1. 052710
    Portrait of Ercole d’Este, Duke of Ferrara (1471-1505), possibly by Dosso Dossi (c.1490 -1542) The court of Ercole d’Este was one of the most glittering in Renaissance Italy. The duke was a prolific builder, and the leader in the revival of classical theater, an enthusiastic patron of musicians, and a creator of magnificent court spectacles. Very little survives to testify to Ercole’s achievements, largely because of a devastating earthquake in 1570, but extensive archival evidence has been used to reestablish the duke’s achievements and the extent to which he was personally involved in his patronage.

    Portrait of Ercole d’Este, Duke of Ferrara (1471-1505), possibly by Dosso Dossi (c.1490 -1542)

    The court of Ercole d’Este was one of the most glittering in Renaissance Italy. The duke was a prolific builder, and the leader in the revival of classical theater, an enthusiastic patron of musicians, and a creator of magnificent court spectacles. Very little survives to testify to Ercole’s achievements, largely because of a devastating earthquake in 1570, but extensive archival evidence has been used to reestablish the duke’s achievements and the extent to which he was personally involved in his patronage.

     

     Ferrara  Painting  Ferrara