This large and impressive painting of Giuliano de’ Medici (1453–1478) may commemorate his assassination in the cathedral of Florence by a group of anti-Medicean conspirators (the so-called Pazzi Conspiracy). If so, the features were probably done from a death mask. Giuliano is framed by a window. A turtledove—associated with mourning—sits on a barren twig, perhaps indicating death. The shutters—one open, one closed—possibly refer to the tradition of showing a tomb door ajar on Roman sarcophagi. Interpreted in this way, the window is used to distance the figure from our reality, not to create a visual link—an idea underscored by the figure’s downcast gaze. Variations of the composition were much in demand, probably by Medici supporters who wished to display them as memorials.
