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Lot Essay
A STUDY FOR THE PERSONIFICATION OF THE DORIAN MODE IN THE CENTRE OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE SEVEN MUSICAL MODES OF THE GREEKS PAINTED BY SCHEDONI IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1607 ON THE CEILING OF THE SALA DEL VECCHIO CONSIGLIO IN THE PALAZZO DUCALE, MODENA (FIG. 1).
SCHEDONI ARRIVED IN MODENA IN 1602, HAVING BEEN EXPELLED FROM PARMA. HE WORKED ON VARIOUS PROJECTS FOR THE ESTE BEFORE BEING COMMISSIONED TO DECORATE, WITH THE PAINTER ERCOLE ABBATE, THE SALA DEL VECCHIO CONSIGLIO IN 1604. SCHEDONI DELAYED THE COMMISSION, BUT IN FEBRUARY 1607 WAS FORCED TO BEGIN WORK: HE WAS JAILED FOR MISTREATING A MASK-MAKER AND WAS LIBERATED ONLY ON THE CONDITION THAT HE WOULD BEGIN TO PAINT THE CYCLE, D. MILLER, 'BARTOLOMEO SCHEDONI IN MODENA, 1602-07; THE EARLIER PHASE OF HIS WORK', THE BURLINGTON MAGAZINE, 1979, CXXI, PP. 76-92.
THE PROGRAMME WAS DESIGNED BY THE SCHOLAR GIACOMO CASTELVETRO. MOST OF THE THEMES WERE DIRECTLY BORROWED FROM OTHER SOURCES, THAT OF HARMONY WAS INSPIRED BY THE FLORENTINE INTERMEZZI OF 1589. THE DORIAN MODE WAS DESCRIBED BY CASTELVETRO AS THE CENTRAL FIGURE OF THE PICTURE 'LA PIù SUBLIME CHIAMASI DORIA, E PERò è POSTA NEL MEZZO DI TUTTE LE ALTRE DONNE, DI MEZZA ETà, TUTTA NEL SEMBIANTE RIPIENA DI GRAVITà, VESTITA DI VERDE OSCURO, O CON'ALTRI VOGLIANO, CHE QUESTO POCO IMPORTA, DI TUTTI I COLORI DI CHE L'ALTRE SONO ADORNE, CON UNA CORONA IN TESTA DI SETTE GIOIE E QUELLA NEL MEZZO MAGGIOR DI TUTTE L'ALTRE, CON ACCONCIATURA SEMPLICE MA GRAVE, DA CUI PENDANO DUE VELI CHE LE RICOPRANO CON MAGNIFICENZA LE SPALLE, E VADANO SINO A' PIEDI', D. MILLER, OP. CIT., P. 88. HAVING DESIGNED THE PROGRAMME, CASTELVETRO LOST INTEREST IN THE COMMISSION, AND THE ARTIST ALTERED HIS SCHEME.
IN JULY 1607 SCHEDONI WAS FORGIVEN BY DUKE RANUCCIO FARNESE AND RETURNED TO PARMA, LEAVING THE CYCLE NEARLY FINISHED, AS TESTIFIED BY ERCOLE ABBATE 'QUELLE POCHE COSETTE CHE MANCAVANO', D. MILLER, OP. CIT., P. 83.
A DRAWING FOR ANOTHER CEILING PAINTING, CORIOLANUS VISITED IN THE VOLSCIAN CAMP BY HIS MOTHER AND WIFE, IS IN THE ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM, OXFORD, D. MILLER, 'THE DRAWINGS OF BARTOLOMEO SCHEDONI; TOWARD A FINER DEFINITION OF HIS DRAWING STYLE AND ITS CHRONOLOGY', MASTER DRAWINGS, 1985-6, XXIII-XXXIV, P. 39, PL. 5.
SCHEDONI ARRIVED IN MODENA IN 1602, HAVING BEEN EXPELLED FROM PARMA. HE WORKED ON VARIOUS PROJECTS FOR THE ESTE BEFORE BEING COMMISSIONED TO DECORATE, WITH THE PAINTER ERCOLE ABBATE, THE SALA DEL VECCHIO CONSIGLIO IN 1604. SCHEDONI DELAYED THE COMMISSION, BUT IN FEBRUARY 1607 WAS FORCED TO BEGIN WORK: HE WAS JAILED FOR MISTREATING A MASK-MAKER AND WAS LIBERATED ONLY ON THE CONDITION THAT HE WOULD BEGIN TO PAINT THE CYCLE, D. MILLER, 'BARTOLOMEO SCHEDONI IN MODENA, 1602-07; THE EARLIER PHASE OF HIS WORK', THE BURLINGTON MAGAZINE, 1979, CXXI, PP. 76-92.
THE PROGRAMME WAS DESIGNED BY THE SCHOLAR GIACOMO CASTELVETRO. MOST OF THE THEMES WERE DIRECTLY BORROWED FROM OTHER SOURCES, THAT OF HARMONY WAS INSPIRED BY THE FLORENTINE INTERMEZZI OF 1589. THE DORIAN MODE WAS DESCRIBED BY CASTELVETRO AS THE CENTRAL FIGURE OF THE PICTURE 'LA PIù SUBLIME CHIAMASI DORIA, E PERò è POSTA NEL MEZZO DI TUTTE LE ALTRE DONNE, DI MEZZA ETà, TUTTA NEL SEMBIANTE RIPIENA DI GRAVITà, VESTITA DI VERDE OSCURO, O CON'ALTRI VOGLIANO, CHE QUESTO POCO IMPORTA, DI TUTTI I COLORI DI CHE L'ALTRE SONO ADORNE, CON UNA CORONA IN TESTA DI SETTE GIOIE E QUELLA NEL MEZZO MAGGIOR DI TUTTE L'ALTRE, CON ACCONCIATURA SEMPLICE MA GRAVE, DA CUI PENDANO DUE VELI CHE LE RICOPRANO CON MAGNIFICENZA LE SPALLE, E VADANO SINO A' PIEDI', D. MILLER, OP. CIT., P. 88. HAVING DESIGNED THE PROGRAMME, CASTELVETRO LOST INTEREST IN THE COMMISSION, AND THE ARTIST ALTERED HIS SCHEME.
IN JULY 1607 SCHEDONI WAS FORGIVEN BY DUKE RANUCCIO FARNESE AND RETURNED TO PARMA, LEAVING THE CYCLE NEARLY FINISHED, AS TESTIFIED BY ERCOLE ABBATE 'QUELLE POCHE COSETTE CHE MANCAVANO', D. MILLER, OP. CIT., P. 83.
A DRAWING FOR ANOTHER CEILING PAINTING, CORIOLANUS VISITED IN THE VOLSCIAN CAMP BY HIS MOTHER AND WIFE, IS IN THE ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM, OXFORD, D. MILLER, 'THE DRAWINGS OF BARTOLOMEO SCHEDONI; TOWARD A FINER DEFINITION OF HIS DRAWING STYLE AND ITS CHRONOLOGY', MASTER DRAWINGS, 1985-6, XXIII-XXXIV, P. 39, PL. 5.