Description
Bust of the sculpture Lorenzo de ‘Medici Duke of Urbino by Michelangelo Buonarroti made between 1531-1534 approximately. It is the central statue of the tomb of Lorenzo which is part of the decoration of the New Sacristy in San Lorenzo in Florence, which does not exactly reproduce the features of the famous deceased, but it is rather an artistic and heroic reworking of his figure. The duke is seated in a pensive attitude and is facing left towards the statue of the Medici Madonna. The Duke of Urbino wears a Roman military uniform. Scholars underline, as also noted by Vasari, the typical nature of this so-called “melancholic” posture, typical of the Renaissance. On the sides, at the bottom, there is the statue of the Twilight and the Dawn. The two personifications represent the passage of time and the destiny of man. The bust in question is a creation of the Marinelli Foundry in Florence.
