Patronage

“I flee to find a new home. Don’t let them say I’m a criminal. I am a man seeking help, an artist seeking mercy.” Caravaggio arrived in Rome dying, without supplies or direction, but the protection of Cardinal Del Monte won him fame and some of the city’s most important commissions. Like this Bacchus, a gift to Ferdinand I de Medici in honour of his son’s wedding. Represented by a bow, a symbol of loyalty and respect, the artists’ bond with their patrons was key to their production. We wanted to represent this union through gold on a burgundy base that creates a powerful contrast and combination. A sweet and gentle earring with a special symbolic power.