Artwork
Angelica and Medoro
Angelica and Medoro is a print by the Renaissance artist Giorgio Ghisi. It dates from 1570 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
The painting shows a couple, Angelica and Medoro, carving their names on trees.
This scene is from a famous poem, Orlando Furioso. The poet updated an old story with classical themes. The artist also used a classic style to depict the lovers.
You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of artist Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, 1520–1582).
Overview
The print illustrates a moment from Ludovico Ariosto’s sixteenth‑century epic *Orlando Furioso*, in which the princess Angelica, having tended to the wounded soldier Medoro, declares their love by inscribing their names upon the surrounding trees.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures the lovers’ mutual commitment, a motif that underscores the poem’s theme of personal affection triumphing over the chivalric duties that dominate the narrative. Their act of carving names serves as a tangible record of their bond within the natural world.
Technique & Style
Executed in the antique style popular among mid‑sixteenth‑century Italian printmakers, the work combines classical compositional balance with detailed line work. The brothers Teodoro and Giorgio, both active in the print workshop tradition, employed fine hatching to model forms and convey the foliage’s texture.
History & Provenance
The image derives from a print series produced by the Ghisi brothers, who were known for adapting literary subjects into engravings for a broad readership. The print circulated in the decades following the poem’s publication, reflecting the widespread appeal of Ariosto’s narrative.
Context
*Orlando Furioso* reinterpreted medieval chivalric tales through a Renaissance lens, integrating classical references and humanist ideals. The depiction of Angelica and Medoro aligns with contemporary tastes for romantic episodes that emphasized individual emotion over collective heroism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giorgio Ghisi (1520 — 15 December 1582) was an Italian engraver from Mantua who also worked in Antwerp and in France.
