The artists, thinkers, and inventors of the Italian Renaissance shared one thing in common: they all depended on patrons for economic survival. Artists did not first create paintings and sculptures and then search for customers; instead, they accepted commissions from elite individuals and institutions to produce works that met the clients’ stated needs and desires. Likewise, scholars and inventors sought the protection and assistance of elites to sponsor their research, pay for the publication of their works, and help them secure positions in courts, government institutions, and universities. Thus, patrons like Cosimo and Lorenzo de’ Medici had considerable influence over Florence’s artistic and scholarly production, and they knew it. They did not support artists and scholars out of mere kindness or generosity. Instead, they viewed themselves as making investments that would pay dividends in the form of increased power and glory. Savvy artists and scholars understood this and took pains to ensure that their work was consistent with clients’ tastes, opinions, and objectives.

The documents included in this activity will give you a chance to explore the patron-artist relationship from the perspective of both the artist and the patron. Two paintings, one by Sandro Botticelli (ca. 1445–1510) and the other by Benozzo Gozzoli (ca. 1421–1497), illustrate the way in which the Medici used art to project their power and position within Florentine society. The artist’s perspective is represented by two letters written by Leonardo da Vinci to prospective clients. As you examine the paintings and letters, think about what they tell you about Renaissance culture. What role did patrons play in shaping artistic and intellectual life? How do the documents challenge the notion that Renaissance art and scholarship was largely the product of “individual genius”?