Procession of the Magus Caspar (Portrait Of Giuliano De Medici, detail) 1461

Editor: Here we see a detail of Benozzo Gozzoli's "Procession of the Magus Caspar (Portrait Of Giuliano De Medici)" from around 1461, made using tempera and oil paint. I'm struck by the young man's gaze; he looks directly at us. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What I find fascinating here is the blatant display of power and wealth being performed. A young man, who we now know is Giuliano de Medici, rides with a cheetah, an exotic pet at the time, in tow. The painting almost certainly has some connection to identity, with specific attention to how elite identity was carefully crafted. What does it mean for a Medici to portray himself this way? Editor: So, it's less about the religious narrative and more about…brand management, perhaps? Curator: Exactly. Think about the Italian Renaissance and its obsession with humanism – the rediscovery of classical ideals. The Medici family, patrons of the arts, consciously cultivated an image of themselves as embodiments of these ideals. How do you read the symbol of the cheetah here? Editor: Well, the cheetah is collared. Perhaps it's a sign that even wild things are subject to Medici power and influence? Curator: Precisely! The animal becomes a political signifier. We must question whose stories are told and who is positioned in relation to them. How can we connect Renaissance portraiture to contemporary concerns about identity and power dynamics, for example? Editor: That really changes how I see the painting. I thought it was just a pretty Renaissance picture, but it’s really about carefully constructed social messaging. Curator: And recognizing those messages is a vital first step in a more nuanced analysis. Never underestimate the power of historical images to affect contemporary power dynamics.