Commissioned artwork has long been a part of the art society. From religious paintings to portraits, each commissioned painting has a story to tell and a message to sell. It is no surprise that historical events such as battles were documented through artworks at the request of authorities wanting to sell a message to the audience – whether of victory or loss. One such prime example of this is The Battle of San Romano which is a set of three paintings by the Florentine artist Palo Uccello. The paintings depict events that took place at the Battle of San Romano between Florentine and Sienese forces in 1432. As part of a major secular commission, the paintings were made using egg tempera on wooden panels, each over 3 metres long. The paintings were greatly admired in the fifteenth century, so much so that Lorenzo de Medici bought one and forced the other two to move to the Palazzo Medici. How did the paintings play a role in documenting historical events and why are they important?
Story Behind the Paintings and the Debate
Niccolò Mauruzi da Tolentino unseats Bernardino della Carda at the Battle of San Romano (dating uncertain, c. 1435–1455) Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. (Image source: https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/battle-of-san-romano)
The Florentine painter Paolo Uccello‘s greatest work is this set of three paintings, which depict the 1432 Battle of San Romano between Florence and Siena’s armies in incredible detail. The only one signed by the artist is the Uffizi panel, which was probably intended to be the central painting of the triptych. Art historians generally agree on the following order: London, Uffizi, and Louvre as they might represent various hours of the day: The battle lasted for eight hours, from dawn in London to midday in Florence and dusk in Paris. However, there has been a long debate on whether these paintings capture one or two battles and also whether or not alterations were made later on in order to adjust the overall shape of the pieces. Even the donor that commissioned them is unclear, as is when they placed this significant order. In this prior time of the Renaissance, it was uncommon for a craftsman to get such a huge charged project that was completely irrelevant to any strict subjects, with strict foundations holding influence across the vast majority of Italian culture as of now. The three paintings were designed to be hung high on three different walls of a room. The perspective was designed with that height in mind, which accounts for many apparent anomalies in the perspective when seen in photos or at normal gallery height. This illusion of a backdrop and perspective theme resembling a stage depicts the war as a theatrical ceremony.
In fact, many areas of the paintings were covered with gold and silver leaf. While the gold leaf, such as that found on the decorations of the bridles, has remained bright, the silver leaf, found particularly on the armour of the soldiers, has oxidised to a dull grey or black. The original impression of the burnished silver would have been dazzling.
The Counterattack of Michelotto da Cotignola at the Battle of San Romano (c. 1455), Musée du Louvre, Paris. (Image source: https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/states-war/art/states-war-counterattack-michelotto-da-cotignola)
Battle of San Romano and the artist
Paolo Uccello was born Paolo di Dono in 1397, Pratovecchio, near Florence. He was a painter whose work attempted uniquely to reconcile two distinct artistic styles—the decorative late Gothic and the new heroic style of the early Renaissance. He was a genius and was already working as an apprentice in the workshop of sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti when he was 10 years old. For a long time, it was thought that Uccello was important because he came up with new ways to show perspective, which became a big part of the Renaissance style. According to Giorgio Vasari, a 16th-century biographer, Uccello was “intoxicated” by perspective. His compositions’ unique charm and decorative genius were seen by historians later as an even more significant contribution.
Uccello impressed the world with his artistic skills through the three paintings of The Battle of San Romano which was fought on 1 June 1432, in San Romano, some 30 miles outside Florence, between the troops of Florence, commanded by Niccolò da Tolentino, and Siena, under Francesco Piccinino. Florentines are generally regarded favourably, but the Sienese chronicles regarded it as a victory. Florence was at odds with Lucca, a rival city-state, and her allies, Siena and Milan, at the beginning of the 1430s. The Florentine conveyed around 4,000 horses and 2,000 infantry. A series of intense battles fought by cavalry spanned six to seven hours of the conflict.
Impact of the Paintings on pop culture
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The three paintings are still very much relevant in modern times. The dark horse in the Louvre panel, mounted by Micheletto Attendolo (da Cotignola), can be seen painted in a tapestry, in the first segment of the 1968 omnibus film Spirits of the Dead. In the 4th Episode of the 2011 TV Series The Borgias, the London and Louvre panel is shown adorning the dining hall walls of the Florentine Prince when Cardinal Della Rovere visits him in Florence. The panels were also a subject in the BBC series The Private Life of a Masterpiece (2005).
The Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello is a masterpiece of Renaissance art that holds great historical and artistic significance. Uccello’s use of perspective and foreshortening techniques in the painting was innovative and ahead of its time, influencing future generations of artists. The painting also represents the values of the Italian Renaissance, such as the glorification of war and the celebration of chivalry and heroism. The Battle of San Romano has become an icon of the Renaissance period, and its importance in the history of art and culture cannot be overstated.
Next up in Behind the Art: The Execution of Emperor Maximilian: A Dark Chapter in History Through Manet’s Eyes
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Behind the Art: The Battle of San Romano: Uccello’s Legacy in Renaissance Art and Military History - The Indian Express
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