L.6 Rosso? Work on a Wax Effigy of Giuliano De’Medici

1513

SS. Annunziata, Florence.

Franklin, 1994, 13, 271-272, ns. 45-49, 296, Appendix A, DOCUMENT 3, 316, transcribed the following document as related to a wax effigy by Baccio da Montelupo on which Rosso would have done some work:

Archivio di Stato, Florence, Corp. RS, vol. 705, Entrata e Uscita del Camarling, segnato D, 1512-1516, fol. 104r:

[238] “A straordinario a dì decto [10 Settembre 1513] lire otto e soldi 9, sono per più spesse fate per la’magine di Giuliano a per mandare certi incontra a’pelegrini come apare per poliza posta in filza, portò Giovanni Batista dipintore, e resto e resti [sic] di Giovanni Batista ala porta — lire 8 soldi 9”

As in the document of payment for the Coats-of-Arms of Pope Leo X and Giuliano de’Medici (L.5) the “dipintore” is named only “Giovanni Batista” without any mention of Rosso (payment to a “Giovanni Batista ala porta” is also recorded in this document, whom Franklin thought was not an artist).  Documents also published by Franklin record that payments to Baccio da Montelupo for the wax effigy were made in 1513.

Franklin was tempted to suppose that Rosso painted the wax effigy, which must have been life-size.  It would have been placed in the atrium of the church, and would have been destroyed for political reasons in May 1527.

It is, of course, not certain that Rosso is the artist mentioned here.  But it is possible.