(Monticelli 1503–1572 Florence)
Portrait of Grand Duke Cosimo I in Armour
oil on panel, 72 x 58 cm, framed

Provenance:
possibly Collection of the Order of Saint Stephen, Palazzo Dei Cavalieri, Pisa (an Inventory mark with the St. Stephens cross and an inventory number on the back);
Marquis de La Rossiere collection, before 1885;
Madame de Witte collection, Paris;
Marquise de Bryas collection;
sale Couturier, Paris, 14 March 1975, Lot 59 (as ‘Attributed to Bronzino’);
Private collection, France

Exhibited:
Paris, Palais d’Orsay Exposition 1874 (as ‘Bronzino’);
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Exposition de tableaux, statues et objects d’art au profit de l’oeuvre des orphelins d’Alsace-Lorraine, 1885 (as ‘Bronzino’)

Literature:
Catalogue d’exposition de tableaux, statues et objects d’art au profit de l’oeuvre des orphelins d’Alsace-Lorraine, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1885, cat. no. 46 (as ‘Bronzino’) ;
R. Simon, Bronzino’s Portraits of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Phd. Thesis, Columbia University, New York, 1982, vol. II, p. 235, cat. no. A 9, ill. p. 431 (as ‘Studio of Bronzino’);
R. Simon, Bronzino’s portrait of Cosimo I in armour, in: The Burlington Magazine, London, Sep. 1983, pp. 527–539, no. 9, p. 536

We are grateful to Robert Simon and Louis Waldman for independently confirming the present portrait as a work by the Studio of Bronzino. When this painting was offered on the art market recently, large areas of overpaint, which have subsequently been removed in preparation for this sale, obscured the fine quality of execution.

The present portrait is a version of Bronzino’s celebrated painting of the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I. Around 1543, by which date Cosimo had consolidated his authority in Florence, the creation of an official image became necessary. Bronzino executed the portrait of the Duke that would be used as a tool of political propaganda both in Tuscany and abroad, and from which numerous versions were produced. It was commissioned in or around 1543. By 1545, when Cosimo had been made a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a larger, three-quarter length portrait type was developed by Bronzino. The present variant can therefore be dated between 1543 and 1545.

Cosimo is depicted in armour, resting one of his elegant, elongated hands on the helmet, which he has taken off, indicating that his form of government was also a peaceful one. The helmet ingeniously reflects the flesh tones of the hand. Depicting the suit of armour allowed the possibility of detailed description of its decorative elements. Cosimo’s gaze follows the direction of the head, creating a sense of distance between sitter and viewer, between whom no communication of any type is intended. The visual image, iconic in a modern sense, was meant to impress. The very distant, aloof and cool expression of the face, as well as the pose and the setting demonstrate this quest for sophistication, which also reflects the highly refined artistic atmosphere prevalent at Cosimo’s court.

The suit of steel armour is also a symbol of dynastic legitimacy, as it is thought to have been a diplomatic gift to Cosimo on his accession to the dukedom in 1537, given by Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, brother of Emperor Charles V, who had granted the dukedom. It has convincingly been attributed to the Innsbruck court armorer Jörg Seusenhofer, with etched decorations by his associate Leonhard Meurl. Fragments of the armour have been identified and are preserved in the Museo di Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome (see figs. 1 and 2). There is also an iconographic explanation: Italian political leaders showed a preference for having themselves depicted in the manner of the great heroes of Ancient Greece and Rome. This type of all’antica portrait is also to be found in a series of bust-length sculptures that Cosimo commissioned, a prime example being the bust by Benvenuto Cellini now in the Museo del Bargello.

There was, and still is, intense scholarly debate over the question of which of the many portraits recorded was the prototype upon which the numerous variants were based, and also of which of the replicas are by Bronzino himself and which are by his studio (Robert Simon lists more than twenty versions, autograph, studio replicas or copies made outside of the workshop, considering the present version to be by the workshop).

