“I do not regret this for though many would consider it better to have a part of that sum in their purse, I consider it to have been a great honour to our state, and I think the money was well-expended and I am well-pleased.”
— Lorenzo de Medici
A few weeks ago, we read an article called ”Looking at Italian Renaissance Sculpture”, which was wrote by Sarah Blake McHam. In this article, the author talked about Renaissance Sculpture and his main connection is Michelangelo which is well known as a great Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance. The author talked about Michelangelo’s work during different periods of his life. In Michelangelo’s early life, he studied sculpture in the “garden” workshop where the Medici family permitted access to their collection of antiquities. What a scarce opportunity Michelangelo had! Thanks to Medici family, Michelangelo could attain success. And Lorenzo de Medici was the most meritorious statesman who helped many artists to achieve successes in their own careers.
Lorenzo de Medici (1 Jan 1449 – 9 Apr 1492) was an Italian statesman and ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. He was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. Lorenzo’s mother, Lucrezia Tornabuoni, was a poet, and managed to instill in him a love of art and beauty that would greatly influence his adult lifestyle. Lorenzo spent more time studying art and literature than his brother, although both of them loved horseback riding and jousting. He gave large amounts of money to artists so they could create master works of art. According to calculated, since 1434 to 1471, Lorenzo’s family had spent approx 460 million dollars for charity, buildings and taxes. Like historian Francesco Guicciardini said, Lorenzo’s regime was “that of a benevolent tyrant in a constitutional republic.”
Because of the big patronage of artists, and the new comprtitors which were appearing in Europe, the branches in London,Bruges and Lyon became insolvent. During his tenure, several branches of the family bank collapsed because of bad loans, and, in later years, he got into financial difficulties and resorted to misappropriating trust and state funds. It seems that he was such a selfish guy that used his family’s money to develop his hobby. But there is no doubt that no one had contributed more than what Lorenzo did to flower Florentine genius during 15th century.
He continued collecting ancient texts, and in his villas in Careggi, Fiesole, and Poggio a Caiano he assembled what is called the Platonic Academy. The artists under his protection included Giuliano da Sangallo, Botticelli, Verrocchio, and Verrocchio’s pupil Leonardo da Vinci. Toward the end of his life, Lorenzo opened a school of sculpture in his garden of San Marco. In 1488, when Michelangelo was thirteen, he was apprenticed to Ghirlandaio.when in 1489, Lorenzo de’ Medici asked Ghirlandaio for his two best pupils, Ghirlandaio sent Michelangelo and Francesco Granacci. From 1490 to 1492, Michelangelo attended the Humanist academy which the Medici had founded along Neo Platonic lines. Because Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola and Poliziano were also the artists under Lorenzo’sprotection, Michelangelo’s works were influenced by those artists. And Michelangelo had the opportunity to work with the sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni.
Although Lorenzo did not create many works by himself, he helped those artists secure commissions from other patrons. He was such a Magnificent man. At least he didn’t like Tang Taizong, who was one of the monarchs of Tang Dynasty, took those antiquities he liked into his tomb, thus posterity couldn’t see them.
Nan
Renaissance Reconsidered 
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Thank you for this post! I am very fascinated in the role Lorenzo Medici in the fame of many artists such as Michelangelo. What I am most curious about is how he became so interested art. I mean art consumed a lot of his time and his life, yet we don’t know of any pieces that he actually created himself. I wonder if he lived vicariously through many of the artists who’s careers he helped to forward. Or maybe he was very skilled, but was too insecure to show his artwork to the world. When you say he took these artists under his protection, do you mean he actually protected them from some kind of danger? Or are you referring to the help he gave them in establishing their place in the world of Renaissance art? I agree with you that he is magnificent in the way that he gave so much financial help to artists, but I am curious to know what he was like as a ruler.
Medici family is definitely one of the most important and influential family during Renaissance period. I did a study of Catherine de’Medici for my final paper, and I think she can be one of the representatives of Medici family. In my opinion, people like Lorenzo de’Medici are important in the art field. These kinds of people not only can recognize who have the ability to be the master in the future, but also have the wealth to bring up those talents. Personally, I really admire Lorenzo’s contribution to the art. I think his foresight of how arts can exist much longer than wealth or other power is really impressive. Nowadays, when people talk about Florence during Renaissance, Lorenzo de’Medici and Medici family are two parts that will never be forgot. Those famous artists, such as Michelangelo, who come from Medici’s house, have the chance to establish their skill without the worry of financial situation, which also adds up a positive image of Medici’s house. Even though from his family’s perspective, Lorenzo may not be a good business man, his “hobby” allowed the world to remember this family for centuries. I wonder whether he is the first one from Medici family to collect art works and support artists or not. Also, I really want to see some paintings from him.