Portrait of Eleonora of Toledo
Encyclopedia
The Portrait of Eleanor of Toledo and Her Son is a painting by the Italian artist Agnolo di Cosimo
, known as Bronzino, finished c.
1545. It is housed in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence
, Italy
and is considered one of the preeminent examples of Mannerist portraiture. The painting depicts Eleanor of Toledo, the wife of Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de' Medici, sitting with her hand resting on the shoulder of one of her sons. This gesture, as well as the pomegranate
motif on her dress, referred to her role as mother. Eleanor wears a heavily brocade
d dress with black arabesques. The child has been variously identified as being either her son Francesco
(born 1541), Giovanni
(born 1543) or Garzia (born 1547). If the subject is the latter, the portrait should be dated around 1550-53, but the date is now generally assigned to c. 1545, which would suggest Giovanni.
When Eleanor's body was exhumed in the 19th century, some concluded she wore the same dress as in the portrait. An almost identical hairnet might have caused this confusion. But newer research has proved it to be another dress, as shown in the books Patterns of Fashion by Janet Arnold
, and Moda a Firenze by Roberta Orsi Landini and Bruna Niccoli. The remains of that gown has been conserved and is in the care of the Pitti Palace in Florence.
Agnolo di Cosimo
Agnolo di Cosimo , usually known as Il Bronzino, or Agnolo Bronzino , was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence...
, known as Bronzino, finished c.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1545. It is housed in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and is considered one of the preeminent examples of Mannerist portraiture. The painting depicts Eleanor of Toledo, the wife of Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de' Medici, sitting with her hand resting on the shoulder of one of her sons. This gesture, as well as the pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
motif on her dress, referred to her role as mother. Eleanor wears a heavily brocade
Brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and with or without gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli," comes from Italian broccato meaning "embossed cloth," originally past participle of the verb broccare...
d dress with black arabesques. The child has been variously identified as being either her son Francesco
Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 to 1587.- Biography :...
(born 1541), Giovanni
Giovanni de' Medici (cardinal)
Giovanni di Cosimo I de' Medici , also known as Giovanni de' Medici the Younger, was an Italian cardinal.-Biography:...
(born 1543) or Garzia (born 1547). If the subject is the latter, the portrait should be dated around 1550-53, but the date is now generally assigned to c. 1545, which would suggest Giovanni.
When Eleanor's body was exhumed in the 19th century, some concluded she wore the same dress as in the portrait. An almost identical hairnet might have caused this confusion. But newer research has proved it to be another dress, as shown in the books Patterns of Fashion by Janet Arnold
Janet Arnold
Janet Arnold was a British clothing historian, costume designer, teacher, conservator, and author.She funded the Janet Arnold Award to further in-depth study of Western dress, administered by the Society of Antiquaries of London...
, and Moda a Firenze by Roberta Orsi Landini and Bruna Niccoli. The remains of that gown has been conserved and is in the care of the Pitti Palace in Florence.