Vasari describes the commission of the first work in this series of official portraits, which was very probably painted in the Medici villa at Poggio a Caiano: ‘Il signor duca, veduta in queste ed altre opere l’eccellenza di questo pittore, e particularmente che era suo proprio ritrarre dal naturale quanto con più diligenzia si può imaginare, fece ritrarre sè, che allora era giovane, armato tutto d’arme bianche e con una mano sopra l’elmo’ (see Vasari-Milanesi, Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori ed architettori, Florence, 1881, vol. VII, pp. 597-98). The general art historical consensus is that the painting now in the Uffizi in Florence is this prime version (dated c.1545, 71 x 57 cm, inv. no. 28.). The prototype for the later, three quarter length version is considered to be the portrait in Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation (dated c. 1545, 86 x 67 cm). The present painting should be considered a workshop production executed under the direction of the master. The facial features appear to be well drawn, the infrared showing slight pentimenti in the eyes, which could suggest possible intervention by the master.

Cosimo knew how to use his own powerful image as a tool of diplomacy, often giving portraits to members of the family, but also to political allies or as a sign of friendship. A well-documented example is a version of the later, post 1560s type given by Cosimo to Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Savoy, which is documented in the Guardaroba Medicea (Archivio di Stato, Florence, Inv. Guardaroba Filza 65, 1560–1567, fol. 160b, cfr. R. Simon ibid., 1983, p. 532) as ‘per mandare al Duca di Savoia’. Another case being the copies of portraits given by Cosimo of himself and his wife to the powerful Cardinal Granvelle, referred to in a letter by the Grand Duke to his ambassador at the court of Charles V: ‘s’e ordinate al Maiordomo che facci fare e ritratti che desidera Mons. D’Arras della Ducchesa et di noi’ (cfr. R. Simon ibid., 1983, p. 532, no. 23). The running inventory of the Guardaroba from 1560 to 1567 lists portraits of Cosimo being sent to Giovanni Battista Castaldo, warrior of Charles V, to Albert V of Bavaria, and to Cavaliere de Nobili (see R. Simon ibid., 1983, p. 532).

It is important to note that no Golden Fleece is depicted in the present painting. This would undoubtedly have been the case had the painting been executed after 1546, when Cosimo incorporated its emblem into his portraits. Examples of this can be seen in the versions in the Toledo Museum of Art, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kassel, and the Palazzo Pitti, Florence. The present painting would therefore appear to have been executed before 1546. Another hypothetical alternative should be mentioned. The panel bears a Saint Stephens Cross at the back, possibly indicating that it was once in the possession of the Order of Saint Stephen, an Order founded by Cosimo in 1561. The headquarters, the Palazzo dei Cavalieri, designed by Giorgio Vasari, was built a year later in Pisa. As Cosimo was the Grand Master of the Order, a commission of a replica of the ‘early type’, to be sent to the Palazzo Cavalieri, representing him as a young and virile ruler, and of course not depicting him wearing an emblem of a different Order of Chivalry, would be conceivable. According to Simon, in around 1560 the ‘early type’ was replaced by another portrait showing an older duke at the age of forty, therefore the present portrait may be one of the last ones commissioned of the first type.

Cosimo’s father, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, had been a celebrated condottiere. He belonged to a lesser branch of the family and there was nothing to indicate that Cosimo would become one of the most important figures in that city’s history. He was in fact destined to restore the Medici dynasty, which would govern the city until the early 18th century. After some family quarrels, Cosimo de’ Medici entered the city and took control at the age of only seventeen. He soon assumed absolute power and governed until 1564, when he abdicated in favor of one of his sons, Francesco de’ Medici. He was made Duke of Florence by the Emperor Charles V. Cosimo was an important patron of the arts. He created the Uffizi complex with the primary aim of establishing a seat of government, which would also in due course become a museum. Having lived first in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, then the Palazzo Vecchio, he moved his residence to the Palazzo Pitti and encouraged the creation of the Boboli gardens. In the late 1530s Cosimo had appointed Bronzino as his official painter. Bronzino had trained with Pontormo, who had also been official painter to the Medici, and had worked with him on various important artistic projects. He executed religious and mythological paintings but was principally celebrated as a great portraitist. Bronzino and his studio painted numerous members of the Florentine nobility but his finest achievements were the official portraits of the ruling family.

