North Loggia: facade on the Courtyard of Honour

Giulio Romano is mentioned in The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare, making him the only artist to be explicitly referred to. In the words of the British playwright Giulio Romano is the creator of statues that come to life, and is referred to as the“rare Italian master”. Even though Giulio Romano was not a sculptor, his ability to create what today would be called a “multisensorial space”, was indeed understood by Shakespeare, who speaks of a genius able to bring matter to life. Indeed, if Giulio Romano “had he himself eternity and could put breath into his work, would beguile Nature of her custom, so perfectly is he her ape”. These lines are also an accurate and brilliant description of the mannerist style.