Artwork
Portrait of Baccio Bandinelli with Lion
Portrait of Baccio Bandinelli with Lion is a print by the Renaissance artist Nicolò della Casa. It dates from 1548 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This print, made from Baccio Bandinelli's design, depicts the Florentine sculptor in a pose of grandeur and authority.
About this work
This print shows sculptor Baccio Bandinelli seated like a king, wearing a fancy hat.
This print shows sculptor Baccio Bandinelli seated like a king, wearing a fancy hat. His right hand rests on a lion’s head that gnaws a block of marble. A classical vase sits nearby.
The lion biting stone hints Bandinelli wanted to show his power over marble. He often bragged about outdoing Michelangelo.
This is a print made from Bandinelli’s own design.
Look up Nicolo della Casa (French, active 1543–48) to see more prints by him.
Overview
This print, made from Baccio Bandinelli's design, depicts the Florentine sculptor in a pose of grandeur and authority.
Subject & Meaning
Bandinelli is shown seated, surrounded by ancient sculptures and his own works, wearing a fur-lined cloak and a cross indicating his knighthood in the Order of Saint James. A lion biting into marble symbolizes his mastery over stone and possibly his rivalry with Michelangelo.
Technique & Style
The print was made by Nicolo della Casa, a French printmaker active in Italy during the mid-16th century, from Bandinelli's own design, reflecting the artist's classical inspirations and self-promotional intentions.
History & Provenance
The print is a product of Bandinelli's own design, created during a period of rising social status for artists in Renaissance Italy.
Artist & collection
