- Work:
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- Author, circle:
- Bicci di Lorenzo (1373-1452)
- Epoch, date:
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- Location:
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- Description, subject:
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- Historical information:
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In “a room in the house of Giovanni di Bicci” (Vasari 1568), that is in the so-called “old house” of the family, was a series of frescoes portraying Famous menexecuted by Bicci di Lorenzo. In effect, in the Giunti edition of the Lives, Vasari refers the paintings to Lorenzo di Bicci, but perhaps confuses the son with his father Bicci di Lorenzo, to whom the Famous men are attributed by previous sources, such as the Libro di Antonio Billi and the Anonimo Gaddiano.
The area that housed this important pictorial cycle, which has sadly been lost, must have had a role of representation within the context of the Medici residence. It was very likely either the ‘salotto’ on the ground floor or, more probably, the large salon on the first floor (Bulst 1990; Caglioti 2000).
The cycle of Famous men by Bicci di Lorenzo was in direct competition with the pictorial cycle on the same subject in the Sala dei Signori in Palazzo della Signoria (or Palazzo Vecchio (Donato 1985; Caglioti 2000). In addition, the series of ancient busts set within plaster frames above the doors of the ground floor of the new Palazzo Medici must also have intentionally referred to the significant series in the “old house”.
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