Bertoldo di Giovanni

In this week’s episode of Cocktails with a Curator, join Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon as he discusses the Pazzi Conspiracy, an attack on Lorenzo de' Medici and his brother, Giuliano, in the cathedral of Florence on April 26, 1478. This important event in Florentine history was commemorated in a convention-busting medal by Bertoldo di Giovanni, a “familiare” (favorite) of the Medici household. This week’s complementary cocktail is the Cardinale, so named because its dark red color evokes a cardinal’s vestments.

In this week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator,” join Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon in sipping on a refreshing Daiquiri as he unravels the mystery behind one of the Frick’s exquisite bronze sculptures, “Shield Bearer” by Bertoldo di Giovanni. Together with Xavier, decode details of the work that may point to the identity of the figure portrayed.

Cocktail Recipe

Daiquiri
1 1/2 oz. white rum
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
serve in a chilled cup

Patricia Lee Rubin, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University

The promotion of Florentine excellence in all of the arts was a mainstay of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s cultural politics. Bertoldo di Giovanni’s sculptural production took place in a context of intense creative competition, resulting in works that are innovative, inventive, and beautiful, qualities explored in this lecture. This lecture is funded by Dino and Raffaello Tomasso.

Davide Gasparotto, Senior Curator of Paintings and Chair, Curatorial Affairs, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Bertoldo di Giovanni played a pivotal role in the revival of classical culture in Florence during the age of Lorenzo de’ Medici. This lecture examines Bertoldo’s singular contributions to the development of the bronze statuette, a genre originally intended for sophisticated and exacting collectors, but destined to become an enduring distillation of Renaissance beauty.

This lecture is funded by Dino and Raffaello Tomasso.

Alexander Noelle, Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellow, The Frick Collection