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Orazio Scarabelli

Naumachia in the Courtyard of Palazzo Pitti

1592
Etching in black on cream laid paper
24.4 × 35.6 cm (9.6 × 14 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Orazio Scarabelli’s etching of a mock sea battle staged in the Medici family’s Palazzo Pitti was made to document the 1589 wedding of Christine of Lorraine and Ferdinando de Medici. The artist may not actually have been present at this event, one of the many scheduled over a number of weeks of activities surrounding the marriage. This work packs the viewer into the palace’s courtyard with the rest of the guests, watching in claustrophobic wonder as the Christians eke out a victory over the Turkish forces.

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