(Monticelli 1503–1572 Florence)
Portrait of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1519–1574),
oil on panel, 92 x 74 cm, framed

Provenance:
Collection of C. Zilva, London, 1939;
sale, Sotheby’s, London, 30 May 1962, lot 35 (as Bronzino, bought by Dauphine);
sale, Sotheby’s, London, 18 October 1995, lot 12 (as Studio of Bronzino);
Private collection, Italy;
art market, Italy:
where acquired by the present owner

Exhibited:
Florence, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Mostra Medicea, 1939, no. 7 (as Bronzino)

Literature:
U. Ojetti, Mostra Medicea, exhibition catalogue, Florence 1939, p. 143, no. 7, fig. 59 (as Bronzino and probably the prototype);
E. Baccheschi, L’opera completa del Bronzino, Milan 1973, p. 104, cat. no. 113 h;
K. Langedijk, The portraits of the Medici 15th-18th centuries, Florence 1981, p. 422, cat. no. 27, 36, copy 5;
R. B. Simon, Bronzino’s portraits of Cosimo I de’ Medici, s.l. 1982, p. 304, cat. no. B34 (as Workshop of Bronzino)

The present painting is registered in the Fototeca Zeri under no. 36708 (as Workshop of Bronzino).

The present composition is a slightly altered variant of the portrait of Cosimo I de’ Medici painted by Bronzino in circa 1555–60. Several versions of the composition are known including a version in the Galleria Sabauda, Turin (inv. no. 123). Which of these known versions is the prototype, however, is the subject of scholarly debate. The present painting was included in an exhibition, held at the Palazzo Medici in Florence in 1939, and at that time it was believed to be the original version. Later scholars have suggested that this portrait was executed in Bronzino’s workshop, an attribution has been prosposed to Bronzino’s most significant workshop collaborator, Alessandro Allori (1535–1607).

Bronzino painted the first official portrait of Cosimo towards the mid-1540s, representing him in magnificent armour, reflecting the young duke’s military successes. Between 1555–60 Cosimo commissioned a new portrait from Bronzino in which he appeared in a magnificent costume of fur, violet silk, and gold embroidery. This attire was complemented by the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which Cosimo had received from Emperor Charles V in 1545. In 1555, the territorial expansion of the Duchy of Florence had come to a temporary end after its victory over Siena, an event followed by years of political consolidation and peace. This was to be expressed in the form of a new official portrait of the regent. The so-called Turin type shows Cosimo in half-length, turned to three-quarters and looking to his right. Depending on the different variations in his hands appears either a handkerchief or a pair of gloves. Vasari, having seen this more mature version personally, described it as very life-like (see G. Vasari, Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori ed architettori, ed. by R. Bettarini, P. Barocchi, Florence 1966–87, VI, pp. 235-36).

Cosimo used his impressive portraits as a diplomatic instrument, frequently presenting it to family members and political allies as a sign of his friendship. A well-documented example is the portrait of the Turin type, which Cosimo gave to Emanuele Filiberto, the Duke of Savoy, which is mentioned in the Guardaroba Medicea as ‘per mandare al Duca di Savoia’ (Archivio di Stato, Florence, inv. Guardaroba Filza 65, 1560–1567, fol. 160b). Copies of the portraits of Cosimo and his wife were also presented to the influential Cardinal Granvelle. The Guardaroba inventory for the years 1560–67 lists portraits of Cosimo which were sent to Giovanni Battista Castaldo, the military commander of Charles V, to Albert V of Bavaria, and to the Cavaliere de Nobili.

Cosimo’s father, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, was a celebrated condottiere. He belonged to a cadet branch of the family and there was no reason to predict that his son, Cosimo, would one day determine the fate of the city of Florence and that he was to revive the fortunes of the Medici dynasty, which went on to rule the city until the early eighteenth century. Cosimo de’ Medici entered Florence and ascended to power at the young age of seventeen following conflicts within the family. He quickly became very powerful, ruling until 1564, when he abdicated in favour of his son Francesco. Emperor Charles V appointed him Duke of Florence.

Cosimo was an important patron of the arts. Under his rule, the Uffizi were built with the intention of establishing them as seat of the government; over time, they became a museum. Having first resided at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi in via Larga and subsequently at the Palazzo Vecchio, Cosimo transferred his residence to the Palazzo Pitti, where he initiated the creation of the Boboli Gardens. He had appointed Bronzino court painter in the late 1530s. Bronzino had trained with Pontormo, who was also a Medici court painter, and with whom he had collaborated in a number of important artistic endeavours. He painted religious and mythological paintings but was mostly celebrated as a virtuoso portraitist. Bronzino and his workshop portrayed numerous members of the Florentine aristocracy, but his most outstanding accomplishments as an artist were the official portraits created for the ruling house.