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Lot Essay
The story of Horatius Cocles defending the city of Rome against Lars Porsena's invading army of Etruscans is one of heroic, civic virtue. Recounted by ancient writers such as Livy, Valerius Maximus and Virgil, the narrative takes place toward the end of the sixth century, B.C. Lars Porsena, the king of Clusium, had led his army to the bank of the Tiber river, just outside Rome. Realizing that the Eternal City would be lost unless drastic measures were taken, the city consuls decided to destroy the Sublician bridge, which at the time was the only one spanning the river. Soldiers quickly set about dismantling the structure, but it was solidly built, and with the great Etruscan army advancing, it quickly became apparent its demolition would not be completed before they arrived. Just as the Romans began to lose hope, the brave Horatius called for two men to join him to take a stand at the foot of the bridge in order to buy time. This cassone panel illustrates the climax of this story: on the far left, Roman soldiers anxiously watch as workers furiously hack into the stone bridge. As large cracks begin to form, Horatius is seen astride his horse with his sword raised, lunging forward to meet a sea of Etruscan soldiers spreading across the entire center of the panel. Horatius successfully defended the bridge, and in the foreground, he appears once again, triumphantly riding his horse into the river to be joyously received by his fellow citizens on the opposite bank. On the panel's far right, Lars Porsena sits beneath a golden tent, surrounded by exotically dressed soldiers. A messenger kneels before the king, recounting the news of Horatius's bold defense. Several iconic monuments – including the Pantheon, the column of Marcus Aurelius, the Castel Sant'Angelo, the column of Trajan and the pyramid of either Caius Cestius or Meta Romulus – appear in the background identifying the city as Rome.
For much of their careers from circa 1446 until at least 1458, the Florentine artists Apollonio di Giovanni and Marco del Buono worked in tandem. Their illustrious workshop specialized in works intended for the secular market and they are best known for their decoratively painted cassoni, spalliere (panels to be set into furniture or wall paneling) and deschi da parto (birth salvers). They also produced small religious paintings for private devotion. Often commissioned in celebration of births and marriages, these commemorative works were popular with the bankers, merchants and elite members of Florentine society who made up Apollonio and del Buono's clientele.
This composition must have been taken from the same cartoon as the panel in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv. 7897-1863), which was previously attributed to a follower of Pesellino and later to Master of the Tournament of Santa Croce but is currently attributed to an anonymous Florentine (loc. cit.). The present panel is distinguished from its London counterpart by the inclusion of the collared leopard in the foreground at the far right, a signifier of exoticism, nobility and courage. A third cassone panel following this composition, with more substantial variations, is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. A-3302).
This composition proved highly influential, and certain figural groups appear in other panels of slightly later date, such as the spalliera by Jacopo del Sellaio that is now set above the cassone painted for the 1472 wedding of Lorenzo di Morelli and Donna Vaggia di Nerli, known as the Morelli Chest (Courtauld Institute of Art, London). In the early twentieth century, the present panel was in the collection of the Hungarian painter Philip de László, who included it in the background of a portrait of his wife (now in the collection of the artist's grandson). A great connoisseur of Old Masters, de László assembled an important collection that also included two other Florentine cassoni panels decorated with scenes from antiquity, which were sold at Sotheby's, London, 15 June 1938, lots 119 and 120.
For much of their careers from circa 1446 until at least 1458, the Florentine artists Apollonio di Giovanni and Marco del Buono worked in tandem. Their illustrious workshop specialized in works intended for the secular market and they are best known for their decoratively painted cassoni, spalliere (panels to be set into furniture or wall paneling) and deschi da parto (birth salvers). They also produced small religious paintings for private devotion. Often commissioned in celebration of births and marriages, these commemorative works were popular with the bankers, merchants and elite members of Florentine society who made up Apollonio and del Buono's clientele.
This composition must have been taken from the same cartoon as the panel in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv. 7897-1863), which was previously attributed to a follower of Pesellino and later to Master of the Tournament of Santa Croce but is currently attributed to an anonymous Florentine (loc. cit.). The present panel is distinguished from its London counterpart by the inclusion of the collared leopard in the foreground at the far right, a signifier of exoticism, nobility and courage. A third cassone panel following this composition, with more substantial variations, is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. A-3302).
This composition proved highly influential, and certain figural groups appear in other panels of slightly later date, such as the spalliera by Jacopo del Sellaio that is now set above the cassone painted for the 1472 wedding of Lorenzo di Morelli and Donna Vaggia di Nerli, known as the Morelli Chest (Courtauld Institute of Art, London). In the early twentieth century, the present panel was in the collection of the Hungarian painter Philip de László, who included it in the background of a portrait of his wife (now in the collection of the artist's grandson). A great connoisseur of Old Masters, de László assembled an important collection that also included two other Florentine cassoni panels decorated with scenes from antiquity, which were sold at Sotheby's, London, 15 June 1938, lots 119 and 120.