Portrait of Emperor Joseph II as King of Hungary
Sculptures
Artist | |
---|---|
Date | 1497—1499 (original), 1908 (cast) |
Object type | plaster cast |
Medium, technique | plaster cast |
Dimensions | 116 × 155 × 220 cm |
Inventory number | Rg.147 |
Collection | Sculptures |
On view | Star Fortress (Komárom), Funerary Sculpture in Northern Italy, Gallery XVIII |
In 1497, the Milanese sculptor known as Il Gobbo, or the Hunchback of Milan, was
commissioned by Ludovico Sforza (1452—1508), Duke of Milan, to carve a funerary
monument for his wife, Beatrice d’Este (1475—1497), who had died at a young age,
and for himself. The sculptor worked on the monument, which was intended for the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan but was moved to the Certosa in Pavia in 1564 until Ludovico’s fall from power in 1499. The work was never completed. Only the cover was made, decorated with life-size recumbent figures of the deceased couple in ornate contemporary costumes.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.