Utente:Amel Olivares/Sandbox

The “Last Judgement of Geneva” was a present from Master Buonarroti to young artist Alessandro Allori, the putative son to Florentine painter Agnolo Bronzino. It served as a model for Allori to paint the Altarpiece commissioned to adorn the private chapel of the

Montauto family in the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata in Florence.

Based on (thank to) the research carried out and the evidence gathered, it is now possible to confirm for the first time that young Florentine painter Alessandro Allori, Bronzino’s adopted son, was in close contact with the great Master of Renaissance art, Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Painter Alessandro Allori resided in Rome between 1554 and 1560, where he had the opportunity to study Michelangelo’s work Michelangelo’s work (frescoes, paintings, drawings, preparatory studies) indepth and established contacts with members of major contemporary aristocratic families,including the Montautos, wealthy Florentine bankers who had made their fortune in the capitalcity, the Bardis, and the Capranicas, the latter of whom were notably close to the ecclesiasticaland papal circle.

In Rome, Alessandro Allori painted the portraits of Tommaso de’ Bardi (who prompted the Montauto family to commission the embellishment of the Montauto Chapel to young Allori) and his wife Ortensia Montauto, as well as those of Zanobi( 1559) and Benedetto Montauto, and Paolo Capranica. Within the Roman circle named “Nazione Fiorentina”, for which the Bardi and the Montauto families repeatedly served as consuls, Alessandro Allori made contact with Michelangelo, a close friend to Paolo Capranica and to both Benedetto and Zanobi Montauto, who financially supported the construction of the tomb of Julius II. Alessandro Allori had already arrived in Rome with recommendations from some of the greatest artists and intellectuals of the time, such as his adoptive father Agnolo Bronzino and distinguished poet Benedetto Varchi, a close friend of Michelangelo’s.

In 1560, Benedetto and Zanobi Montauto commissioned painter Alessandro Allori to decorate their family chapel in the Basilica Santissima Annunziata (Florence). In the Montauto chapel, based on a sketch by Master Michelangelo Buonarroti (“Last Judgement of Geneva”), Alessandro Allori created an Altarpiece (400 x 275 cm) depicting the Last Judgement, which, as indicated in the Latin note by Allori himself at the bottom of the painting, is a faithful copy of the original composition designed by Michelangelo Buonarroti, albeit with a reduced number of figures compared to the Sistine Chapel version.

Following this magnum opus, which was praised by his contemporaries and also mentioned by Giorgio Vasari in his treatise “The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects” (“Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori”, 1568), Alessandro Allori became Consul of the Accademia del Disegno in Florence in 1563. The following year, he collaborated on Michelangelo’s funerary apparatus, a collective undertaking commissioned by the Duke of Florence Cosimo I de’ Medici. In the Furniture and Artworks Inventory of Florentine Marquis Donato Guadagni’s palace in Via de’ Pilastri (Florence), we can find a detailed description of the ‘‘Last Judgement of Geneva”.

“Marchese Donato Guadagni, Adì 18 marzo 1792. Inventario dei mobili, masserizie et altro, esistenti nella palazzina di via de’ Pilastri, d’attenenza dell’Ill.mo Sig. Marchese Donato Guadagni, Archivio di Stato, Firenze, Italia (Pupilli (Principato), 2707 (Inventari, 1789-93), n.66), Trascrizione: Numero due quadri, alti braccia 2 e larghi br. 2 1/2, in tela, esprimente uno copia del quadro del Baroccio esistente nella Real Galleria, e l’altro il bozzetto del quadro dell’Allori esprimente il Giudizio Universale; con sua cornice dorata et intagliata, nappe celesti e cordoni”.

