in his prime. As his arms and hands are positioned to gently caress the instrument he holds, he is shown as a charmer who uses his musical talent to seductively soothe the savage beasts in the background. This portrait with its soft sensuality and mythic proportions undeniably presents Cosimo as a beautiful man. Although it diverges from the traditional stereotypical representations of beautiful Renaissance men – nonetheless it provides another definition of the concept of masculine beauty in the Renaissance – beauty not found in the vision of a stern distant military leader, nor is it particularly effeminate prettiness, but more a representation of beauty found in the powerful muscularity and sexual virility of a young man in his prime. Obviously this type of portrait, such a celebration of sexual liberation, would never be seen in the context of feminine beauty in the Renaissance.A final example of the conceptual difference between masculine and feminine beauty in the Renaissance can be found be examining Piero Berruguete’s portrait of Federico da Montefeltro and his son Guidobaldo (1476 – 77). Federico became the Duke of Urbino from 1474, and through his extensive patronage of the arts he established Urbino’s status as the ideal Renaissance court. The humanist Paolo Cortese went so far to describe Frederico and Cosimo de Medici as the two greatest artistic patrons of the fifteenth century. This particular portrait was painted in the prime of his career, and his supreme confidence of that time is clearly expressed. He is shown reading solemnly at a lectern, yet underneath his glorious, rich robe he is dressed in armour, with his sword strapped to his side. This contrasting imagery alludes to his serenely harmonious devotion being made possible by the prudent conduct of war. It also refers to his continuous vigilance and awareness, even when engrossed in religious contemplation. By advertising his moral d...
