Portraits of Various, mostly Young, Men
Bronzino
was the most prized student of Jacopo Pontormo and very likely his
lover as well. He was born Agnolo di Cosimo and probably came to be
known as Bronzino because of his dark skin. He collaborated with
Pontormo until the master’s death and in these works their styles were
sufficiently similar as to appear virtually indistinguishable. In their
respective portraiture, however, there are marked differences.
Pontormo’s models tend to appear emotionally agitated where Bronzino’s
subjects are models of calm. There is a lovely adolescent portrait of
the younger artist by the elder in his large panel painting Joseph in Egypt, and he appears very much the most tranquil figure in this many figured work. Bronzino was the Court Painter for
Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, from around 1540 until the end of his life.
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