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16th-century Italy

Works made in Italy in the 16th century.

66 works · hang 1523 ·

The rooms are imagined; every work on their walls is real.

Walk this roomRehang this room

First room, north wall

  1. A work made of oil on panel.
    Domenico da GambassiAndrea del Sarto, 1525–28Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. Portrait of a Woman as Saint Catherine, by Pier Francesco Foschi, c. 1560
    Portrait of a Woman as Saint CatherinePier Francesco Foschi, c. 1560Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. The Nativity, by Giorgio Ghisi, 1553
    The NativityGiorgio Ghisi, 1553Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. Two women and a man support the gray, lifeless body of a nearly nude man along a stone ledge in this vertical painting. The people have pale skin, except for the dead man at the center, Jesus, who has ash-white skin with dark shadows around his closed eyes. He has a long straight nose, and his lips are slightly parted. He has a brown beard, and his long, wavy hair falls away from his face. A white cloth wraps across his hips, and blood trickles from a gash over his right ribs and holes in his feet. A woman and man prop him up on either side, each holding Jesus by a limp arm, and each has a faint, gold halo encircling their heads. To our left, the woman holds her face close to his, her brows deeply furrowed and her mouth wide open, teeth showing. Her forehead, chin, and neck are covered by a white veil, worn under navy-blue cloak that covers her head and body. The cloak falls open over one arm and a bent knee to reveal her long-sleeved, lighter blue dress. On Jesus’s other side, a cleanshaven man with curly brown hair holds Jesus’s arm with both hands. The man’s eyes squint with tears as he tips his head toward Jesus. His pink lips are parted, and the corner of the mouth we can see is pulled down. He wears an emerald-green, long-sleeved tunic under a vivid red cloth that wraps around his right arm, waist, and left leg. The fourth and final person is a woman sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped tightly around Jesus’s crossed ankles. She sits with one foot tucked under her body and the other leg out straight. Waist-length, wavy, auburn-brown hair falls freely over her shoulders and across her face, but we can see her downturned, open mouth and nearly closed eyes. She wears a rose-pink dress, cinched at the waist. A brown cloth wraps around her waist and right leg. A cylindrical, lidded, white jar sits on the dirt ground nearby. The group is arranged in front a thigh-high stone ledge, except for the man in green and red, who steps into what is presumably the coffin. A rocky outcropping to our right has a cave-like opening with grasses and growth along the top. The landscape beyond has a dirt path winding between pine-green hills dotted with trees. Two slate-blue buildings perch atop one hill. White clouds float across the blue sky above.
    PietàMoretto da Brescia, 1520sCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

First room, south wall

  1. Holy Family with a Shepherd, by Battista Dossi, early 1520s
    Holy Family with a ShepherdBattista Dossi, early 1520sCourtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. A work made of etching in black on cream laid paper.
    Dead Christ Held by AngelsOrazio Samacchini, 1580/1620Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A work made of oil on panel.
    Christ Carrying the CrossSebastiano del Piombo, c. 1515–17Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, south wall

  1. Venus and Adonis, by Titian, 1550s
    Venus and AdonisTitian, 1550sCourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Martyrdom of Saint Andrew, by Guido Reni, 1600s
    Martyrdom of Saint AndrewGuido Reni, 1600sCourtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. A work made of red chalk and brush and red chalk wash (recto) and black chalk, with black chalk grid lines, (verso) on cream laid paper.
    A Drapery Study for the Knees of a Seated Allegorical Figure of Charity (recto); Bust of a Naked Allegorical Figure of Charity with Two Putti (verso)Giovanni Antonio di Francesco Sogliani, 1520/30Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, north wall

  1. The Baptism of Christ, by Jacopo Bassano, ca. 1590
    The Baptism of ChristJacopo Bassano, ca. 1590Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. A work made of oil on panel.
    Lucrezia di Lippo di Iacopo GuidiAndrea del Sarto, 1525–28Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A work made of engraving in black on cream laid paper.
    The Farnese HerculesGiorgio Ghisi, c. 1577Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  4. This is a drawing of an ornamental design featuring mythological creatures and motifs. The artwork depicts a symmetrical arrangement with two central figures holding musical instruments, surrounded by acanthus leaves, griffins, and sphinxes. In the upper portion, there is a winged figure with a crown-like headdress carrying symbols or trophies. The design is detailed with decorative elements including floral patterns and architectural motifs. Throughout the drawing, there are various mythological creatures integrated into the composition.
    Ornamental Panel Inscribed "Victoria Augusta"Giovanni Antonio da Brescia, c. 1516Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Third room, north wall

  1. The Coronation of the Virgin, by Annibale Carracci, after 1595
    The Coronation of the VirginAnnibale Carracci, after 1595Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Six women, eight men, two satyrs, and one child gather in pairs and trios in a loose row that spans the width of this nearly square painting. They are set within a landscape with craggy rocks, cliffs, and trees. Most of the people face us, and the men, women, and child have pale skin. The two satyrs have men’s torsos and furry goat’s legs, and they have darker, olive complexions. Most of the men wear voluminous, knee-length togas wrapped in short robes in shades of white, topaz blue, grass green, coral orange, or rose pink. Most of the women wear long, dress-like garments in tones of shell pink, apricot orange, or lapis blue over white sleeves. For all but one woman, their garments have fallen off one shoulder to reveal a round, firm breast. Several objects are strewn on the rocky, dirt ground in front of the group, including a wide, wooden bucket with a piece of paper affixed to its front to our right, a glass goblet, a pitchfork, a large blue and white ceramic dish filled with grapes and small yellow fruits, and an overturned cup near the center. Cliff-like, craggy rocks rise steeply behind the group to our left, filling much of the sky opposite a tall grove of leafy, dark green trees to our right. A few puffy white clouds float across the vivid blue sky. The slip of paper on the barrel has been inscribed, “joannes bellinus venetus p MDXIIII.”
    The Feast of the GodsGiovanni Bellini, 1514/1529Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington