The Sketches Logo

The man on the horse is Bartolomeo Colleoni (1390–1475), soldier of fortune. His famous equestrian statue by Andrea del Verrocchio stands opposite the Hospital San Marco in Venice.

The primary reason why he was chosen as the logo of this blog is that he exudes authority.

The secondary reason is that Colleoni was a condottiero, a mercenary general prepared to fight for any sovereign who would pay him. He changed sides many times but was always loyal and never committed an act of treason. It is hoped that the logo will attract a sponsor who would grasp the commercial appeal of such a figure at a time when true leadership is in short supply.

If such a sponsor was a student of the Italian Renaissance, it would be better if he had not read Niccolò Machiavelli’s views on Colleoni. Machiavelli was highly critical of his profession and wrote that a ruler should rely on his own citizens. Patriots would fight without pay.

That kind of anti-materialist thinking might discourage a sponsor from investing in this blog.

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2 Responses to The Sketches Logo

  1. “Patriots would fight without pay.” A precursor to the modern “intern” system, especially in the media and, of course, the Internet where everyone wants content for free!

  2. But you and I prefer mercenaries because we are too wise and too experienced to trust idealists..

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