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Portrait of a Baby Boy
(Renaissance Europe )
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.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Bernard Berenson, Settignano, Florence; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1909-1922; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
| 2008-2009 | Art and Love in Renaissance Italy. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 5/4/1942 | Treatment | cleaned; coated; inpainted; varnish removed or reduced |
| 5/14/1974 | Treatment | coated; inpainted; loss compensation; stabilized; varnish removed or reduced; x-ray |
| 11/1/2002 | Treatment | coated; examined for exhibition; surface cleaned |
| 10/31/2007 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
| 10/20/2008 | Examination | examined for exhibition; examined for loan |
Geographies
Italy, Florence (Place of Origin)
Measurements
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)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1909-1922
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.451