The ''Battle of Cascina'' is a never-completed painting in
fresco commissioned from
Michelangelo for the
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. He created only the
preparatory drawing before being called to Rome by
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or the ...
, where he worked on
the Pope's tomb; before completing this project, he returned to Florence for some months to complete the cartoon.
Origins
The work was commissioned from Michelangelo by
Piero Soderini
Piero di Tommaso Soderini (March 17, 1451 – June 13, 1522) also known as Pier Soderini, was an Italian statesman of the Republic of Florence.
Biography
Soderini was born in Florence to Tommaso di Lorenzo Soderini, a member of an old family ...
,
statesman of the Democratic of Florence. It was intended for a wall of the ''Salone dei Cinquecento'' in the
Palazzo Vecchio. The opposite wall was to be decorated by
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
, who was commissioned to depict the
Battle of Anghiari.
[Ross King, ''Michelangelo And The Pope's Ceiling''] The two battles were notable medieval Florentine victories. The
Battle of Cascina was fought on 28 July 1364 between the troops of Florence and
Pisa, resulting in victory of the former. A thousand Pisans were killed and two hundred more were captured.
Description
Michelangelo never completed the painting, but did produce a complete
cartoon of the composition. The cartoon was copied by several artists, the most notable extant copy being by Michelangelo's pupil Sangallo. Some of Michelangelo's preparatory drawings also survive, along with prints of part of the scene by
Marcantonio Raimondi
Marcantonio Raimondi, often called simply Marcantonio (c. 1470/82 – c. 1534), was an Italian engraver, known for being the first important printmaker whose body of work consists largely of prints copying paintings. He is therefore a key figu ...
. According to Michelangelo's biographer
Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work '' The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculp ...
, the original cartoon was deliberately cut up, while its owner the Duke
Giuliano de Medici was recovering from an illness, by other admiring artisans and distributed across Italy.
Vasari
Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work '' The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculp ...
states that the last pieces he saw were in
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...
.
[Giorgio Vasari, '']Lives of the Artists
''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'' ( it, Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori), often simply known as ''The Lives'' ( it, Le Vite), is a series of artist biographies written by 16th-ce ...
'', (1568), P5
Vasari's Life of Michelangelo.pdf
/ref>
Michelangelo depicted a scene at the beginning of the battle, when the Florentine army was initially taken by surprise in the attack by the Pisans. He depicts Florentine soldiers bathing naked in the river Arno
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.
Source and route
The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a ...
, responding to a trumpet warning of the Pisan attack. As the soldiers emerge from the river and buckle on their armour, they are threatened by shots from the Pisans. Several soldiers look or point toward the Pisan position to the left. One soldier has apparently been hit and fallen back into the river, while others leap energetically into action.
By choosing this episode, Michelangelo could depict his favoured topic: the nude male figure in various postures.[
]
Studies
Image:Battle_of_cascina2.jpg,
Image:Battle_of_cascina3.jpg,
Image:Battle_of_cascina4.jpg,
Image:Battle_of_cascina5.jpg,
Image:Battle_of_cascina6.jpg,
Image:Battle_of_cascina7.jpg,
File:Male Back With a Flag - Michelangelo.jpg, '' Male Back With a Flag''
See also
*List of works by Michelangelo
The following is a list of works of painting, sculpture and architecture by the Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the ...
*'' The Battle of Anghiari'' by Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
, the pendant to this painting (also lost)
References
External links
Studies to the ''Battle of Cascina''
*
{{Authority control
Paintings by Michelangelo
Lost paintings
Cascina (Michelangelo)
Palazzo Vecchio