Additional images
Fragments of the armour of Cosimo I, Rome, Museo di Castel Sant‘Angelo

Provenance:
possibly Collection of the Order of Saint Stephen, Palazzo Dei Cavalieri, Pisa (an Inventory mark with the St. Stephens cross and an inventory number on the back);
Marquis de La Rossiere collection, before 1885;
Madame de Witte collection, Paris;
Marquise de Bryas collection;
sale Couturier, Paris, 14 March 1975, Lot 59 (as ‘Attributed to Bronzino’);
Private collection, France

Exhibited: Paris, Palais d’Orsay Exposition 1874 (as ‘Bronzino’);
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Exposition de tableaux, statues et objects d’art au profit de l’oeuvre des orphelins d’Alsace-Lorraine, 1885 (as ‘Bronzino’)

Literature:
Catalogue d’exposition de tableaux, statues et objects d’art au profit de l’oeuvre des orphelins d’Alsace-Lorraine, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1885, cat. no. 46 (as ‘Bronzino’) ;
R. Simon, Bronzino’s Portraits of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Phd. Thesis, Columbia University, New York, 1982, vol. II, p. 235, cat. no. A 9, ill. p. 431 (as ‘Studio of Bronzino’);
R. Simon, Bronzino’s portrait of Cosimo I in armour, in: The Burlington Magazine, London, Sep. 1983, pp. 527–539, no. 9, p. 536

We are grateful to Robert Simon and Louis Waldman for independently confirming the present portrait as a work by the Studio of Bronzino. When this painting was offered on the art market recently, large areas of overpaint, which have subsequently been removed in preparation for this sale, obscured the fine quality of execution.

The present portrait is a version of Bronzino’s celebrated painting of the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I. Around 1543, by which date Cosimo had consolidated his authority in Florence, the creation of an official image became necessary. Bronzino executed the portrait of the Duke that would be used as a tool of political propaganda both in Tuscany and abroad, and from which numerous versions were produced. It was commissioned in or around 1543. By 1545, when Cosimo had been made a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a larger, three-quarter length portrait type was developed by Bronzino. The present variant can therefore be dated between 1543 and 1545.

Cosimo is depicted in armour, resting one of his elegant, elongated hands on the helmet, which he has taken off, indicating that his form of government was also a peaceful one. The helmet ingeniously reflects the flesh tones of the hand. Depicting the suit of armour allowed the possibility of detailed description of its decorative elements. Cosimo’s gaze follows the direction of the head, creating a sense of distance between sitter and viewer, between whom no communication of any type is intended. The visual image, iconic in a modern sense, was meant to impress. The very distant, aloof and cool expression of the face, as well as the pose and the setting demonstrate this quest for sophistication, which also reflects the highly refined artistic atmosphere prevalent at Cosimo’s court.

The suit of steel armour is also a symbol of dynastic legitimacy, as it is thought to have been a diplomatic gift to Cosimo on his accession to the dukedom in 1537, given by Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, brother of Emperor Charles V, who had granted the dukedom. It has convincingly been attributed to the Innsbruck court armorer Jörg Seusenhofer, with etched decorations by his associate Leonhard Meurl. Fragments of the armour have been identified and are preserved in the Museo di Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome (see figs. 1 and 2). There is also an iconographic explanation: Italian political leaders showed a preference for having themselves depicted in the manner of the great heroes of Ancient Greece and Rome. This type of all’antica portrait is also to be found in a series of bust-length sculptures that Cosimo commissioned, a prime example being the bust by Benvenuto Cellini now in the Museo del Bargello.

There was, and still is, intense scholarly debate over the question of which of the many portraits recorded was the prototype upon which the numerous variants were based, and also of which of the replicas are by Bronzino himself and which are by his studio (Robert Simon lists more than twenty versions, autograph, studio replicas or copies made outside of the workshop, considering the present version to be by the workshop).

