Portrait of Alessandro de' Medici

The artwork

In 1892 this small portrait was sold at auction in London as a work by Giovanni Bellini, and in 1931 it was shown in Toronto as a Bronzino, before being given back to Pontormo. It comes printed on handmade Amalfi paper, in a handmade frame.

• A face in close-up against a dark background, painted with the freedom of a study.
• An intimate portrait that can hold a small wall on its own, next to your books or in a hallway.
• A gift for anyone who follows the story of the Medici.

The man is Alessandro de' Medici, the first Duke of Florence. According to the Art Institute of Chicago, which holds the painting, he was the son of Pope Clement VII and of Simonetta, an enslaved African woman, and he was known as il Moro; he was killed by his cousin Lorenzino in 1537.

For the museum, this panel of 1534-1535 is a study that Pontormo and his workshop kept to hand for the larger official portraits, and it is almost certainly the one described by Vasari.

At the Christie's sale it was bought for 180 pounds by the dealer Durand-Ruel, on behalf of the Chicago collector Martin A. Ryerson; with the Ryerson collection the painting later came to the museum.

In a study it looks good on its own, and even better next to the portrait of his daughter Giulia with Maria Salviati, which you will find in the shop. It will appeal to anyone who collects faces and lives of the Renaissance.

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