descriptions
medici boy
The Web Gallery of Art (2003) states that:
"Pinturicchio was a successful portraitist, and there are a large number of portraits attributed to him. However he lacked the genius of his fellow pupil, the young Raphael who is formerly assumed to be the model in this work".
This image is repeated in miniature in 2 side sections, the lower compartment has a mirror on the rear wall and is divided into 3 by 2 glass panes. It contains 2 blocks covered with collage and a metal spiral in the centre. The inner sides and bottom of the box are covered with Baedeker map sections of Venice. It is signed by the artist and measures 14 x 11.5 x 3.5 inches. It is a brown box construction with hinged door and latch closing. The interior compartments are sealed with amber coloured glass and the central section contains reproduction of Bernardo Pinturicchio's 'Portrait of a boy'. Florida International University (2003) describes these the maps:
"The Baedeker's Guides, published by Karl Baedeker of Leipzig, were among the most popular tourists guides from the early 1900's. They were filled with scholarly discourse, intense detail, and wonderfully rendered street maps, the small red bound books were stunning in their depth and comprehensiveness. They were focused on the traveller whose interest leaned towards great works of art and architecture".
medici princess
This is a box construction with lower compartment housing a drawer and measures aprrox 18 x 11 x 4 inches. Made from dark wood that has been tinted blue the box is divided into 4 sections by 2 mapcovered vertical projections and a horizontal glass shelf, painted blue on face, under which rest 8 wood blocks covered with illustrations. The central vertical compartment contains a reproduction of detail of Agnolo Bronzino painting Portrait of the young princess which is mounted on to a panel attached to rear wall, to which have been added touches of blue paint. The central compartment contains an orange wood ball which is resting on a map-covered shelf, the shelf below is covered with a mirror, and contains a wood block covered with a map. The two side compartments are faced with clear glass panes, each painted in blue at top to frame metal spiral, with 2 vertical lines and one thin horizontal line at the bottom. These side compartments contain 25 loose wood blocks covered with details of Bernardo Pinturicchio's painting Portrait of a boy, stars, numerals, foil, Baedeker maps, metal jacks, a cork ball, a red marble and small red wood dowel.Referring to the contents of this drawer Waldman (2000, p.70) states that
"Cornell used these to contexualise the princess. The purple feather and fan suggest the woman and monarch she would become, but Cornell clearly preferred the innocence of her youth."
medici prince
This box construction made with dark wood, measures 15.5 x 11.5 x 5.5 inches and is glass fronted. It is divided into three sections vertically with the middle section being a little wider. The box is also divided horizontally with and a glass shelf lying approx 5 inches from the bottom. The central image is a coloured photocopy of the painting Portrait of Massimiliano Stampa by the female Renaissance artist Sofonisba Anguissola (Italy, 1535-1625) which is pasted to the rear of the box.
Bluffton College (2003) describes Anguissola's painting thus:
"The original enigmatic painting shows a 9-year old boy of an Italian noble family, Massimiliano Stampa. He wears mourning because his father has recently died. "
On the inner side of the glass front are painted horizontal and vertical lines in blue and a circle in black. The inner sides and bottom of the box and the vertical dividers are covered with the ubiquitous Baedeker maps of Venice and reproductions of Portrait of Massimiliano Stampa is repeated in small squares and pasted -along with other portraits, numerals, stars and graphic symbols - to the back panel.
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'Untitled (Medici Boy)
1942-52 (140 Kb); Construction, 13 15/16 x 11 3/16 x 3 7/8 in; Estate of Joseph Cornell. This is one of Cornell's earliest boxes that became part of the Medici series,
although it sat on his shelves for 10 years before it was either given away
or sold.
Untitled (Medici Princess)
c. 1948 (150 Kb); Construction, 17 5/8 x 11 1/8 x 4 3/8 in; Private collection
Untitled (Medici Prince)
c. 1952 (130 Kb); Construction, 15 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 5 in; Collection Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Shapiro, Oak Park, IL
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