Raffaello Maffei (1456–1522) 1524 - 1537

Editor: Here we have a bronze and marble sculpture dating from 1524 to 1537, representing Raffaello Maffei, created by Silvio Cosini. The sculpture presents him in his ecclesiastic attire, the material gives it this sense of solemnity and presence. What's your perspective on this particular piece? Curator: The somber materiality indeed contributes to its gravity, but consider also Maffei’s context. He was a prominent humanist and theologian, and prior to that, part of Florentine high society, right? His intellectual pursuits were inseparable from his social and political world. I see this sculpture as a material embodiment of the complexities inherent in navigating those intersecting realms of the early 16th century. Editor: Interesting. I hadn’t considered the intersectionality of his life. So you’re saying that his status and roles influenced the artwork itself? Curator: Absolutely. The sculpture, as a representation of Maffei, isn’t just a likeness. It’s a statement about power, knowledge, and identity within the very specific context of the Italian Renaissance. Who commissioned the work, and why? What specific message were they intending to communicate about Maffei’s place in society and his contributions? And to whom? Those answers contextualize how we look at it now. Editor: It's fascinating to think about this as a form of Renaissance social commentary. I will definitely look at Renaissance portraits in a different way moving forward. Curator: Precisely! By viewing this work through an intersectional lens, it helps illuminate not just Maffei's individual story, but also larger social and political dynamics in the world it was part of.