Johann Zoffany painted the Tribune

Johann Zoffany painted the Tribune of the Uffizi Gallery

 

The Tribune of the Uffizi gallery was built by Bernardo Buontalenti. Francesco I commissioned an octagonal room which became the first core of the gallery. In fact the Grand Duke moved here all his private collection of jems, medals, vases he collected in his Studiolo in Palazzo Vecchio. His display became public and from 1584, when the Tribune was completed, the Uffizi gallery became the first museum to be opened to the public!! Obviously a selected public! Francesco I wanted an area very similar to his studiolo in fact the four elements are represented inside the Tribune:
 

Fire: red velvet on the wall
Water: motherpearl shells all around the ceiling
Air: the lantern at the top pf the room
Earth: the floor
 

A wind rose is painted on the ceiling: a flag moved out of the lantern  highlighting the direction of winds: theconnection to the "Torre dei Venti" in Athens is clear!

If you want to know the paintings and the statues situated in the XVIII century inside the Tribune look at the painting below! You can recognize the "Madonna della Seggiola" and the "Madonna del Cardellino" by Raphael the precious Etruscan "Chimera" a V century bronze statue, the "Venus" by Titian and so on...!!