“Marchese Donato Guadagni, 18 th March 1792. Inventory of the furniture, household goods, and other items stored in the palace in Via de’ Pilastri, belonging to Ill. Marquis Donato Guadagni, State Archives, Florence, Italy (Pupilli (Principato), 2707 (Inventories, 1789-93), n.66), Transcription: Two paintings, 2 ells tall and 2 1/2 ells large, on canvas, one showing a copy of a painting by Baroccio preserved in the Royal Gallery, and the other one is a sketch of a painting by Allori depicting the Last Judgement; with its gilt frame and carving, light blue tassels, and cords”. The Guadagnis had distinguished themselves in Florence since the end of the 12 th century as established bankers. The French branch amassed such a conspicuous fortune that the phrase riche comme Gadagne came to be used in France to indicate a person of immense wealth.

The Guadagnis were not only bankers, but also valiant soldiers, shrewd administrators, highly skilled diplomats and ambassadors; members of the family participated in the military and intelligence actions orchestrated by Caterina de’ Medici, Queen of France (1519-1589), against Cosimo I, her distant cousin and Duke of Florence, later Grand Duke of Tuscany, who had usurped the properties and titles of the first-born Medici branch, of which she was the last survivor. In the second half of the 16 th century, the Guadagni family owned a private chapel in the Basilica SS Annunziata (Florence) where, since 1552, they had housed a painting by Agnolo Bronzino, master and adoptive father of Alessandro Allori, portraying a “Resurrection.” Archive sources record Bronzino’s portraits of Iacopo Guadagni, future commissioner of the “Resurrection” of the Santissima Annunziata, and his wife Lucrezia di Gino Capponi: ASF, Guadagni Archives, 349, Earnings, expenses, and cash of Jacopo di Ulivieri Guadagni 1531-1539, c. 109d “[14 novembre 1538] buoni a Agnolo detto il Bronzino pittore [...] sono per un ritratto di pittura di uno quadro dentro vi la impronta di Jacopo Guadagni [...] e per dipingere la testa di gietto della donna di detto Jacopo”. “[14 November 1538] vouchers to Agnolo known as Bronzino, painter [...] for a portrait of a picture of Jacopo Guadagni [...] and for painting the head of the woman of said Jacopo”.

All of this emphasizes the close relationship between the Guadagni and the Bronzino- Allori families. Through the Acquavella Gallery branch in Caracas, the painting was bought by wealthy Italian printer Dante Ferrari in the 1940s. Luca Ferrari (gallery owner), from whom it was purchased in 1992 by the present owner. Private US ownership (present owner)

The “Last Judgement of Geneva” is a composition strikingly similar to the “Last Judgement” fresco in the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo Buonarroti and the “Last Judgement” Altarpiece by Alessandro Allori. However, compared to the Sistine Chapel fresco, the “Last Judgement of Geneva” features a reduced number of figures – 33, to be precise.

As in the Sistine Chapel work and the Allori Altarpiece, the central figure of the painting is the Christ Judge, young and of Apollonian beauty, with the Madonna at his side. On the right side of the painting (left side to the observer), one can see the ‘Saved’ and two faces that do not appear in the Sistine Chapel Judgement. One of these faces is undoubtedly that of Master Michelangelo himself, who, as research has shown, chose to portray himself in the painting and place himself among the ‘Saved’. The Master would never have painted himself among the ‘Damned’, where he had placed (drawn) his enemies, and above all given his conviction of the strength and justice of his own spiritual values.

One must always consider the profound influence of the reform-minded Catholic group known as “The Spirituals” on Buonarroti’s religious and artistic outlook. In the second portrait, one could identify Michelangelo’s close friend, Vittoria Colonna (1490/92 - 1547). The sublime beauty of this feminine face seems to (evoke) recall Buonarroti’s (poetic verses) lines to Colonna: “[...], / fuor di me stesso aver di me pietate; / sì sopra ‘l van desio / mi sprona il suo bel volto, / ch’i’ veggio morte in ogni altra beltate. / O donna che passate / per acqua e foco l’alme a’ lieti giorni, / deh, fate c’a me stesso più non torni”. “[...], / out of myself have pity of me; / in this way on my desire / her lovely face spurs me on, / that I see death in every other beauty. / O woman who passes / souls through water and fire to joyful days, / pray, do not let me come back to myself anymore.”

