(Florence 1535–1607)
Portrait of a lady with a dog,
oil on panel, 89 x 66 cm, framed

Provenance:
sale, Christie’s, London, 11 April 2013, lot 103 (as Studio of Alessandro Allori);
where acquired by the present owner

This portrait is a significant example of Florentine late Renaissance painting, close to the style of Alessandro Allori. It is characterised by a formality and aristocratic serenity. Allori, who was a pupil and nephew of Bronzino, developed a sculptural style of portraiture that lent gravitas to his wealthy and aristocratic sitters. The figure of the young woman in the present composition displays a number of symbols that define her social status, such as the fashionable dress carefully rendered with a silk-like sheen and the hairstyle with the upswept hair divided by a centre parting and adorned with a headdress of ribbons and precious jewels. The dog on the table held by her left hand and the vase of flowers are symbols of fidelity and purity.

The workshop Allori inherited from his master Bronzino, produced ‘infiniti ritratti’ [innumerable portraits] for ‘Principi, Signori, e gentilhuomini’, as Raffaele Borghini testified in his work ‘Il Riposo’ in 1581. Just like Bronzino before him, Allori was one of the most prolific and important painters active in Florence in the second half of the sixteenth century and he was the official painter of the Medici court. In 1540, he was adopted by Bronzino, a friend of his deceased father. Allori’s work reveals a deep respect for the bel disegno of the masters of the golden age of Florentine art, including Michelangelo, Andrea del Sarto and, of course, Bronzino. His style, however, incorporates contemporary influences and possibly also knowledge of Northern painters. Allori was involved in numerous projects, including the decorations for the funeral of Michelangelo in 1564, and the marriage of Francesco de’ Medici to Joanna of Austria. He was also involved in the decoration of the Studiolo of Francesco I, together with collaborators and pupils, including Giovanni Maria Butteri, Alessandro Fei, Maso da San Friano, Jacopo Coppi and Giorgio Vasari. He was the father of Cristofano Allori, the distinguished Florentine painter of the early Baroque period.