Borghese Gallery and Dosso Dossi: "Sguardi da vicino e lontano"

Thank you to the Borghese Gallery and director Francesca Cappelletti for inviting me to participate in their new initiative, a look at objects in the museum by foreigners working in the arts in Rome. I chose to talk about Dossi’s image of Melissa, the powerful sorceress from Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso (added perk: at the museum she faces off against Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne—pretty good company!).

Dosso Dossi, Melissa, 1522-24, Borghese Gallery, Rome (Wikimedia Commons)