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The Italian physician and scholar Girolamo Mercuriale (1530-1606) reads an edition of the pioneering work on human anatomy "On the Fabric of the Human Body," published first in Latin in 1543 by the great Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius. Mercuriale points to one thought-provoking illustration: a human skeleton meditating on another skull. The portrait may be one requested by the duke of Urbino in 1588. Mercuriale's learning is advertised by the works of eminent Greek, Roman, and Arab authors on his shelves.Lavinia Fontana was among the most sought-after painters in her native Bologna. Among her many commissioned portraits, two groups stand out: images of scholars (the University of Bologna was then the largest in Europe) and portraits of the city's noblewomen. To the first group belongs this portrait of Mercuriale, who taught at the University. Because of the social structure, it was extremely rare for women to become professional artists. To the scholars of Bologna, Lavinia would therefore have been something of a marvel of nature.
Page data
- Page
- 2
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- c12deceb080bcd45
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 19054
- Core
- obj
- Type
- drawing
DTO data
{
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"contentType": "drawing",
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"title": "Portrait of Girolamo Mercuriale",
"description": "The Italian physician and scholar Girolamo Mercuriale (1530-1606) reads an edition of the pioneering work on human anatomy \"On the Fabric of the Human Body,\" published first in Latin in 1543 by the great Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius. Mercuriale points to one thought-provoking illustration: a human skeleton meditating on another skull. The portrait may be one requested by the duke of Urbino in 1588. Mercuriale's learning is advertised by the works of eminent Greek, Roman, and Arab authors on his shelves.Lavinia Fontana was among the most sought-after painters in her native Bologna. Among her many commissioned portraits, two groups stand out: images of scholars (the University of Bologna was then the largest in Europe) and portraits of the city's noblewomen. To the first group belongs this portrait of Mercuriale, who taught at the University. Because of the social structure, it was extremely rare for women to become professional artists. To the scholars of Bologna, Lavinia would therefore have been something of a marvel of nature.",
"provenance": "Marquess Filippo Marignoli, Rome and Spoleto, until 1898 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Marquess Francesco Marignoli, 1898 [mode of acqusition unknown]; Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome, 1899 [1900 catalogue supplement: no. 37, as School of Moroni]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
"date": "1588-1589 (Renaissance)",
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"imageCount": 5,
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"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall (painted surface including added strip at right): H: 46 7/8 × W: 35 in. (119 × 88.9 cm); Framed: H: 56 1/2 × W: 44 1/2 × D: 3 1/2 in. (143.5 × 113 × 8.9 cm)"
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
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"localId": "19054",
"label": "Portrait of Girolamo Mercuriale",
"core": "obj",
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Document source metadata
{
"id": "19054",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/37.1106",
"contentType": "drawing",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Portrait of Girolamo Mercuriale",
"description": "The Italian physician and scholar Girolamo Mercuriale (1530-1606) reads an edition of the pioneering work on human anatomy \"On the Fabric of the Human Body,\" published first in Latin in 1543 by the great Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius. Mercuriale points to one thought-provoking illustration: a human skeleton meditating on another skull. The portrait may be one requested by the duke of Urbino in 1588. Mercuriale's learning is advertised by the works of eminent Greek, Roman, and Arab authors on his shelves.Lavinia Fontana was among the most sought-after painters in her native Bologna. Among her many commissioned portraits, two groups stand out: images of scholars (the University of Bologna was then the largest in Europe) and portraits of the city's noblewomen. To the first group belongs this portrait of Mercuriale, who taught at the University. Because of the social structure, it was extremely rare for women to become professional artists. To the scholars of Bologna, Lavinia would therefore have been something of a marvel of nature.",
"provenance": "Marquess Filippo Marignoli, Rome and Spoleto, until 1898 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Marquess Francesco Marignoli, 1898 [mode of acqusition unknown]; Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome, 1899 [1900 catalogue supplement: no. 37, as School of Moroni]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
"date": "1588-1589 (Renaissance)",
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"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
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"largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL1_37.1106_Fnt_TR_T90II.jpg",
"imageCount": 5,
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"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall (painted surface including added strip at right): H: 46 7/8 × W: 35 in. (119 × 88.9 cm); Framed: H: 56 1/2 × W: 44 1/2 × D: 3 1/2 in. (143.5 × 113 × 8.9 cm)"
}
Document source extras
{
"inscriptions": [
"[Transcription] In open book: DE HUMANI CORP.",
"FABRICA; [Transcription] On the fore edges of the books placed vertically on the shelf, from left to right: GALE[N]O, AVIC[ENN]A, HIPPO[C]RATES; [Transcripton] On the books lying horizontally: PLATO, ARTIST[OTLE], AVERROE[S], PLINIVS; [Transcription] On top of the painting, above the coat of arms: ...NATVS...XXV"
],
"med": "oil on canvas",
"creator_ids": [
"4069"
],
"collection_ids": [
"REN"
],
"exhibition_ids": [
"3048",
"3608"
]
}
Page context
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