Indeed, this female face is the most beautiful in the entire work. Facial detail of supposedly Vittoria Colonna A Latin note appears at the foot of Alessandro Allori’s Altarpiece: it was written by the young artist, who claims that he had faithfully copied Buonarroti’s invention. This clearly refers to the sketch of the “Last Judgement of Geneva”, which, as we have already seen in the 1792 inventory of Donato Guadagni’s artworks, is described as the sketch used by Allori. In the Altarpiece, Michelangelo’s face was painted by Allori at least four years after he had finished his Last Judgement. The young artist had included it as a posthumous homage to Master Buonarroti; this face shows no sight-related defect, specifically strabismus. The face painted by Allori and attributed to Vittoria Colonna is technically and artistically of a quality utterly inferior to the miniature featured in the ‘‘Last Judgement of Geneva’’: the disciple evidently failed to surpass the Master. In the “Last Judgement of Geneva”, for example, the woman’s hair displays a detailed, accurate, and meticulous work that is absolutely absent in the woman painted by Allori. Even the nose, one of the most difficult elements to draw in a face and one that can greatly compromise its harmony, is coarse in Allori’s painting, while that of the “Last Judgement of Geneva” is straight, thinner, and more delicate. In the very small face of Colonna painted by Michelangelo in the “Last Judgement of Geneva”, such sublime harmony and delicacy (not detectable in Allori’s woman), such grace and perfection can be attributed only to the hand of the Master and his genius.

The upper left section of the painting features St. Peter with Keys and other figures, and in the upper right section St. John the Baptist stands out. Other figures from the Sistine Chapel fresco can be seen in the Judgement of Geneva:

- some angels holding books at Christ’s feet and others blowing the trumpet; they are characterized by the absence of both a halo and wings, hence they are called Apteri or wingless Angels; these angels were an invention of Michelangelo’s and, they were heavily criticized;

- the Repentant, a character to whom Michelangelo spent many hours of study, doubtful as to where he should place him, whether in the ‘Damned’ group, among the ‘Saved’ or in the upper area of the painting, as can be seen from the drawing in which the Master placed this character in various positions, preserved in the Royal Collection (Windsor). The “Last Judgement of Geneva”, painted on canvas, shows an ancient preparation – with two preparatory layers, one where we find calcium carbonate (chalk) and lead carbonate (white lead) and coarse angular big grains of calcium carbonate, and a second layer where there is little calcium carbonate, and white lead prevails. This ancient preparation corresponds to what was done in the Renaissance on this type of support. Michelangelo Buonarroti’s “Last Judgement of Geneva” has a different intention and function than that of the Sistine Chapel. It is a sketch that would serve as a model for Alessandro Allori for the Altarpiece in the private chapel of the Montauto family, friends to both artists. In (the “Last Judgement of Geneva”) this sketch, Buonarroti (1475-1564) had no need to be provocative, let alone introduce such features that could generate scandal, opposition, or vigorous rejection, as had been the case with the Sistine Chapel’s “Last Judgement” more than fifteen years earlier, when Michelangelo did have real enemies. A notable example is Biagio da Cesena (1463-1544), the Papal Master of Ceremonies, who consistently obstructed the Master’s work and who features among the “Damned”, enveloped by a snake biting his (penis) genitals, and sporting two splendid donkey ears, epitomizing his stupidity. As early as 1544, rumors were circulating that the fresco would be destroyed or heavily censored.

In 1565, Daniele da Volterra (1509-1566) carried out the order of the Council of Trent to censor Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement” by relocating and covering up some characters, such as St Catherine of Alexandria and St Blaise, or by draping their intimate areas with so-called “braghettoni” – breeches in the shape of diapers –, or fig leaves.

