Page 218 - El arte del poder

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[39] Drawing of the Apotheosis of Charles V shield
Attributed to Giulio Romano (1499-1546) C. 1535-1540
Pen drawing; diameter 41.1 cm
Haarlem, Teylers Museum, inv. no. KI6
bibliography: Booger 1993, p. 258, no. 198
[40] Apotheosis of Charles V shield
Italy, c. 1535-1540
Steel, gold, silver; diameter 53.8 cm; weight 2970 g Patrimonio Nacional. Madrid, Real Armería, cat. D.63
bibliography: Valencia de Don Juan 1898, pp. 152-153; Booger 1993, pp. 258-259, no. 199; Checa 1999, pp. 201-202; Rodríguez López 2002, pp. 247-248, fig. 4
The drawing in the Teylers Museum in Haarlem of the so-called Apotheosis of Charles V shield is attributed on stylistic grounds to the architect and painter Giulio Romano, who was in the service of Duke Federico II Gonzaga of Mantua from 1524 until his death in 1546. The allegorical and victorious nature of its decoration, which is centered on the figure of Charles V, suggests that it was executed between 1535 and 1540, between the emperor’s victorious Tunisian expedition in Africa in 1535 and the disastrous Algerian campaign of 1541. The drawing is associated with a shield of the same name housed in the Royal Armory in Madrid crafted by an unidentified Italian armorer, who reproduces it accurately on the field. The drawing does not, however, include the orle of the shield, which is also adorned in Giulio Romano’s characteristic style with putti embracing small bundles of fruits, including a few pomegranates—possibly a reference to the imperial idea—sur- mounted by the Golden Fleece at the upper edge.
The triumphal image of Charles V between 1535 and 1540 was chiefly a classical and propagandistic representation of majesty. The dynastic and imperial emblems were present on his arms and armors. References to dynastic power or the idea of triumph characterized the decoration of his arms that were related to the major African campaigns of the period conducted against Islam. The victory at Tunis in 1535 led Charles V to be regarded as a new Scipio, as it was the first significant victory of an emperor on African soil since Antiquity. The present shield, which is related to
the drawing in the Teylers Museum, is therefore one of the most emblematic works housed in the Royal Armory. It alludes to this context and shows a rich symbiosis between the new decorative themes of the Renaissance and the ancient Burgundian tradition instilled in Charles V since his birth. Both works are considered one of the finest examples of the exaltation all´antica of Charles V and his military activity and conquests, on account of the joint use of the imperial symbols, the heroic and victorious Roman image of the emperor, and the reference to classical mythology. Charles is depicted on the deck of a classical warship armed in Roman style, wielding the standard with the imperial eagle and accompanied by Victory and Fame, who point out the course his life should follow. Fame bears a shield with the device “Plus Ultra” “Further beyond” created for him in 1517 by Luigi Marliani. On dry land, concealing the stern of the ship, are Hercules with the pillars and Neptune as references to sea power and the expansion of the empire beyond the strait of Gibraltar—a likely allusion to the American campaign then being conducted, of which Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro are the most prominent figures. The person beneath them bearing a cornucopia and a pitcher from which water flows is an allusion to a river, which some art historians have identified as the Guadalquivir. To the left a semi-naked turban-clad female figure tied to a palm tree alludes to the victory over Turkish domination. Giulio Romano’s wide-ranging artistic activity is well known; indeed, according to Vasari, it even extended to the scenery design for certain tournaments at the court of Mantua. The attribution of this drawing to Giulio Romano is based on the close relationship between the work of prominent painters and engravers such as Albrecht Dürer, Hans Burgkmair, and Daniel Hopfer, and the commissioning of luxury arms.
The shield is among those the emperor brought with him to Spain according to the Relación de Valladolid de 1557 (fol.19), which mentions a decorative lining, probably beige, that is now lost “A shield of engraved and gilt steel, lettering on it stating plus ultra, lined with tawny velvet”. However, its provenance is currently unknown owing to lack of documentation. If we accept that the drawing was made by Giulio Romano, it would be reasonable to think that it was sent by Federico Gonzaga or commissioned from Mantua by Charles V, just as other victory related arms were sent to the emperor from Mantua.1 Nonetheless, it is not necessarily related to them, and its origins continue to be unknown in the absence of conclusive evidence. a.s.c.
1. For the relationship between Charles V and Federico Gonzaga in connection with the emperor’s arms see Pyhrr and Godoy 1998, pp. 256-259.
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