• Equus infoelicitatis: analisi iconografica di una xilografia dell'Hypnerotomachia Poliphili fra testo e immagine

    Author(s):
    Flavia De Nicola (see profile)
    Date:
    2015
    Group(s):
    Renaissance / Early Modern Studies, The Renaissance Society of America
    Subject(s):
    Humanism, Idols and images, Art, Italian, Art, Renaissance, Renaissance, Renaissance--Study and teaching
    Item Type:
    Online publication
    Tag(s):
    Classical Reception Studies, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Renaissance Rome, Iconography, Italian art, Renaissance art, Renaissance culture, Renaissance studies
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/abfm-e939
    Abstract:
    The peculiar iconography of the winged horse surmounted by several puttos, as appears in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili sixth woodcut, turns out to be unprecedented and enigmatic at a glance and it’s the result of the depth and complexity of the author’s concepts. Considering the iconographic details of the sculptural group as well as the text scattered with allusions to the classical and humanistic sources, the symbology of the winged horse is brought back to the pertinent context of ambiguity between Fortune and misfortune, which acts as interpretation setting for the symbolic imaginary at the beginning of Poliphilo’s journey of initiation. In particular, the symbology of the horse, interpreted as horse of the lost Fortune, is confirmed through the memory of the “seian horse” mentioned by Poliphilo, which could disclose the connection with two figures belonging to the history of ancient Rome, referring in fact not only to Cneius Seius’ horse, but also to the eques Lucius Aelius Sejanus and perhaps to the temple of Fortuna built nearby the Domus Aurea, defined by Plinius “aedem Fortunae quam Seiani appellant”. Therefore, the author of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili intends to show his own complex idea of the Fortune, recalling and surpassing the ample compendium about it and about its contrast with the Virtue matured in literature and humanistic discussions. Francesco Colonna so chooses the image of the winged horse in order to transmit the significance of Fortune unreliability and transience, counterposed to the sturdy Wisdom, evoked by the representation of the elephant and obelisk, later introduced in the narration. A universal Wisdom that should also embrace the earthly feelings and the intellectual pleasures, able to overcome any misfortune hardships: that’s recommended as the sum purpose of Virtue and knowledge practice.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Online publication     Show details
    Pub. URL:
    http://www.bta.it/txt/a0/07/bta00765.html
    Publisher:
    BTA - Bollettino Telematico dell\\\'Arte
    Pub. Date:
    4 April 2015
    Website:
    http://www.bta.it
    Version:
    ISSN 1127-4883
    Section:
    765
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    4 years ago
    License:
    Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
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