Thus, in 1565, Daniele da Volterra censored the “Last Judgement” fresco. However, one should bear in mind that by 1559-1560 – i.e., at least five years before Daniele da Volterra’s censorial intervention – Alessandro Allori had already painted his “Last Judgement” Altarpiece, by faithfully copying an invention by Buonarroti, as the young artist himself explains in a Latin note he wrote in the lower area of his Altarpiece, where he shows semi-naked figures as in the “Last Judgement of Geneva”. However, the figures in the painting are not wearing breeches – “braghettoni” and some of them show uncovered intimate areas, so (absolutely there isn’t) we cannot in any way be speaking of censorship or self-censorship – it was not until 1564 that the censoring of the nudes in Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement” was decreed – but rather of a deliberate choice by Buonarroti to use a more cautious and austere language that could not arouse criticism.

After all, the final work was to be painted by Allori this version of Last Judgment was committed to the young artist Alessandro Allori (Altarpiece), who was in his novice years, so he would never dare to exhibit an Altarpiece that would be discomfiting and defiant and that might breed the discontent of his friends and commissioners. Hence, the language chosen by Michelangelo in the narrative of the sketch-model would be much more subdued than that employed in the Sistine Chapel. Master Buonarroti, in utter respect and consideration, did not want to impose his own ideas and views on the young artist Alessandro Allori. Reflectography of the Latin note on the “Last Judgement” Altarpiece, Alessandro Allori “Alexander Allorius Civis Flor. Bronzini Alumnus. Inventum optimi pictoris Bonarrotae Haec sedulo pinxit.”

“The Florentine citizen, a disciple of Bronzino, Alessandro Allori, faithfully painted this invention (creation) of most excellent painter Buonarroti.” Allori’s Judgement is a very faithful copy of the “Last Judgement of Geneva”, showing the same number of characters and the same narrative, but with a Christ Judge wearing a bushy, dark beard, unlike the beardless Christ in the “Last Judgement of Geneva” and in the Sistine Chapel.

Another confounding aspect relates to the anatomical shape of the characters. In view of the proximity of the Altarpiece to the observer, Allori had no need to have his characters depicted with a magnified form, although it is possible to recognize Junoesque women (in the “Last Judgement of Geneva” and in the Altarpiece) typical of Michelangelo. With regard to the bearded man’s face, which appears among the “Saved,” it can presumably be recognized as Buonarroti’s self-portrait: in this sense, it is essential to take into account the visual defect – strabismus squinting – in his eyes, which Professor Francesco Fasce (San Raffaele Institute, Milan) accurately explained in his report. "Se volessimo concedere importanza a qualche difetto di proporzione, del tutto irrilevante nel contesto dell’ampia ricerca svolta sull’opera “Giudizio universale di Ginevra”, occorre partire dal principio che questa tela è un bozzetto, e non un’opera finale del Maestro destinata a uno dei suoi rinomati committenti. Era un dono a un caro amico. Ad ogni modo i difetti di proporzione che potrebbero individuarsi nel bozzetto “Giudizio Universale di Ginevra”, sicuramente rispondono a una funzionalità che va interpretata a favore dell’osservatore e della prospettiva che emerge in dipendenza da dove sarà collocata l’opera (altezza a cui sarà posizionata l’opera, se l’osservatore si troverà di fronte o di lato rispetto all’opera, e la luce). Questa risorsa di Michelangelo si può perfettamente apprezzare nella testa del David di Michelangelo che è palesemente più grande rispetto al resto del corpo."

If we wanted to grant importance to some defect of proportion, completely irrelevant in the context of the extensive research carried out on the artwork "Last Judgment of Geneva", we must start from the principle that this canvas is a sketch, and not a final artwork by the Master for one of his renowned clients. It was a gift to a dear friend. In any case, the proportion defects that could be identified in the "Last Judgment of Geneva" sketch could respond to a functionality that must be interpreted in favor of the observer and of the perspective that emerges depending on where the work will be placed (height at which the work will be positioned, if the observer is in front or to the side of the work, light and other elements). This resource of Michelangelo can be perfectly appreciated in the head of Michelangelo's David which is clearly larger than the rest of the body. Michelangelo’s self-portrait featured in “The Last Judgement” was also compared by former RIS officer, Dr. Chantal Milani, with Michelangelo’s face, which Allori added into his Altarpiece after the Master’s death.

