(Monticelli 1503–1572 Florence)
Portait of Grand Duke Cosimo I in Armour, bust-length,
oil on panel, 52.5 x 41 cm, framed

The present portrait relates to Bronzino’s celebrated painting of the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I. Around 1543, Cosimo had consolidated his authority in Florence and the creation of an official image became necessary. Bronzino executed the portrait of the Duke that was used as propaganda in Tuscany and abroad, and from which numerous versions were produced. It was commissioned around 1543. By 1545, when Cosimo had been made a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a larger, three-quarter length portrait type was developed by Bronzino.

In the present composition, Cosimo is depicted in armour, bust length. Cosimo’s gaze follows the direction of the head, creating a sense of distance between sitter and viewer. The image, iconic in a modern sense, was designed to impress. The face and pose are distant and aloof reflecting the highly refined artistic atmosphere at Cosimo’s court.

A similar version, although slightly wider and longer in length (72 x 58 cm), which includes the sitter´s hand resting on a helmet, was sold at the Dorotheum on the 20th October 2015, lot 22. In both compositions, the suit of armour allows for a detailed description of its decorative elements. The armour is also a symbol of dynastic legitimacy, as it is thought to have been a diplomatic gift to Cosimo on his accession to the dukedom in 1537, given by Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, brother of Emperor Charles V, who had granted the dukedom. The armour has been attributed to the Innsbruck court armorer Jörg Seusenhofer, with etched decorations by his associate Leonhard Meurl. Fragments of the armour have been identified and are preserved in the Museo di Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. There is also an iconographic aspect as Italian political leaders prefered to be depicted in the manner of the great Classical heroes. This type of all’antica portrait is to be found in a series of bust-length sculptures that Cosimo commissioned, including the bust by Benvenuto Cellini, now in the Museo del Bargello.

There is ongoing debate over the question of which of the many portraits recorded was the prototype upon which the numerous variants were based, and also which of the replicas are by Bronzino himself. It is important to note that no Golden Fleece is depicted in the present painting. This would undoubtedly have been the case had the painting been executed after 1546, when Cosimo incorporated the emblem into his portraits. Examples of this type can be seen in the versions in the Toledo Museum of Art, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kassel, and the Palazzo Pitti, Florence. The present painting should therefore be dated to before 1546.