Tondo Doni by Michelangelo Di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni

Tondo Doni by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………….…………3

Appearance…………………………………………………………………………….…….…3

History…………………………………………..…………………………………….….….…3

Design Elements………………………………………………………………………….….…4

Intent and Interpretation……..…………….…………………………………….……….….…5

Art Historical Style …………..…………….………………………………………….…….…5

Personal Assessment…………………….………………………………….…….……...…..…6

List of Illustration Sources…………………….………………………………….…..……..…7

References…..……………….…………………………………………………….…..…….…8

Year of Production: 1506/1507

Medium: Oil and tempera on panel

Dimensions:120 cm diameter

Location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Genre: Christian Art

Period: High Renaissance

Introduction

The Tondo Doni is one of the most well known artwork my Michelangelo. It is the only finished panel painting by him that has survived, and one of the few works that are unanimously agreed to be his. We can surely gain a lot of information about how Michelangelo works from this finished masterpiece, which is known for it’s iconography and grand sculptural style.

Appearance

At first glance, this painting looks like a moment shared between a family. A bearded, bald man seems to be concentrating on passing a nude child over to a woman that takes up a large portion of the composition. She looks up to the child in the middle of receiving him over her shoulder. Her hands cradle him with maternal intimacy that is further reflected in her soft expression. There seems to be a book in her lap, and the man behind her is kneeling so his legs show on either side of her sitting form. They sit on tufts of grass, and a low wall separates the trio from the background. Right behind that low wall, a young boy peers up towards the family. Behind him, a group of nude males appear to be frolicking. One looks like he’s pulling at someone’s clothing, who in turn clutches at another, and the other two look like they’re pointing and whispering.  Their expressive bodies, like those in the foreground, are captured in motion. These nude figures sit on rock, and behind them is more landscape. There might be a river, and a green valley leads to a couple of mountains that sit under a light blue sky. The many colours implemented in the tempera on panel are bright. The ornamental gold round frame contains five busts of people looking fondly into the scene, which the uppermost resembling a depiction of Christ. There are a few things that make me assume this is the Holy family. Firstly, the focus on a central woman and what seems to be her child hints that this may be one of the many popular mother-child depictions of Mary and a baby Christ. Secondly, an association is usually drawn between modesty and the Madonna. The group of nude males makes the woman’s attire look more modest than usual, even though it would still be rather revealing for a representation of the Madonna. As she reaches upwards, her bare, muscular arms are revealed. Her left shoulder and armpit also show. Thirdly, this assumption would fit with the presence of the man behind her, who could be a representation of Saint Joseph, God, or the Holy Spirit. The child peering over the low wall would be around the age of John the baptist.

History

This is indeed a representation of the Holy family. Tondo Doni (also known as The Holy Family or Doni Madonna) now hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, still in the original frame designed by the Buonarotti (Hughes, 1997). The painting was probably commissioned by Agnolo Doni in 1504 to commemorate his marriage to Maddalena Strozzi, who was the daughter of an influential Tuscan family. There was speculation about the painting hinting at a birth due to the depiction of a child being passed to the Madonna, but the commission was made well before Strozzi gave birth to their first child in 1507 (Franklin, 2001). This tempera on wood is in the form of a tondo, or round frame, which was usually associated during the Renaissance with marriage (Viola, 2016). The shape and association to Agnolo Doni are why this piece is called ‘Tondo Doni’. It was finished around 1507, and although there were accounts of people who were excited to see the finished piece, the buyer may not have been as keen about it at first. According to Symonds (2002), Agnolo Doni agreed upon paying seventy ducats, but only sent back forty with his messenger. Michelangelo was offended at this breach in trust and demanded that he pay double what was originally charged. Agnolo must have paid one hundred and forty ducats to keep the painting.

Design Elements

In this masterpiece, we see colours that are consistent with those of the later Sistine ceiling. If one were to disregard the debatably associated ‘Entombment,’ made in 1501, this would be the first time Michelangelo experiments with these Mannerist bright colours. The tones, grand shapes, and spiralling poses are also all elements that will reappear in the Sistine Chapel on a larger scale. No texture or brushwork can be detected on his smooth surfaces.

Symonds (2002) was sceptical about the success of his painting style when he claimed that ‘the Doni Madonna is faithful to old Florentine usage, but lifeless and unsympathetic.’ He went on to describe that Leonardo more effectively played with tones in a way that charmingly mimicked nature (sfumature), which were ‘yet unknown to the great draughtsman (Michelangelo).’ I assume this is because of his sculptural method of painting that makes his subjects look so tangible, rough, and carefully hatched.