Vasari describes the commission of the first work in this series of official portraits, which was very probably painted in the Medici villa at Poggio a Caiano: ‘Il signor duca, veduta in queste ed altre opere l’eccellenza di questo pittore, e particularmente che era suo proprio ritrarre dal naturale quanto con più diligenzia si può imaginare, fece ritrarre sè, che allora era giovane, armato tutto d’arme bianche e con una mano sopra l’elmo’ (see Vasari-Milanesi, Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori ed architettori, Florence, 1881, vol. VII, pp. 597-98). The general art historical consensus is that the painting now in the Ufizzi in Florence is this prime version (dated c.1545, 71 x 57 cm, inv. no. 28.). The prototype for the later, three quarter length version is considered to be the portrait in Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation (dated c. 1545, 86 x 67 cm). The present painting should be considered a workshop production executed under the direction of the master. The facial features appear to be well drawn, the infrared showing slight pentimenti in the eyes, may suggest possible intervention by the master.

Cosimo knew how to use his own powerful image as a tool of diplomacy, often giving portraits to members of the family, but also to political allies or as a sign of friendship. A well-documented example is a version of the later, post 1560s type given by Cosimo to Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Savoy, which is documented in the Guardaroba Medicea (Archivio di Stato, Florence, Inv. Guardaroba Filza 65, 1560–1567, fol. 160b, cfr. R. Simon ibid., 1983, p. 532) as ‘per mandare al Duca di Savoia’. Another case being the copies of portraits given by Cosimo of himself and his wife to the powerful Cardinal Granvelle, referred to in a letter by the Grand Duke to his ambassador at the court of Charles V: ‘s’e ordinate al Maiordomo che facci fare e ritratti che desidera Mons. D’Arras della Ducchesa et di noi’ (cfr. R. Simon ibid., 1983, p. 532, no. 23). The running inventory of the Guardaroba from 1560 to 1567 lists portraits of Cosimo being sent to Giovanni Battista Castaldo, warrior of Charles V, to Albert V of Bavaria, and to Cavaliere de Nobili (see R. Simon ibid., 1983, p. 532).

It is important to note that no Golden Fleece is depicted in the present painting. This would undoubtedly have been the case had the painting been executed after 1546, when Cosimo incorporated its emblem into his portraits. Examples of this can be seen in the versions in the Toledo Museum of Art, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kassel, and the Palazzo Pitti, Florence. The present painting would therefore appear to have been executed before 1546. Another hypothetical alternative should be mentioned. The panel bears a Saint Stephens Cross at the back, possibly indicating that it was once in the possession of the Order of Saint Stephen, an Order founded by Cosimo in 1561. The headquarters, the Palazzo dei Cavalieri, designed by Giorgio Vasari, was built a year later in Pisa. As Cosimo was the Grand Master of the Order, a commission of a replica of the ‘early type’, to be sent to the Palazzo Cavalieri, representing him as a young and virile ruler, and of course not depicting him wearing an emblem of a different Order of Chivalry, would be conceivable. According to Simon, in around 1560 the ‘early type’ was replaced by another portrait showing an older duke at the age of forty, therefore the present portrait may be one of the last ones commissioned of the first type.

Cosimo’s father, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, had been a celebrated condottiere. He belonged to a lesser branch of the family and there was nothing to indicate that Cosimo would become one of the most important figures in that city’s history. He was in fact destined to restore the Medici dynasty, which would govern the city until the early 18th century. After some family quarrels, Cosimo de’ Medici entered the city and took control at the age of only seventeen. He soon assumed absolute power and governed until 1564, when he abdicated in favor of one of his sons, Francesco de’ Medici. He was made Duke of Florence by the Emperor Charles V. Cosimo was an important patron of the arts. He created the Uffizi complex with the primary aim of establishing a seat of government, which would also in due course become a museum. Having lived first in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, then the Palazzo Vecchio, he moved his residence to the Palazzo Pitti and encouraged the creation of the Boboli gardens. In the late 1530s Cosimo had appointed Bronzino as his official painter. Bronzino had trained with Pontormo, who had also been official painter to the Medici, and had worked with him on various important artistic projects. He executed religious and mythological paintings but was principally celebrated as a great portraitist. Bronzino and his studio painted numerous members of the Florentine nobility but his finest achievements were the official portraits of the ruling family.

Additional images
Fragments of the armour of Cosimo I, Rome, Museo di Castel Sant‘Angelo