Abstract
In 1485, artist Domenico Ghirlandaio (1448-1494) earned the biggest commission of his career: the fresco decoration of the prestigious Tornabuoni chapel in the church of Santa Maria Novella. One scene, The Birth of the Virgin (1488-90), has received much scholarly attention for its portraiture of Tornabuoni women, representation of the rituals surrounding childbirth, and detailed ornamentation that provides a fanciful window into the tastes of Florence’s elite. My research shifts focus to a crucial, yet understudied, figure in the composition: the maid bursting into the foreground, her skirts billowing behind her as she pours water for the new baby’s bath into a unique metallic vessel.
Using intensive stylistic analysis combined with somaesthetic, feminist, and economic perspectives, I argue that her activated form is a sensory cue strategically inserted to introduce sound into the space. Variations on her activated form are repeated throughout the different scenes, continuing an auditory flow throughout the chapel. I validate this claim with a detailed investigation into the fifteenth-century Florentine soundscape, followed by a discussion of the connection between women’s social class and their perceived noisiness. A survey of the objects used in childbirth rituals suggests that the maid’s metallic vessel was included for its sonic properties, also cleverly drawing attention to Ghirlandaio’s history in goldsmithing. I trace his career-long exploration with sound in frescoes, which culminated in his magnum opus at the Tornabuoni chapel. I conclude by highlighting the importance of this work to his prestige and legacy, particularly poignant considering his personal connections to the church of Santa Maria Novella. Importantly for future research, my analysis unlocks a more nuanced understanding of the sensory, social, and economic forces driving Ghirlandaio’s stylistic decisions in the highly competitive fifteenth-century Florentine art market.