Portrait of Pier Maria Rossi di San Secondo
Encyclopedia
Portrait of Pier Maria Rossi di San Secondo is a painting by the Italian Mannerist artist Parmigianino
, executed around 1535-1539 and housed in the Museo del Prado
, Madrid
, Spain
. It is coupled with the Portrait of Camilla Gonzaga and Her Three Sons
, wife of the count, although the latter is not unanimously attributed to Parmigianino.
, as the portrait of count of San Sigundo. The subject has been identified with Pier Maria III de' Rossi
basing on this note, and by another from 1630 by one of his descendants about the existence of a portrait of him by Parmigianino.
The painting arrived in Spain in 1664, after King Philip IV
had supported to the Rossi family in a dispute with the Farnese of Parma about some territories. It has been dated from around 1535 to 1539, basing on the age of Pier Maria (born in 1508) in the portrait. In that period, according to late Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari
, Parmigianino had taken refuge at his court.
cloth background. He wears a long and wide, fur-lined black jacket, a waistcoat in the same color, a white shirt and white trousers with "French" cuts. The latter, according to the contemporary fashion, are padded above the groin. His austere posture and the hand at the sword's hilt refer to Pier Maria's military career. He looks to the right, ideally towards his wife's portrait.
At the right is a landscape with a city rich of monuments, perhaps Rome
. The objects are also references to the count's life and personal interests: a statue of Mars
, the Roman war god, an ancient bas-relief (symbol of his collector attitude), and some books, hinting to his love for literature (he was in correspondence of poet Pietro Aretino
). On of the books has the inscription "Imperio", referring to Pier Maria's commitment with emperor Charles V
at the time in which the work was painted.
Parmigianino
Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola , also known as Francesco Mazzola or more commonly as Parmigianino or sometimes "Parmigiano", was an Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker active in Florence, Rome, Bologna, and his native city of Parma...
, executed around 1535-1539 and housed in the Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is coupled with the Portrait of Camilla Gonzaga and Her Three Sons
Portrait of Camilla Gonzaga and Her Three Sons
Portrait of Camilla Gonzaga and Her Three Seons is a painting attributed to the Italian Mannerist artist Parmigianino and others, executed around 1539-1540 and housed in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain...
, wife of the count, although the latter is not unanimously attributed to Parmigianino.
History
It is mentioned in a 1686 inventory of the collections of the Royal Alcazar of MadridRoyal Alcazar of Madrid
The Royal Alcázar of Madrid was a Muslim fortress built in the second half of the 9th century, at the site of today's Royal Palace of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. The structure was extended and enlarged over the centuries, particularly after the 16th century...
, as the portrait of count of San Sigundo. The subject has been identified with Pier Maria III de' Rossi
Pier Maria III de' Rossi
Pier Maria III de' Rossi was an Italian general and nobleman, the second marquess and seventh count of San Secondo.-Biography:...
basing on this note, and by another from 1630 by one of his descendants about the existence of a portrait of him by Parmigianino.
The painting arrived in Spain in 1664, after King Philip IV
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
had supported to the Rossi family in a dispute with the Farnese of Parma about some territories. It has been dated from around 1535 to 1539, basing on the age of Pier Maria (born in 1508) in the portrait. In that period, according to late Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari was an Italian painter, writer, historian, and architect, who is famous today for his biographies of Italian artists, considered the ideological foundation of art-historical writing.-Biography:...
, Parmigianino had taken refuge at his court.
Description
The count is portrayed standing in front of a precious damaskDamask
Damask is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave...
cloth background. He wears a long and wide, fur-lined black jacket, a waistcoat in the same color, a white shirt and white trousers with "French" cuts. The latter, according to the contemporary fashion, are padded above the groin. His austere posture and the hand at the sword's hilt refer to Pier Maria's military career. He looks to the right, ideally towards his wife's portrait.
At the right is a landscape with a city rich of monuments, perhaps Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The objects are also references to the count's life and personal interests: a statue of Mars
Mars (mythology)
Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
, the Roman war god, an ancient bas-relief (symbol of his collector attitude), and some books, hinting to his love for literature (he was in correspondence of poet Pietro Aretino
Pietro Aretino
Pietro Aretino was an Italian author, playwright, poet and satirist who wielded immense influence on contemporary art and politics and invented modern literate pornography.- Life :...
). On of the books has the inscription "Imperio", referring to Pier Maria's commitment with emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
at the time in which the work was painted.