Lorenzo Lotto
This is one of the most innovative and dynamic portraits of the Renaissance. The Venetian collector Andrea Odoni (1488–1545) holds in one hand a statuette of Diana of Ephesus, symbol of nature, and with the other he clasps a cross to his chest, suggesting that Christianity takes precedence over nature and the pagan gods of antiquity. The painter of this masterpiece, Lorenzo Lotto had recently returned to Venice after 13 years in Bergamo and was anxious to impress possible patrons in Venice. The portrait has aptly been described as one of the finest and most ambitious of all of Lotto's portraits and a deliberate challenge to Titian's supremacy in the field.
Odoni was a successful merchant in Venice, the son of an immigrant to the city from Milan. He was therefore a member, though much wealthier than most, of the ordinary cittadini rather than the patrician class who are the subject of most Venetian portraits. He inherited a collection of art and antiquities from his uncle, and considerably expanded it. His house, which the writer and critic Pietro Aretino implied was somewhat ostentatious, was described by the painter and architect Giorgio Vasari as "a friendly haven for men of talent." Most of the sculpture in the present painting has been identified as versions, probably plaster casts, of well-known originals. There are three representations of Hercules: Hercules and Antaeus, the standing figure with a lion skin identified at the time as Emperor Commodus as Hercules, and Hercules Mingens on the far right. There are two representations of Venus: the torso in the foreground (possibly Venus Victrix) and a Bathing Venus. In the foreground there is also a cast of the bust of Hadrian.
P.S. Here are the most important painters and works of the Venetian Renaissance. <3
P.P.S. Odoni for sure was an art connoisseur and wrote down his thoughts about art. If you would like to do the same, check out our Art Journals in the DailyArt Shop.