| The Medici art collection came into being as one component of a program to employ cultural resources in the legitimation of the family's uniquely privileged social position. The dissertation describes the nature of Medici collecting and examines the symbolic functions of the family palace and the works of art displayed within it.;The first chapter concerns the processes by which the Medici accumulated objects for their home. The roles of Cosimo, his sons Piero and Giovanni, and Lorenzo the Magnificent are evaluated, while the significant involvement of associates and intermediaries is assessed. Inspirational models for the Medici's collecting activities are found in ancient practices and in the behavior of early Quattrocento humanists.;The second chapter describes the symbolic significance of the Medici Palace within its urban context. Scenographic aspects of the building are considered as well as specific features of the architectural design. The palace was an important location for the exercise of Medici social and political power, and it became a major symbolic center for the community.;The third chapter examines the imagery displayed within the palace. Monumental works such as Donatello's statues of David and Judith, Uccello's panels depicting the Rout of San Romano, and Pollaiuolo's lost paintings of the Labors of Hercules are addressed individually. It is revealed how Medici iconographies were appropriated from traditional civic imagery.;The fourth and final chapter considers the long-range effects of Quattrocento art collecting, as exemplified and promoted by the Medici. Art that had been restricted to institutional settings was brought into the domestic environment, causing artists to produce works that were reduced in size, isolated in frames or on pedestals, and ready for transportation and exchange. New types of art were introduced for the first time, among them, the bronze statuette, the independent low relief, and the easel painting. The special conditions for viewing art that were established by the private collection and the resultant changes to art objects precipitated new modes of artistic reception, evaluation, and study. |
