SCALA,FIRENZEking. Some art historians read Botticelli’s paint-
ing as commentary on the Medicis’s recent loss
of power in Florence. The historical parallels
seem clear. Just as the ancient king was expelled
from Rome and a republic established in 509 B.C.,
Florentine ruler Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici was
forced into exile in 1494, and a republic estab-
lished under the friar Savonarola. Critics of this
theory have pointed out that the Vespuccis,
allies of the Medicis, commissioned this work
as a wedding gift, an unlikely venue for politi-
cal commentary. A definitive interpretation
may never be reached, but Botticelli’s story-
telling powers are undisputed as the raw
emotion of Lucretia’s brutal attack and tragic
death emanates through the painting.SAVONAROLA IN A CELEBRATORY MEDAL.
MUSEUM OF SAN MARCOS, FLORENCE