Lorenzo De Medici: An Historical Biography, Judith

¶ … Lorenzo de Medici: An Historical Biography, Judith Hook was the first major historian of the second half of the twentieth century to embark upon the task of setting the life of this figure into some larger historical context. At the time of Hook's writing and research, the last work published on Lorenzo de Medici was that of C.M. Ady's Lorenzo de' Medici and Renaissance Italy in 1955. In contrast to this earlier work, which stressed the unique qualities of the subject and his powerful ability to shape his environment, Hook argues over the course of her own volume that the subject of her biography was equally if not more affected by his historical environment of Renaissance Florence. Rather than man's ability to affect history, Hook perceives historical actors as more shaped by historical and social forces, by "a system which aimed at the development of man's entire personality, body, and spirit," in the case of Lorenzo's Renaissance education. When reviewing her work it should be stressed that Hook sets a modest goal for herself. She wished to write "an introduction to the recent specialist literature" on her biographical subject as well as to inject some recent archival evidence into the field, to provide additional insight into the man's early life and environment.

First and foremost, Hook stresses the importance of family in the development of Lorenzo de Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, born on January 1st, 1449. The Medici family educated their son at home, as was customary at the time. They stressed to Lorenzo throughout his life, "even if one of your own family does not know how to thank you or repay you, you still ought always to benefit your relatives, in preference of a stranger." The betterment of the family and the family name was always a concern.

The Medicis won their influence in Italy not merely by birth but by being merchants and bankers, by winning through merit both their reputation and income. By the time Lorenzo was born, their position and wealth were more assured. Still, the stress upon the need for success remained. Hook states that Lorenzo was fortunate to benefit from "an atmosphere of great warmth and affection in which the exchange of [familial] love was part of the daily currency of life," despite the fact that "that in regard to his appearance, nature had behaved to him as a step-mother." Regardless of his lack of beauty, the ability he learned from his family make connections, to use his name and influence and to deploy his family's economic and social basis, enabled him to become a powerful politician and businessman.

Hook suggests Lorenzo's primary historical importance can be found in his patronage to the arts as well as his own literary works.

In this, the author suggests, he was not simply indulging in his own passion, but following the example of his mother and father's patronage of artists and scholars. He came from a family still anxious to define its status, yet confident of their ability to excel in artistic, business, and political pursuits. Also, because of the unique structure of the Italy in which he dwelt, Lorenzo was able to both become powerful in the government, to bring in painters and sculptors from Florence and the rest of the world and still refine his own artistic creations. Hundreds of painting that hung in the churches and the homes of the people of Florence depict his (ugly) face.

Yet Lorenzo himself was a poet, a writer of books of for his children as well as hundreds of letters. All of these accomplishments originated in the mind and influence of one of the most politically powerful men in Italy and in Europe, accomplishments perhaps undreamed of in any single politician today.