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Other Frescoes

Other Frescoes

AFTER A WORK ATTRIBUTED TO BALDASSARRE PERUZZI (1481-1536)

Daedalus sculpting the cow

c.1853-1876

Albumen print | 11.2 x 18.2 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 854092

A photograph of a bistre washed drawing heightened with white now in the Uffizi, Florence (inv. no. 569 E.), where it is catalogued as by Baldassare Peruzzi. This drawing was initially attributed to Giulio Romano – as Ruland (1876) noted. This is a study of an oval fresco of the right vault of the Loggia of Villa Madama, an unfinished architectural project started c.1518 by Raphael and decorated after Raphael's death by his workshop. Annotated on the verso. 

There are two photographs of this composition drawing in the Raphael Collection (see also RCIN 854093), but just one of them is catalogued by Ruland (1876) and the other is listed as an addition in the master copy of the catalogue. Nevertheless, this is pasted on the folio sheet and the organisation of the Raphael Collection is believed to have been largely completed by 1876.

Poseidon's curse led Pasiphae, the Queen of Crete, to instruct Daedalus to construct a wooden cow. This drawing represents Daedalus sculpting the cow with the help of eight putti. 

Scholarly opinion traditionally agreed that, although Pope Leo X took a strong personal interest in the project of Villa Madama, his cousin Cardinal Giulio de' Medici (later Pope Clement VII) was ultimately responsible for this project. In a book about the Villa, Lefevre published an archival document attesting that the vineyard of the Villa – built on the slopes of Monte Mario, not far from the Vatican – was owned by the Vatican Chapter and therefore by Pope Leo X, rather than the Medici family. According to Lefevre, Giulio de' Medici owned the Villa only after the death of Leo X, who, whilst alive, entrust ed the project to his cousin.

The magnificent original plan was never put in place: the construction of the Villa seems to have stopped after the death of Raphael and only the decoration continued from 1520 to 1523 (see Bibliographic References). Giorgio Vasari in the lives of Giulio Romano and Raphael gives inconsistent information about the architect of the project and Lefevre believes that the authorship of Villa Madama should be assigned to Raphael, whose designs were used by Antonio da Sangallo and his workshop, while Giulio Romano, being Raphael's most experienced pupil, was in charge of the practical execution of the project (see Bibliographic References).

According to Jones and Penny (see Bibliographic References), the Cardinal wanted Giovanni da Udine to execute the stuccoes and Giulio Romano the paintings (or at least to design them), therefore showing that the decorative plans had not been decided upon before Raphael's death. Although Vasari does not mention Baldassarre Peruzzi in relation to this project, recent literature has confirmed his involvement and Lefevre suggests that Giovanni Penni may also have been involved (see Bibliographic References).

 

  • Creator(s)

    After a work attributed to Baldassarre Peruzzi (1481-1536) (artist)

    After a work previously attributed to Giulio Romano (Rome c. 1499-Mantua 1546) (artist)

    Associated with Raphael (Urbino 1483-Rome 1520) (artist)

    Associated with Giovanni da Udine (c. 1487-1564) (artist)

  • Top // (?)

  • 11.2 x 18.2 cm (sheet of paper)

  • Acquired for the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection (c.1853-76)

  • Subject(s)
    • Religion & Theology
      • Religions and faiths
        • Religions of antiquity
          • Classical mythology
            • Daedalus (myth)
            • Pasiphae (myth)
    • Science, Medicine and Technology
      • Agriculture and related techniques
        • Animal husbandry
          • Cattle & oxen
            • Cows
    • Places
      • Europe
        • Italy
          • Lazio [Italy]
            • Rome [Lazio]
              • Villa Madama [Rome]
    • Arts, Recreation, Entertainment & Sport
      • Art
        • Paintings
          • Frescoes
  • Bibliographic reference(s)

    no. 569 E (Inventario Uffizi. Disegni Esposti I 1986 : Disegni esposti ; v. 1, 1986 / a cura di Annamaria Petrioli Tofani, Florence (Gabinetto disegni e stampe degli Uffizi))
    pp. 226-234 (Jones/Penny 1983 : Jones, R. and Penny, N. Raphael, 1983)