Imago Triumphalis: The Function and Significance of Triumphal Imagery for Italian Renaissance Rulers / Edition 1

by Margaret Ann Zaho

Overview

Imago Triumphalis: The Function and Significance of Triumphal Imagery for Renaissance Rulers examines how independent rulers in fifteenth-century Italy used the motif of the Roman triumph for self-aggrandizement and personal expression. Triumphal imagery, replete with connotations of victory and splendor, was recognized during the Renaissance as a reflection of the glory of classical antiquity. Its appeal as a powerful visual bearer of meaning is evidenced by its appearance as a dominant theme in literature, architecture, and art. Rulers such as Alfonso of Aragon, Federico da Montefeltro, Sigismondo Malatesta, and Borso d'Este chose to incorporate the triumphal motif in major artistic commissions in which they were represented. They recognized that the image of the triumph could retain its classical associations while functioning as a highly personalized commentary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780820462356
Publisher:	Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers
Publication date:	03/02/2004
Series:	Renaissance and Baroque: Studies and Texts , #31
Pages:	146
Product dimensions:	5.91(w) x 8.86(h) x (d)

About the Author

Margaret Ann Zaho earned her Ph.D. in Art History at the University of Washington. She has taught courses for the University of Washington in Seattle and Rome and for the Institute of Fine and Liberal Arts in Florence. She has served as a member of Ars et Fides, an association connected to the archdiocese in Florence, and has co-produced an independent film about Tuscan architecture. Dr. Zaho’s current research interests include the use of Roman imperial iconography in Renaissance art and the importance of narrative fresco cycles as tools for moral and religious instruction.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations – Acknowledgments – Introduction – The History of the Roman Triumph – The Evolution of the Triumph in Literature and Art – The Personalization of the Antique Triumph – Malatesta and Montefeltro – Borso d’Este and the Eternal Triumph – Conclusion – Bibliography – Index.

Editorial Reviews

«The importance of the motif of the Roman triumph or pompa triumphalis in art history and literature is well-known. However, until the present publication of Dr. Margaret Zaho’s magisterial work, the subject has never been presented with such a depth of research and clarity of presentation. Dr. Zaho traces the iconographical, intellectual and political traditions that evolved around the motif from Nineveh, about 700 B.C., to its powerful expression of self-aggrandizement by the independent rulers of fifteenth-century Italy. This study is a major addition to the scholarship in the fields of art history, literature, architecture and social and political history. In addition, the general reader interested in the many connections between artistic imagery and historical circumstances would benefit from its contents. The reproduction excellence of the large number of plates included is another major source of academic value of this work.» (Joanne Snow-Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Art History, University of Washington, Seattle)

From the Publisher