Medallion, terracotta relief, self-portrait of Francesco di Giovanni Ferrucci (del Tadda), Italy (Florence), ca. 1575-1576

An oval relief portrait in terracotta of Francesco di Giovanni Ferrucci, called Francesco del Tadda. The portrait model, which is cut off diagonally through the shoulder, shows the bearded sitter in profile to the right. He wears a tunic with three buttons terminating in an open collar.

The relief has been broken horizontally through the centre, and there is some make-up and discolouration in the area of the collar. The top of the ear is also slightly chipped.

This sketch model relief was purchased in Paris in 1860 for £2 8s but a vendor was not recorded.

Historical significance: This is the terracotta sketch model for the porphyry portrait relief on Tadda’s epitaph formerly in the church of S. Girolamo in Fiesole and now incorporated into his tomb in the Cathedral at Fiesole. Among his many images of living sitters, this self-portrait is considered highly impressive in its demonstration of his artistic ability. Indeed the porphyry portrait corresponds so well to this terracotta, that were it not for the fingerprints in its clay, one might think the modello a later cast (see Weil).

If Tadda himself, rather than one of his sculptor sons, executed this terracotta modello, which seems very likely, he may have studied his own face using a mirror, and his profile by drawing its cast shadow (see Olszewski, 1985). Alternatively, and perhaps somewhat more remarkably, he may have made a cast of his own profile using the kind of technique described by Cennini in the fifteenth century “Come si può improntare la propria persona, e poi gettarla di metallo”.

Tadda’s ability to convey personality and warmth in this terracotta suggests that the aloofness of his Medici effigies was as much a function of their message as it was their material. Indeed ducal decorum probably explains the lack of passion in his porphyry Portrait of Cosimo I (1-1864), who alongside Tadda, is also credited with developing new methods of carving this hardstone. Of further note is that Tadda’s self-portrait and that of Cosimo bear significant resemblances in their form. Despite the figures facing in opposite directions and wearing different garb, Tadda’s self-portrait has similar beard and hair details and takes the same majestic pose, subtly suggesting that, like his noteworthy sitters, his status as an porphyry engraver or intagliatore was, as Bandinelli and Ammannati claimed, better than any other master (see Butters).

The Ferrucci del Tadda family specialised in the carving of porphyry but the key artistic talent in the family was without doubt Francesco del Tadda (1497-1585). Tadda’s career as a porphyry specialist lasted from 1555-1585 and his output in this stone was rather significant. Once he became a stipendiary of the Medici court in 1563, records of his porphyry production consist of twelve profile portraits of the family; at least four profile images of Christ and of the Virgin; one depiction of Cosimo’s device of a Capricorn; a pestle and mortar; the stem and basin of the fountain for the courtyard of Cosimo’s palace; and a free-standing statue of Justice three and a half metre’s tall. While his output of three decades may seem modest when compared to that of marble sculptors, to work in porphyry Tadda had to contend with numerous technical limitations unknown to his professional contemporaries.

Firstly, the very material that his career depended on was not easy to obtain, particularly in Florence, so his output must have primarily depended on the patronage of the Medici and their ability to coax large quantities of porphyry out of their contacts and clients (see Butters, 1996). Secondly, as an igneous rock, porphyry was extremely hard to carve, yet Tadda, who was trained to work in sandstone and limestone, succeeded in meticulously working up an image from the scale of a gem to one verging on life-size using only steel tools. Furthermore, he achieved a level of polish only possible with the careful use of fine abrasives and polishing powders. Finally, Tadda’s fortunes waxed and waned over time according to the interest and indifference his patrons showed his speciality. For example, Cosimo’s heir, Francesco, unlike his predecessor, took little interest in Tadda’s talent after becoming Grand Duke in 1574 and is not known to have commissioned any works from him.

It is surprising therefore that one work probably also dating to his period on the ducal payroll, is the porphyry self-portrait that Tadda executed for his tomb sometime before 1576, which is the date on the effigy inscription. With his reputation made by working porphyry, Tadda had entered the Academy in 1564 and the idea of depicting himself in the same stone may well date back to around then, since his statue of Justice dominated the years 1569-81. But, due to its scarcity and expense and the need to work up visualisations to life-size, Tadda adopted the general practice of making mock-ups in terracotta before committing his portraits to porphyry.

Attribution note: Sketch model for a porphyry portrait

This is the terracotta sketch model for the porphyry portrait relief on Tadda's monumental epitaph formerly in the church of S.Girolamo in Fiesole and now incorporated into his tomb in the Cathedral at Fiesole. The epitaph is dated by inscription to 1576, nine years before Tadda's death.

The Ferrucci del Tadda family specialised in the carving of porphyry but the key artistic talent in the family was without doubt Francesco del Tadda (1497-1585). Tadda's career as a porphyry specialist lasted from 1555-1585 and his output in this stone was rather significant.

6991-1860