Description
Bronzino served for several years as court painter to Cosimo I de' Medici (1519-1574), the wealthy and powerful grand duke of Tuscany. The artist painted portraits of many members of the Medici family, and this picture may represent Duke Cosimo's and Eleonora da Toledo's son Garcia, born in 1547, or another son, Ferdinando, born in 1549. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, the baby recalls representations of the infant Jesus, revealing the pious intentions of the child's parents. Importance was given to the portrayal of children during the 16th century because of the high mortality rate.
This portrait shows Bronzino's elegant and relief-like style.
For more information on this painting, please see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue no. 212, p. 328.

Portrait of a Baby Boy
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
5/04/1942 | Treatment | cleaned; coated; inpainted; varnish removed or reduced |
5/14/1974 | Treatment | coated; inpainted; loss compensation; stabilized; varnish removed or reduced; x-ray |
11/01/2002 | Treatment | coated; examined for exhibition; surface cleaned |
10/31/2007 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
10/20/2008 | Examination | examined for exhibition; examined for loan |
Exhibitions
- Art and Love in Renaissance Italy. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth. 2008-2009.
Provenance
Bernard Berenson, Settignano, Florence; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1909-1922; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Credit
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1909-1922
Creators
- Agnolo Bronzino (Italian, 1503-1572) (Artist)
- Workshop of Agnolo Bronzino (Italian, 1503-1572) (Workshop)
Period
1540-1549 (Renaissance)Accession Number
37.451Measurements
Painted surface H: 13 3/16 x W: 10 1/4 x D: 1 5/16 in. (33.5 x 26 x 3.3 cm); Framed H: 16 7/8 x W: 19 9/16 x D: 2 5/8 in. (42.86 x 49.69 x 6.67 cm)Geographies
- Italy, Florence (Place of Origin)