Agnolo Bronzino

Agnolo di Cosimo—most commonly referred to as Bronzino—was an Italian Mannerist painter in the early 16th century. Bronzino primarily painted portraits and religious commissions that aligned with the general Mannerist sensibilities of elongated figures, dramatic lighting, and unrealistically elegant compositions. He studied under Parmigianino and his works are generally viewed as derivative of his teacher but with less emotion and drama, and have historically been considered inferior. More recently, his softer forms have retrospective interest—historians now consider that his omission of drama and emotion indicates a particular theory of Bronzino that a portrait should act as a public facade rather than an intimate reveal of the sitter’s character.