Ancient selfie or photo bomb?

During the time when many of the Renaissance sculptures were created, mythological tales and passages from the scriptures were a favorite source of inspiration.  But, often a patron just wanted to memorialize himself or a loved one.  These sculptures were like the modern day "selfie."  The artist always made sure to capture the patron from his or her best side and sometimes even embellished the piece to make the patron look significantly better - an ancient version of photoshop.

Today we returned to the Boboli Gardens to cover some ground that we didn't have the opportunity to see during our last visit.  There were two sites in particular that we wanted to observe - Fontana del Bacchino and Grotto del Buontalenti.  While the grotto was stunning, it houses mostly replicas and we had seen the originals at other museums.  But, the Fontana del Bacchino is so odd and vastly different from other statues made during the same general time period that we all loved it.

The Bacchino makes one chuckle when you understand the context for its creation.  The statue was done for the most famous of the Medici family and is supposedly a very realistic representation of their court jester (Braccio di Bartolo).  While the concept of a court jester (especially one that is a little person) seems demeaning to us, it was the reality of the time and these court members were often some of the most beloved.  From the sculpture, is it clear that Braccio was well loved by the Medici and quite a character.  

For starters, Braccio is depicted as Bacchus, the god of the wine harvest.  One can only assume that Braccio liked to drink and was the life of the party.  Bacchus is also known to represent sexuality and a dropping of inhibitions.  So, it is also probably safe to assume that Braccio was also a hit with the ladies.  It is clear that Braccio was a lover and not a fighter as he is sculpted with his one arm extended in front of him (i.e. the Heisman hand).  This is presumably a nod to a Roman statue of Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor, who was known to represent peace and friendship.  

The third and final symbol to indicate that Braccio was well loved by the Medici family is that he is depicted riding on a tortoise.  Now, this also adds to the comedy of the piece as you imagine this poor tortoise ambling along with a fat, little dude on his back.  But, the tortoise is another symbol of the Medici family - usually shown as a tortoise with a sail on its back.  The tortoise with a sail  was supposed to represent the Medici motto of festina lente, meaning "more haste, less speed."  Now, I absolutely fell in love with this motto when I first heard it.  It is interpreted to mean that a person should work with a proper balance of urgency and diligence so as to avoid making mistakes but to achieve the long-term goal.  The motto is also interpreted to mean that work should be done in a state of flow in which you are fully engaged in the work and does not realize the passing of time.  

The Bacchino is a refreshing snapshot of a well loved friend of the Medici family - a nice break from the traditional religious and mythological figures.  While it may not be a "selfie" in the purest sense, it may be more of a well captured ancient photo-bomb.  I guess that is what one should expect from the court jester.