Agnolo Bronzino
(Italy 1503–1572)
- Title
- Cosimo I de' Medici in armour
- Year
- circa 1545
- Media
- Painting
- Medium
- oil on poplar
- Dimensions
- 86.0 x 67.0cm panel; 117.5 x 98.5 x 8.0cm frame
- Signature & date
- Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Purchase 1996
- Accession number
- 78.1996
- Location
- 15th–19th c European art
- Further information
Though a sense of surface frigidity characterises everything Bronzino produced, emotional heat underwrites his style. As a pupil and adopted son of perhaps the greatest and strangest of mannerist painters, Jacopo Pontormo, Bronzino graduated to artistic maturity with impeccable credentials in that consciously artificial style. That he asserted his own artistic personality, albeit through a steely formality of technique, testifies to the originality of Bronzino's vision. In this magnificent portrait of his principal patron - a work that exists in many replicas and copies - the painter displays a perfectionism it is hard not to think obsessive. Riven with reflections, highlights and shadows, Cosimo's armour alone is an article of transfixing interest: almost reason enough for the painting. It was Bronzino's habit to concentrate on details of costume, jewellery and decoration, to the extent of conceiving the faces of his ducal sitters as polished stones. Apart from this authoritative example, another celebrated version of the work is found in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
AGNSW Handbook, 1999.
- Provenance
- Olsen Carr Art Dealers (Australia, estab. 1993), Mar 1996, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, Purchased by the AGNSW from Olsen Carr Art Dealers 1996
Private Collection, pre 1996?, with Sotheby's New York, February 1993 and Simon Dickinson Ltd, London June 1995
Cyril Humphris (England), 26 Nov 1971-circa 1990, London/England, [dealer] Purchased at Christie's London 26 November 1971, lot no. 47. On loan to the National Gallery, London 1990
John Granville Morrison (England), 1931-26 Nov 1971, England, by descent, 1st Baron Margadale of Islay, sold Christie's London 26 November 1971, lot no. 47
Hugh Morrison (England, d.1931), 1897-1931, England, by descent
Alfred Morrison (England, b.1821, d.1897), pre 1897, Hindon/Wiltshire/England, label verso records that the painting hung on the 'no.1 Drawing Room Landing' at Fonthill House on 28 December 1887
Thomas Holloway (England, b.1800, d.1883), post 11 May 1872, England, Purchased at Christie's London, 11 May 1872, lot no. 302, 'Plon-Plon and the Prince Napoleon'. Sold to Alfred Morrison.
Napoléon Bonaparte (France), 1860-11 May 1872, France, sold Christie's London, 11 May 1872, lot no. 302, 'Plon-Plon and the Prince Napoleon' bought by Thomas Holloway
Giorgio Orchi (Italy), 1846-1860, Italy, or De' Orchi, bequeathed to Orchi by Count Giovio
Count Paolo Giovio (Italy, d.1846), 1552-1846, Italy, by descent to Count Giovio, the painting was moved in the early 17th century to the Palazzo Giovio, Como
Bishop Paulo Giovio (Italy, d.1552), 1551, Italy, in the collection of Bishop Giovio by 1551 - Bibliography (21)
-
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and the Renaissance in Florence (2005), National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (Canada), National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (Canada).
Look (Sep 2004), Jill Sykes (Australia) (Editor), 10pm [print management] (Australia), Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook (1999), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Australian art collector (Apr 1998-Jun 1998), Susan Borham (Editor in Chief), Michael Hutak (Editor), Gadfly Media (Australia), Ultimo, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Annual Report 1997 (1997), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Annual Report 1996 (1996), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Australian financial review (08 Feb 1996), Editor Unknown (Editor), John Fairfax & Sons (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald (08 Feb 1996), Editor Unknown (Editor), John Fairfax & Sons (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Australian (08 Feb 1996), Malcolm Schmidtke (Australia, active 1995-1997) (Editor), News Limited (Australia), Surry Hills, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Daily telegraph (08 Feb 1996), Editor Unknown (Editor), News Limited (Australia), Surry Hills, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Australian financial review (11 Jan 1996), Editor Unknown (Editor), John Fairfax & Sons (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Burlington Magazine (Jun 1987), Editor Unknown (Editor), Publisher unknown.
Apollo (Jun 1984), Editor Unknown (Editor), Apollo Magazine Ltd. (England), London, England.
The Burlington Magazine (Sep 1983), Editor Unknown (Editor), London, England.
Bronzino's Portraits of Cosimo I de' Medici (1982), R.B. Simon (Author), Department of English, University of British Columbia (Canada), United States of America.
L'opera storica di Paolo Giovio comasco vescovo di Nocera: il museo dei ruratti (1928), L Rovelli (Italy) (Author), Publisher unknown.
Mémoirs de L'Académie des Inscriptions Belles-Lettres (1900-1901), E Müntz (Author), Publisher unknown.
The Columbus Gallery (1893), N Ponce de León (France) (Author), Publisher unknown.
Como e il Lario commentario (1795), G.B. Giovio (Italy) (Author), Publisher unknown.
Idem (1575), Author Unknown (Author), Publisher unknown.
Elogia vivorum bellica virtute illustrium (1551), G Giovio (Italy) (Author), Publisher unknown.
- Exhibition history (1)
-
Bronzino, (23 Sep 2010–23 Jan 2011), at Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza Strozzi Florence Italy 50123.