Who's Hottest (Renaissance Edition)

[Savonarola]

I saw this article on the BBC and wondered who Languish would pick as the queen of the Renaissance style wars.

The four ladies are:  Simonetta Vespucci (Florentine noblewoman), Isabella d'Este (Marchioness of Mantua), Lucrezia Borgia (various titles, ultimately the Duchess of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio) and Elanora di Toledo (Duchess of Florence).

[viper37]

Simonetta Vespucci

I have to go with her.

Hot damn! 

[Josephus]

I'm for Simonetta.

[Savonarola]

It looks like la bella Simonetta has a commanding lead, Languish shares the tastes of Lorenzo il Magnifico.

Usually, due to my sig, I'd be inclined to pick Lurezia Borgia, but asking her out for una tazza di caffè would be a phenomenally bad idea.  Even if her brother didn't kill you, her family still had that magic ring which could turn you into a dog if you weren't careful. 

A version of the Bronzino Portrait of Elanora di Toledo is in the Detroit Institute of Arts (there's another in Uffizi.)  The version in the poll (taken from the BBC) doesn't really due justice to it.  She's both looking down and sideways at the viewer (as is Lucrezia Borgia) but in the actual portrait the effect is much more pronounced.  When standing in front of it it's hard not to think of Dennis the Constitutional Peasant: "What I object to is you automatically treat me like an inferior!"  (I didn't know the part in the BBC article about how her style combined the Spanish and Florentine styles.  While there is a lot of commentary at the Detroit Institute of Arts, it usually focuses on the projection of wealth and power.)

Isabella d'Este was one of the most remarkable women of her age.  Due to her efforts small and perpetually broke Mantua not only survived (in an era when everyone and the Pope was beating on each other) but also managed to become a leading art city.  Unfortunately the portrait here makes her look cross-eyed.  (It's probably one of those portraits where the eyes seem to follow you around, but loses something in the smaller size.)

[Jacob]

I love this thread

... I haven't voted yet. I'm still deliberating.

I've been searching for some other renaissance portraits and (unsurprisingly in these times) found a whole bunch of "renaissance style" portraits being pushed. It's interesting how easy it is to distinguish the modern takes on renaissance from the genuine articles (and, I think, how easy it is to distinguish AI generated "renaissance style" from work done by actual humans).

I'm assuming, Sav, that one of the criteria for this "hotties" vote is that it must be a named person and not some "portrait of a young woman" or Madonna painting?

[Norgy]

Simonetta gets my vote. 

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I'm torn between Simonetta and Isabella.

[Razgovory]

The Pre Raphaelites were right.

[garbon]

How could I pass up Botticelli?

[Savonarola]

I'm assuming, Sav, that one of the criteria for this "hotties" vote is that it must be a named person and not some "portrait of a young woman" or Madonna painting?

I hadn't given it that much thought, but I think that's fair.  If you really were an it girl you should have had a portrait painted at some point.

[Josquius]

I suspect the dark 3 are done dirty by poorer pictures.

[Savonarola]

I suspect the dark 3 are done dirty by poorer pictures.

Sort of, Isabella d'Este, Lucrezia Borgia and Elanora di Toledo were all members of the ruling class and these portraits are meant to convey their wealth, status, power and the like.  Simonetta Vespucci was that year's girl and the painting is meant to convey her beauty.

Edit: It would be like the difference between Melania Trump's Official State Portraits:



and her modeling work:



Same person in this case, but a very different message.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Alrighty, I went for Isabella.  Apparently I can have her all to myself. 

[Sophie Scholl]

Write-in vote for my girl Caterina Sforza!
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[Bauer]

I went with Lucrezia, feel like she has a chance of sexy with a small risk of fugly.