- 51
Attributed to Francesco Albani Bologna 1578 - 1660
Description
- Francesco Albani
- design for a commemorative frontispiece with eagles clutching a heraldic shield and jupiter above looking towards a female allegorical figure, the city of bologna below
- numbered, verso: No 124., and bears two lengthy pen and ink poetic verses on the verso, and a Latin motto: Sic ad ethera tendunt/ Sic Hutis Justitia Justus
pen and brown ink and wash
Provenance
Brno/Feldmann inventory number 3181
Exhibited
Catalogue Note
We are grateful to Nicholas Turner for suggesting the following explanation of the subject of this drawing. The eagles clutching shields and flying over the city of Bologna appear to be a reference to the white eagle of the Este family of Modena. The subject could therefore be an allegorical representation of Jupiter beckoning Justice (or perhaps the Personification of Bologna), to add the illustrious names of various members of the Este family to the heavens by pointing to the constellation of Aquila, or the Eagle, one of the groupings of stars in the Northern hemisphere according to the old constellation figures. It is also very plausible that the reference is specifically to Alfonso Este III (1591-1644) who became Duke of Mantua in 1628l; Alfonso married Isabella of Savoy and they had eight children, to whom the eight eagles could refer. This drawing must have been intended as a design for a commemorative print. The only Bolognese family represented by a similar eagle, though black rather than white, is the Grasso family.