Portrait of Lorenzo II de’ Medici (1492–1519), oil on panel, 96 x 80 cm, framed

Provenance:
European private collection

The present painting derives from a composition by Raphael that had long been considered lost, until it was recognized by Professor Konrad Oberhuber and published in an extensive study in 1971 and sold at Christie’s, London, 5 July 2007 (lot 91).

Raphael’s painting was executed in 1518, two years before the artist’s death, on the occasion of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s engagement to Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne, a relative of the French king. Since the duke and his fiancée had never met an exchange of their portraits was arranged. The sitter was a grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent and a nephew of Pope Leo X (1475–1521), Raphael’s most important patron.

Lorenzo is portrayed in half-length, slightly turned to the left, and wears a splendid garment, as was fashionable at the time. He looks at the spectator from the corners of his eyes. In his hand, he holds a small circular enamelled object that is difficult to identify.

It seems likely that Raphael’s painting remained in France only for several months and that Lorenzo had it brought back to Italy after the wedding. In the first edition of his Vite Vasari mentions the picture as being owned by Ottaviano de’ Medici’s heirs. Lorenzo died in 1519, only one year after the wedding, from the consequences of his excessive lifestyle. His wife had died shortly before him, during the birth of their daughter, Catherine de’ Medici, who later became Queen of France through her marriage to Henry II.

We are grateful to Professor Dr. Jürg Meyer zur Capellen, for suggesting the attribution to Raphael’s workshop for the present composition after examining it in the original.

Marco Droghini proposes an attribution to Raffaellino del Colle (Colle c. 1490–1566 Borgo San Sepolcro), who joined Raphael’s workshop in 1519 on and later was a collaborator of Giulio Romano’s.