Artwork
Gloria
Gloria is a print by the Renaissance artist Domenico del Barbiere. It dates from 1535 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
The print copies a sketch by Rosso Fiorentino for a French palace.
This print shows a woman floating above a globe. She holds two trumpets high. Her body twists in an odd, stretched way.
The print copies a sketch by Rosso Fiorentino for a French palace. Rosso worked under King François I. But here the body looks more like Michelangelo’s nudes. They’re pushed into strange, bony shapes.
Still, it feels alive. The muscles look ready to move.
Next, look up Domenico del Barbiere (Italian, c. 1506–c. 1571).
Overview
Gloria is a print based on a drawing by Rosso Fiorentino, originally designed for a fresco in François I’s Fontainebleau chateau. The work depicts a personified figure of Fame standing on a globe, holding two trumpets.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, Gloria (or Fame), embodies victory and dominance over time and death through her trumpets and globe. Her pose and expression convey dynamic energy, despite the unconventional body proportions.
Technique & Style
The figure’s elongated, distorted torso reflects Rosso Fiorentino’s imaginative departure from naturalistic representation, contrasting with the muscular, sculptural qualities inspired by Michelangelo’s nudes.
History & Provenance
Created from a sketch by Rosso Fiorentino for François I’s Fontainebleau project, the print’s production involved Domenico del Barbiere, suggesting a collaborative or reproductive context within the artist’s circle.
Context
Commissioned under King François I, the work is part of the artistic output of the French court at Fontainebleau, influenced by Italian Renaissance styles and the king’s patronage of Italian artists.
Artist & collection
Artist
Domenico del Barbiere (c. 1506 – c. 1570) was a Florentine artist of the Renaissance period, also referred to as Domenico Fiorentino, and, in France, Dominique Florentin. He settled and married at Troyes in France…
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