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People have always been emotional creatures and art has always reflected this. This is perhaps made most clear in our long tradition of portrait painting, which allows us to enjoy the presence of loved ones and immortalize them as they were. Renaissance portrait paintings are often considered to be the absolute pinnacle of this concept.
The portraits from the 15th century and the period surrounding it served as emotional touchstones for their owners, keeping the memory of those who had passed on alive in a time when dying young was all too common. Today's artists can offer us a glimpse into the emotional world that our ancestors inhabited.
People commission art for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes, they’re just a bit of fun, like a portrait of yourself in the style of a Renaissance noble. Sometimes, they carry much deeper meanings.
Renaissance art was much the same. Some were meant to commemorate big events, like marriage portraits or depictions of mothers-to-be, or show religious devotion like the works of Michelangelo. Naturally, some were simply the Renaissance equivalent of a photograph, like the most famous portrait in history: the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.
Others carry deeper emotional resonance like memorial portraits of lost loved ones. This is a continuation of a tradition that stretches well back into the mists of time. Some of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance portraiture, particularly those paintied in the 15th and 16th centuries, fall into this category.
The Portrait of Giovanna degli Albizzi, painted by the artist Domenico Ghirlandaio was commissioned by her grieving husband, Lorenzo Tornabuoni after she died in childbirth. We know that the painting was created around two years after her passing, so this was clearly designed to be a memorial to her memory. The Latin inscription in the background translates as “Art, would that you could represent character and mind! There would be no more beautiful painting on Earth!”, which eloquently conveys Lorenzo’s feelings for his deceased wife.
Mauritshuis, The Hague
Another example of the posthumous art found in so many late Medieval portraits is the Posthumous Portrait of Francesco Giamberti, painted by the artist Piero di Cosimo. Commissioned by Giamberti’s son, the portrait is part of a diptych showing both father and offspring. These twin portraits are particularly notable for being amongst the first to highlight the subject’s professions; the compass below the younger man represents his role as an architect while his father’s position as a musician is highlighted by a sheet of music. Not only does the work preserve the likeness of the young man and his father in an image that oozes character, but it also honors his musical contributions.
While the most famous works are often Italian Renaissance portraits, the cultural revolution spread throughout Europe. From Madrid to York and beyond, art changed during the late Medieval period. Though technically Baronial rather than an example of Renaissance portrait art, the Saltonstall Family by artist David des Granges, shows that the tradition of memorializing your loved ones through portraiture spread as far as England. In the painting, Richard Saltonstall is shown with his family, but what sets this apart is the figure in the bed, thought to be Sir Richard’s late first wife. The inclusion of the deceased woman shows how their presence can endure long after their passing.
These paintings and countless others show how art has been used to maintain an emotional connection with dead loved ones. The fact that they’re often considered amongst the most beautiful portraits of the Italian Renaissance is no coincidence; the emotional elements are what make them stand out through the ages.
Art can be so much more than a simple picture or sculpture displayed in some dusty museum of art. It can express emotions on a much deeper level than most of us can ever really put into words. These portrait paintings, especially those painted some time after the passing of a loved one, often contained subtle symbolic details that told viewers what the commissioner or artist thought of the subject.
Today, the same applies. We still look to art to say things about our loved ones and memorial art in particular is often met with tears, not of sadness but because the viewer feels close to the departed again. Even fun portraits, gifted as a slightly cheeky joke, can bring to mind aspects of a departed loved one’s personality, helping us to feel a connection to them after their passing.
Here are a few reasons that art, from Renaissance portrait paintings to more modern takes are the ideal way to immortalize the memory of your loved ones:
Just as in the Renaissance era of Italy, art still has the power to memorialize our lost loved ones like no other medium.
Anyone who has lost someone close to them will tell you about how much they miss them. A major reason that these portraits were commissioned was to serve as a vivid reminder of a deceased loved one or one who was far away.
Today, memorial artworks serve a similar purpose. They allow us to feel close to those who have passed on.
In many works by Renaissance artists, there are layers of symbolism and meaning that students of art history love to decode. Subtle inclusions, such as a bible passage or classical quotes, the props around the subject or even the setting itself convey meanings beyond a simple picture. If you have the key, Renaissance portraiture often tells us a lot more than what the person looked like.
The same is true with modern works of art. We can ask our artists to include things that have meaning to us, making a memorial canvas capable of saying more than a simple photograph. Just as Renaissance masters wove hidden messages into their paintings, today our artists communicate specific personalities and traits through personalized paintings.
Despite the amazing advances in science that the period is known for, the people of the Renaissance were all too familiar with death. Plagues, wars and death in childbirth were all too common and without the wonders of modern medicine meant that most people were very familiar with the mourning process. Having a portrait meant that they had something to focus their feelings of loss on and helped them start to heal.
The popularity of modern memorial artworks suggests that they are still something people find very helpful in their darkest times.
Renaissance portrait paintings were often much more than a simple depiction of what a person looked like. They were laced with layers of meaning and symbolism, often attempting to say something about the departed that would echo through the ages.
Today, art can still serve the same purposes. Though the techniques might have changed and you’re as likely to use a reference photograph as a sitter, art still has the power to speak to us on a deeper level.
