The Art Institute of Chicago

Alessandro de' Medici

Oil on panelJacopo da Pontormo (Jacopo Carrucci; Italian, 1494-1557)/1534–35

Description

This painting is a preliminary study of Alessandro de’ Medici that Jacopo da Pontormo and his workshop could consult during the creation of larger, formal portraits. Born the illegitimate child of Pope Clement VII and an enslaved African woman named Simonetta, Alessandro was appointed Duke of Florence in 1529. Known as “il Moro” (the Moor), then a common descriptor for people of African descent, his attempts to centralize authority fueled his reputation as a shrewd but tyrannical ruler. His short-lived reign ended with his assassination at his cousin’s hand.

Provenance

Probably Cosimo I de’ Medici (d. 1574), Florence [it is almost certainly identical with the study described in Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori scritte da Giorgio Vasari, ed. Gaetano Milanesi, vol. 6, Florence, 1881, p. 278]. William Ward (d. 1885), 1st Earl of Dudley, London, by 1854 [described by Waagen 1854, as by Pontormo]; his son William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley, sold Christie’s, London, June 25, 1892, no. 46, as Giovanni Bellini for £180, to Durand-Ruel, acting on behalf of Martin A. Ryerson [annotated catalogue , Ryerson Library, and letter from Durand-Ruel to Ryerson, June 25, 1892 in AIC Archives]; Martin A. Ryerson (d. 1932), Chicago, from 1892; on loan to the Art Institute from 1930; bequeathed to the Art Institute, 1933.

Dimensions

35.3 × 25.8 cm (13 7/8 × 10 1/8 in.)

Source

The Art Institute of Chicago

Movement / Period

16th Century

Accession No

110759

Official Citations

[The Art Institute of Chicago Official Record][Full Resolution Image]

Curatorial Affinity Stream

Continuing the Universe of Jacopo da Pontormo (Jacopo Carrucci; Italian, 1494-1557)

16th Century • Italy • Harmonious Works & Contemporaries

Continuous Discovery