Trident and Oar in Bronzino's Portrait of Andrea Doria

Abstract

Previously unpublished X-ray images prove that in the portrait commissioned for Giovio's museum, Bronzino painted Andrea Doria holding an oar, not a trident. The article interprets the portrait in its original form. Examination of the portrait together with the eulogy Giovio attached to it shows that Doria is painted as Odysseus, not as Neptune, and explains the incongruous oar. Erotic insinuations in the portrait suggest that, like Bronzino's burlesque poetry, it has a hidden meaning. Further analysis in the context of Giovio's historiography and a precise dating unveil a meaning that criticizes Doria's incompetence in a recent crucial naval battle.