Academic literature on the topic 'Gian Gastone de' Medici'

Abstract The enticingly modern strain of republicanism that young Prince Cosimo iii de’ Medici (1642–1723) encountered during his two sojourns in the Dutch Republic (1667–1669) proved a forceful means to reimagine Tuscany’s own, administrative past and present. Through comparative analysis of the unpublished travel journal of Medici secretary Apollonio Bassetti (1631–1699) and the diary in verse by court physician Giovanni Andrea Moniglia (1624–1700), we argue that Cosimo iii’s ambitious agenda abroad was influenced predominantly by his desire to implement environmental reform and portray a contrasting socio-political model at home. Cosimo’s own journeys were followed by ongoing transnational exchange, as testified by the court’s efforts to conceptualize a Medici town atlas and cultivate exotic pineapple plants on the Tuscan soil. By importing artefacts and ideas, then, Cosimo iii – just prior to his succession by Gian Gastone (1671–1737), last of the Medici grand dukes – sought to consciously craft the Medici dynasty’s lasting legacy.

Cette thèse, qui présente les sculpteurs actifs à Florence à l’époque des deux derniers grands-ducs de la dynastie des Médicis, Cosme III (1670-1723) et Jean-Gaston (1723-1737), est une étude de synthèse permettant de situer les sculpteurs dans un contexte social et historique. Elle considère le métier de sculpteur sous tous ses aspects : la formation, les conditions de vie et de travail, le statut social, l’organisation des ateliers, la répartition du travail entre les différents collaborateurs, le processus de création des sculptures et des décors sculptés, ainsi que le rôle essentiel du dessin dans l’élaboration et l’exécution de ces sculptures. En arrivant au pouvoir, Cosme III voulut donner un nouvel essor à la sculpture florentine et prit de nombreuses initiatives dans cette direction : il transforma l’enseignement, développa la production d’objets de luxe au sein de la Galleria dei Lavori et facilita le travail des sculpteurs de nombreuses manières, offrant à la plupart d’entre eux des pensions, des charges officielles et des ateliers. Les sculpteurs étaient certes nombreux, mais la vie artistique s’articulait en réalité autour de quelques figures majeures. Le plus important était Giovanni Battista Foggini, installé dans le célèbre atelier des sculpteurs de cour situé Borgo Pinti. Il cumula les fonctions de Premier sculpteur et d’architecte de la Galleria dei Lavori, dirigeant ainsi une très vaste équipe d’assistants et de collaborateurs. Notre recherche est fondée sur un ample dépouillement d’archives et sur l’étude de dessins préparatoires. Un volume d’annexe comprend un répertoire des sculpteurs ainsi que la transcription de nombreux documents inédits
This thesis, presenting sculptors active in Florence at the time of the last two grand dukes of the Medici dynasty, Cosimo III (1670-1723) and Gian Gastone (1723-1737), is a synthetic study which situates these sculptors in their historical and societal contexts. The work takes into account all the aspects of the profession: the training, in Rome and in Florence, the living and working conditions, the social status, the organisation of the workshops, the creative process, the division of work among the specialists, as well as the important role of drawing in designing and executing the works. When Cosimo III came into power, he decided to bring about a revival in Florentine sculpture and rapidly took many initiatives in this direction: he reformed artistic education, developed the production of luxury artefacts within the Galleria dei Lavori and facilitated the work of sculptors in many ways, offering many of them monthly pensions, official functions and locations for workshops. Even though the period saw a significant number of sculptors working in Florence, artistic life actually centred around a limited number of major figures. Giovanni Battista Foggini, the most important, was settled in the famous sculpture workshop located in Borgo Pinti. At the height of his long career, Foggini was First sculptor as well as Architect of the Galleria dei Lavori, hence managing a vast team of collaborators, assistants and craftsmen. The research is based on a thorough analysis of the archives related to the period as well as an extensive study of the preparatory drawings. A volume of appendices contains a repertory of the sculptors and also the transcription of many unpublished documents