Building of a Palace
Artist
Piero di Cosimo
(Italian, 1462 - 1521)
Dateca. late 1480s
MediumOil on wood
DimensionsFrame: 39 7/8 H × 86 1/2 W × 3 9/16 D in. (101.3 × 219.7 × 9 cm)
Unframed support: 32 1/2 H x 77 9/16 W x 3/8 D in. (82.5 x 197 x 1 cm)
Image: 30 1/2 H x 77 9/16 W in. (77.4 x 197 cm), without top/bottom additions
Unframed support: 32 1/2 H x 77 9/16 W x 3/8 D in. (82.5 x 197 x 1 cm)
Image: 30 1/2 H x 77 9/16 W in. (77.4 x 197 cm), without top/bottom additions
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN22
An impressive, idealized edifice rises up out of an undeveloped landscape. Every aspect of the building process is detailed in the foreground, proceeding from left to right. Materials are brought to the building site using carts and animals; workmen cut and shape the materials under the supervision of masons and architects; and the materials are then used in the building's construction. The pictured palace cannot be connected to any real building project in Renaissance Florence. Yet, the image illustrates the Renaissance revival of classical styles in buildings, particularly the grand palaces of families like the Medici in prosperous cities like Florence.
On View
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