd century BC James Bruce (1730–94), African explorer
Tribuna of the Uffizi by Johann Zoffany. Place cursor over artworks or persons to identify them.

Paintings

Zoffany's Original Author and title Where Current location
Annibale Carracci, Venus with a Satyr and Cupids Left wall Uffizi, Florence
Guido Reni, Charity Left wall Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence
Raphael, Madonna della seggiola Left wall Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence
Correggio, Madonna and Child Left wall Uffizi, Florence
Justus Sustermans, Portrait of Galileo Galilei Left wall Uffizi, Florence
? Left wall
Titian's workshop, Madonna and Child with Saint Catherine Central wall Uffizi, Florence
Raphael and workshop, St John the Baptist Central wall Uffizi, Florence
Guido Reni, Madonna Central wall private collection?
Raphael, Madonna del cardellino Central wall Uffizi, Florence
Rubens, The Consequences of War Central wall Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence
Franciabigio (formerly attributed to Raphael), Madonna del Pozzo Central wall Uffizi, Florence
? Central wall between the legs of the Satyr
Hans Holbein, Portrait of Sir Richard Southwell Central wall Uffizi, Florence
Raphael, Portrait of Perugino Central wall Uffizi, Florence
Perugino's workshop (Niccolò Soggi?), Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth and Saint John Central wall Uffizi, Florence, still in the Tribuna
Guido Reni, Cleopatra Right wall Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence
Rubens, Four Philosophers Right wall Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence
Raphael, Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi de' Rossi Right wall Uffizi, Florence
Pietro da Cortona, Abraham and Hagar Right wall Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Bartolomeo Manfredi, Tribute to Caesar Right wall Uffizi, Florence
Cristofano Allori, Hospitality of Saint Julian Right wall Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence
? Right wall right of the Wrestlers
Charity? Right wall
? Right wall behind the Venus
? (a golden frame behind the man in red at the very right) Right wall
Raphael, Niccolini-Cowper Madonna[4] Lower part National Gallery of Art, Washington
Guercino's workshop, Samian Sibyl Lower part ?
Titian, Venus of Urbino Lower part Uffizi, Florence

Sculptures and other

Today Medici's Ancient Roman statues are mostly in the main corridors of the Uffizi Gallery, except those which are still in the Tribuna, and except the smaller busts and statuettes (some antique, some pseudo-antique), owned by the National Archaeological Museum and permanently displayed at Villa Corsini a Castello, near Florence. Many of those painted by Zoffany are still to be identified, thou. Other antiquities (Etruscan, Egyptian, Greek) are mostly in the National Archaeological Museum. Some very few Renaissance pieces from the Tribuna are now in the Bargello Museum.

Zoffany's Original Author and title Where Current location
Bust of a young woman, so-called Pautilla Left shelf Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Bust of a Roman emperor (?) Left shelf
Bust of Heracles (?) Left shelf
Ancient Roman bust of a Julio-Claudian woman, so-called Livia (?) Left shelf Villa Corsini a Castello, Florence
Ancient Roman bust of a Julio-Claudian prince Left shelf Villa Corsini a Castello, Florence
Bust of Agrippina Minor (?) Left shelf
Bust of a woman (?) Left shelf
Ancient Roman art, Venus of Aphrodisias Left shelf Villa Corsini a Castello, Florence
Bust of a man in alabaster (?) Left shelf
Seated man (?) Central shelf
Ancient Roman Seated God Central shelf National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Bust of a boy (?) Central shelf
Hard stone object Central shelf
Bust of a boy, so-called young Nero Central shelf Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Ancient Roman small bust of a Augustus (?) Central shelf National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Bust of Zeus-Serapis Central shelf Villa Corsini a Castello, Florence
Bronze statuette Central shelf
Bust of a man (?) Central shelf
Cupid with the bow Central shelf Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Ancient Roman bronze statuette of Heracles Right shelf National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Bust of a man (?) Right shelf
Canopic jar (?) Right shelf
Bust of a man (?) Right shelf
Bertoldo di Giovanni, Putto playing the lute Right shelf Bargello, Florence
Ancient Roman statuette of Satyr Right shelf Villa Corsini a Castello, Florence
Seated Concordia Right shelf National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Ancient Roman bust of a Young Satyr Right shelf Villa Corsini a Castello, Florence
Ancient Roman art after Lysippus, Heracles and the Nemean Lion Right shelf Hermitage, St. Petersburg?
Seated Tyche of Anthioch Right shelf National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Bust of Bacchus (?) Right shelf
Ancient Roman art, Cupid and Psyche Center Uffizi, Florence
Ancient Roman art, Dancing Faun Center Uffizi, Florence, still in the Tribuna
Jacopo Antelli (Monicca) and Jacopo Ligozzi, Octagonal table with Pietre Dure mosaics Center Uffizi, Florence, still in the Tribuna
Ancient Roman art, Baby Hercules strangling two serpents Center Uffizi, Florence, still in the Tribuna
Ancient Roman art, The Two Wrestlers Center Uffizi, Florence, still in the Tribuna
Cleomenes, Medici VenusCenter Uffizi, Florence, still in the Tribuna
Baltimore Painter, Apulian krater with Amazonomachy Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Etruscan bronze elm with "button" on top Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Ancient Roman art, Arrotino Lower part Uffizi, Florence, still in the Tribuna
Etruscan (with 17th-century implements), Chimera of Arezzo Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Andrea Briosco workshop, Lucerna in the shape of a Twisting Man Lower part Bargello, Florence
Late antique, Ardaburio's Plate Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Bust of a man (?) Lower part
Florentine pseudo-antique art, second half of the 16th century, Bronze head of Antinous Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Bronze lucerna (?) Lower part
Etruscan amphora in bucchero Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence?
Etruscan oinochoe in bucchero Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Etruscan situla in bucchero Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence?
Bronze statuette Lower part
Ancient Greek art, Livorno Torso Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Ancient Egyptian art, Cube statue of Ptahmose Lower part National Archaeological Museum, Florence
Etruscan funerary urn probably Volterra production (?) Lower part under the Venus of Urbino

Persons shown

All the connoisseurs, diplomats and visitors to Florence portrayed are identifiable, making the painting a combination of the British 18th-century conversation piece or informal group portrait genre, with that of the predominantly Flemish 17th-century tradition of gallery views and wunderkammers. However, this inclusion of so many recognisable portraits led to criticism at the time by Zoffany's royal patrons, and by Horace Walpole, who called it "a flock of travelling boys, and one does not know nor care whom."[5]

Pietro Bastianelli, curator of the Uffizi Gallery, shows the Venus of Urbino di Titian to Mr. Gordon, Thomas Patch (probably the man touching the Venus) and Felton Hervey, who's looking back towards Sir John Taylor e Sir Horace Mann.

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Uffizi Tribuna (Zoffany).
  1. 1 2 The Hon Felton Harvey by John Faynam, National Trust, retrieved 4 June 2014
  2. 1 2 Tribuna of the Uffizi, Royal Collection, accessed 4 June 2014
  3. ↑ A key to the people shown, oneonta.edu, retrieved 17 October 2014
  4. ↑ This painting was owned by Zoffany at the moment: this explains its prominence.
  5. ↑ Letter to Mann, 12 November, 1779
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