Milani’s study revealed that the face in the sketch depicts a younger-looking Michelangelo compared to the one introduced by Allori in 1564. It should be noted that Michelangelo is often portrayed in a three-quarter profile and not frontally, perhaps aiming to conceal his nose imperfection caused by a punch he was given in his youth; maybe this is why the Master’s portraits are so similar to each other. The painting was restored in December 2015 and there had already been at least two more restorations. The conservation status of the work is very good. The canvas has not undergone relining.

The “Last Judgement of Geneva” is oil on canvas. Before drawing and applying colors, Renaissance artists prepared the support fundamentally with calcium carbonate (chalk), and for many years the preparation of Renaissance supports was associated with this material, chalk. Therefore, to speak of a prevalence of lead carbonate (white lead) in the base of Renaissance panel supports seemed improbable; on the other hand, the use of white lead was indispensable on canvas. With the exception of the Venetian School, little is known about painting on canvas in the Italian Renaissance, which is also why the rediscovery of this “Last Judgement” by Master Buonarroti is so meaningful. The two oil-on-canvas paintings attributed to Raphael Sanzio, exhibited in the Louvre Museum in Paris, have greatly contributed to a better understanding of the technique used by the great masters to work on this type of support, but have also helped to dispel the preconception that the great masters of the period did not paint on canvas. The purpose of the canvas was very precise: it was meant to ease the transport of the painting, especially over long distances. For the work to be rolled up, however, it was imperative to prepare the support not only using calcium carbonate, but also with large quantities of white lead, a material certainly more elastic.

In the “Last Judgement of Geneva”, stratigraphic examination revealed the presence of two preparatory layers: a first layer covered with a fairly balanced amount of calcium carbonate and lead carbonate, and a second preparatory layer, where white lead predominates, with very little calcium carbonate and very little ochre. Under ultraviolet light filtered at 440-490 nm, the layer emits a yellow fluorescence, indicative of the probable presence of oils. White lead, red ochre, and possibly red lacquer and amber (due to its orange-yellow fluorescence under ultraviolet light) were found in a third layer. No synthetic pigments were detected by either stratigraphic examination or XRF analysis.

Michelangelo certainly also employed the glazing technique on canvas. The twelve measuring points analyzed by XRF on the original layers of the painting confirmed the presence of pigments compatible with a historical painting palette typical of the hypothesized dating of the work under analysis. The chemical elements detected are lead carbonate, calcium carbonate, manganese, ochre, iron, mercury, and potassium.

In the “Last Judgement of Geneva”, we were able to identify elements specific to Michelangelo’s work:

1. beardless Christ Judge,

2. wing-less and halo-less angels,

3. incomplete figures,

4. motion effect of the figures,

5. pursuit effect with a slight eyesight-related defect.

The stratigraphic study was carried out on the microstratigraphic sections of the two samples taken, using the following instrumental methods:

 optical microscopy,

 scanning electron microscopy (ESEM type) with EDS microprobe,

 FTIR microspectrophotometry,

 X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF),

- Reflectography using Vis-Ir Scanner with InGas sensor: scanning up to 1700 nm and resolution of 4 points/mm²,

- Radiography,

- Comparative analyses of Michelangelo’s drawings,

- Stylistic analysis of the work,

- Archival and documentary historiographical research [Vatican Secret Archives, Collection of Michelangelo drawings (Windsor), British Museum document study room, Florence State Archives, Specialized Art Libraries in Naples and Rome, Uffizi Gallery Archives, Fondazione Longhi Archives].

The artwork has been surveyed by ‘Artloss’ and is not listed as a missing or stolen work.

From right to left: Mons. Del Rio and Dr. Olivares an Dr. Chantal Milani on the day of

the international press conference.