The Ideal City (painting)

The Ideal City of Baltimore

The Ideal City stored in Baltimore (Walters Art Museum) is a 15th-century painting usually attributed to the architect and artist Fra Carnevale. The painting was most likely executed for the Ducal Palace, Urbino of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino. There is no indisputable evidence for this, but Carnevale was one of three architects used for renovations to the palace. Furthermore, in an inventory of the palace completed in 1599 there is mention of a "long rectangular painting depicting an antique but beautiful perspective from the hand of Carnavale". The panels might have been spalliere, forming part of a decorative scheme set into the wainscoting or furnishings, a style common in Italy in the late 15th century.

However, the painting is attributed by others to Francesco di Giorgio Martini, partly due to the latter's greater significance at the Urbino court and because the painting refers to architectural themes he refers to, derived from Leon Battista Alberti's slightly earlier published treatise, in his own architectural treatise.

Composition

The painting consists of a city landscape, glowing in the morning light, nearly empty of human activity. There are five structures that define the space. At the center is a Roman triumphal arch, reminiscent of the Arch of Constantine in Rome, the prominent position of which speaks to the importance of military leadership. Federico was a leading military commander of his day, but the place on the arch for dedication has been left blank. The amphitheater is modeled after the Colosseum in Rome, and could represent the importance of providing entertainment for the well-being of the people. The octagonal building is the only structure not specifically Roman, being modeled after the Baptistery in Florence. However, there is an argument that the original structure incorporated a Roman temple. These ancient structures are joined by two modern buildings of the time. The one on the left, modeled after mid-15th century Florentine palaces of the Medici family, is representative of a residence appropriate to the ruling class. The building to the right with the arches and cloth covered screens is also thought to be a residence. Visible in the background are other 15th-century buildings, including a warehouse. In the foreground, there are four allegorical sculptures, each representing the personification of virtue: Justice with her scales, Moderation with a pitcher of water to mix with wine, Liberality with a cornucopia, and Courage with a column. The fountain at the center, featuring a bronzed winged Sprite, represents a functional source of water. Providing patrons with good water was a sign of magnanimity.

Analysis

The Ideal City celebrates the values in a well-ordered society, with architecture standing as a metaphor for good government. The illusion of space is achieved using a mathematical perspective system developed in Florence. The receding lines that establish spatial relationships converge at a central point, located in the middle of the city gate.

In popular culture

In a scene from the 1995 thriller, Twelve Monkeys, Bruce Willis' character looks at The Ideal City in the Walters Art Museum.

Off the Wall

A reproduction of The Ideal City was displayed at Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, during Off the Wall, an open-air exhibition on the streets of the city from November 2012 through April 2013. A reproduction of the painting was displayed at Hopkins Plaza. The National Gallery in London began the concept of bringing art out of doors in 2007 and the Detroit Institute of Art introduced the concept in the US. The Off the Wall reproductions of the Walters' paintings were done on weather-resistant vinyl and included a description of the painting and a QR code for smartphones.