Medici money
Ever wondered what a ‘patron of the arts’ is? Let’s have a brief look at the Medici family, who might be the most impactful patrons to have existed.
This wonderful biography on Leonardo da Vinci reveals that he was in the same boat as many artists of today – relying on ‘real’ jobs (civil and military engineering) as well as ‘gigs’ to sustain his creative endeavours. However, this was the commonly accepted modus operandi in centuries past, where artists were money-conscious and didn’t expect to make a living purely off their creations. They were also in many cases, funded by wealthy patrons.
Which brings us to the Medici family. After arriving in Florence in the 13th century, they grew in influence through the establishment of the Medici bank, which became the main financial institution of the papacy and de facto, the region. This allowed them to branch it out into various industries, but they didn’t stop there. With a desire to support intellectuals and artists, they also wanted prestige and recognition. Some of Donatello and Michelangelo’s most famous works were directly backed by the Medicis, whilst they set up museums and and supported the retrieval of lost manuscripts.
Fundamentally, it seems they were driven by the belief that humans had the potential to change their situation, and improve their lives, through education and diligence. A belief that educated, worldly individuals were able to better serve and improve society. By sponsoring culturally impactful endeavours, the fuelled the fire behind the renaissance era and left a legacy for other patrons to learn from.
Make good art
Neil Gaiman, author of ‘American Gods, ‘Anansi Boys’ and other modern mythological works, proffers that the solution to everything is to make good art. I tend to agree.
Many other commencement speeches contain aspirational messages that seem unrealistic. This one has a few of those too. But listen to the whole thing and let me know if doesn’t make you chuckle at the least, and more importantly, inspire to you to create.