Portrait of Maria Salviati

The artwork

Granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, widow of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, mother of Duke Cosimo I: Maria Salviati is the woman who binds three generations of Medici together. It comes printed on handmade Amalfi paper, in a handmade frame.

• A stern portrait, built on the contrast between the dark dress and the pale face.
• It suits a study, an entrance hall or a classic sitting room.
• A gift for anyone who loves the history of Florence and Renaissance portraits.

Maria was widowed in 1526, when her husband, the most celebrated condottiere of his day, died of a war wound. Her son Cosimo was seven. Eleven years later, in 1537, that boy became Duke of Florence, and he stayed in power for almost forty years.

Pontormo portrayed her between 1540 and 1542, by which time she was the Duke's mother: the date is the one given on the label at the exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, where the painting is on display. No jewels on show, no splendour: the strength of the portrait lies in her gaze and her composure. The canvas is in the Uffizi, Florence.

In a study, an entrance hall or a sitting room: it is the gift for anyone who loves the history of Florence and the great portraits of the sixteenth century.

Unique quality material

Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
Framed size: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges
Frame: dark brown with a gold fillet, handmade, with glass