Panel
Early 17th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This panel is made from inlaid decorative hardstone known as pietre dure. The technique of creating inlays from coloured stones was inspired by ancient Roman practice and was revived in the Renaissance following the archeological discoveries of ancient marbles. Pietre dure appealed to seventeenth century interest in nature and science combining natural material, craftsmanship and design.
The panel represents a blossoming orange tree. It is inlaid with intricate, polished pieces using a variety of marbles. The orange tree panel features a pietre dure design on a textured neutral background that gives the impression of rolling landscape. This natural pattern is formed organically from veins in the marble, which are exposed when it is cut. This type of stone is called pietre paesina, also known as ‘landscape stone’. This effective combination creates the illusion that the orange tree is sitting on an open loggia, also suggested by the beginning of a balustrade behind, creating the impression of looking onto a garden, reflecting the Medici interest in nature which began with Cosimo I. The inlaid panel creates a sense of ‘real’ space to fool the eye, commonly known as a ‘trompe l’oeil’. Such scenes of bountiful and stylised nature were common at this time, and the trompe l’oeil adds a sense of being amongst nature, as was fashionable in villa adornment, reflecting health concerns and the benefits of taking fresh country air. Images such as these made visual links and continuities between the villa interior and the villa gardens. Medici interest in urban and rural landscaping, including garden design, was evident in the sixteenth century and continued into the seventeenth century, reflecting the importance of a healthy lifestyle amongst the Renaissance elite.
This is one of two panels (810A-1869). The frames vary slightly in their details. The corners of both feature Aquitaine marble in angular scrolls; the blue of the orange tree panel contrasts with the green Sicilian jasper and Sienese agate of the flower panel. These alternating and contrasting colours were employed to display the broad range of marbles used. The panels were probably worked on over a number of years by several craftsmen in the Grand-Ducal workshops.
The panel represents a blossoming orange tree. It is inlaid with intricate, polished pieces using a variety of marbles. The orange tree panel features a pietre dure design on a textured neutral background that gives the impression of rolling landscape. This natural pattern is formed organically from veins in the marble, which are exposed when it is cut. This type of stone is called pietre paesina, also known as ‘landscape stone’. This effective combination creates the illusion that the orange tree is sitting on an open loggia, also suggested by the beginning of a balustrade behind, creating the impression of looking onto a garden, reflecting the Medici interest in nature which began with Cosimo I. The inlaid panel creates a sense of ‘real’ space to fool the eye, commonly known as a ‘trompe l’oeil’. Such scenes of bountiful and stylised nature were common at this time, and the trompe l’oeil adds a sense of being amongst nature, as was fashionable in villa adornment, reflecting health concerns and the benefits of taking fresh country air. Images such as these made visual links and continuities between the villa interior and the villa gardens. Medici interest in urban and rural landscaping, including garden design, was evident in the sixteenth century and continued into the seventeenth century, reflecting the importance of a healthy lifestyle amongst the Renaissance elite.
This is one of two panels (810A-1869). The frames vary slightly in their details. The corners of both feature Aquitaine marble in angular scrolls; the blue of the orange tree panel contrasts with the green Sicilian jasper and Sienese agate of the flower panel. These alternating and contrasting colours were employed to display the broad range of marbles used. The panels were probably worked on over a number of years by several craftsmen in the Grand-Ducal workshops.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Inlaid with various marbles |
| Brief description | Panel, marble mosaic with inlays, by the Grand-Ducal workshops, Florence, early seventeenth century |
| Physical description | The panel depicts stylised scenes of nature with a blossoming orange tree before a marble balustrade with new fruit growing from its branches. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | This panel formed part of a larger set that decorated the walls of the Oratory built for the Medici family villa at Poggio Imperiale, just outside of Florence, where they were described in 1691 (New York 2008, p.178). It was situated in an alternating sequence with other examples and complemented by black marble wainscoting decorated with inlaid aquatic images in pietra paesina and framed with pietre dure (Florence-Chicago-Detroit 2002-03, pp. 264-5). The panel was made in the early seventeenth century in the Grand-Ducal workshops in Florence. The Galleria dei Lavori (later known as Opificio delle Pietre Dure), was established by Ferdinando I de’ Medici in 1588 and specialised in hardstone work (Florence-Chicago-Detroit 2002-03 pp.5-6 and p.103). When the villa was renovated in the neoclassical style in the eighteenth century the Oratory was demolished and the panels put in storage (New York 2008, pp.178-9). The panels were subsequently given to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure where eleven panels were recorded in the 1789 inventory. During the nineteenth century several panels were sold from the Opificio’s collection and only two remain in the Museo dell’Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired its two panels at the 1867 Paris Exposition. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This panel is made from inlaid decorative hardstone known as pietre dure. The technique of creating inlays from coloured stones was inspired by ancient Roman practice and was revived in the Renaissance following the archeological discoveries of ancient marbles. Pietre dure appealed to seventeenth century interest in nature and science combining natural material, craftsmanship and design. The panel represents a blossoming orange tree. It is inlaid with intricate, polished pieces using a variety of marbles. The orange tree panel features a pietre dure design on a textured neutral background that gives the impression of rolling landscape. This natural pattern is formed organically from veins in the marble, which are exposed when it is cut. This type of stone is called pietre paesina, also known as ‘landscape stone’. This effective combination creates the illusion that the orange tree is sitting on an open loggia, also suggested by the beginning of a balustrade behind, creating the impression of looking onto a garden, reflecting the Medici interest in nature which began with Cosimo I. The inlaid panel creates a sense of ‘real’ space to fool the eye, commonly known as a ‘trompe l’oeil’. Such scenes of bountiful and stylised nature were common at this time, and the trompe l’oeil adds a sense of being amongst nature, as was fashionable in villa adornment, reflecting health concerns and the benefits of taking fresh country air. Images such as these made visual links and continuities between the villa interior and the villa gardens. Medici interest in urban and rural landscaping, including garden design, was evident in the sixteenth century and continued into the seventeenth century, reflecting the importance of a healthy lifestyle amongst the Renaissance elite. This is one of two panels (810A-1869). The frames vary slightly in their details. The corners of both feature Aquitaine marble in angular scrolls; the blue of the orange tree panel contrasts with the green Sicilian jasper and Sienese agate of the flower panel. These alternating and contrasting colours were employed to display the broad range of marbles used. The panels were probably worked on over a number of years by several craftsmen in the Grand-Ducal workshops. |
| Associated object | 810A-1869 (Object) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 810:1 to 3-1869 |
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| Record created | August 29, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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