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Alessandro ALLORI (Florence, 1535 – 1607)
See original version (French)
Alessandro ALLORI (Florence, 1535 – 1607)
See original version (French)
Estimate €200,000 - €300,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Alessandro ALLORI (Florence, 1535 – 1607)
Portrait of Bianca Capello (1548–1587)
Poplar panel with two crossbars (missing)
Height: 86 cm
Width: 68.5 cm
Old labels on the reverse
Provenance:
- Probably the former Morrisson collection prior to 1884;
- Bernai Collection;
- Collection of the third Lord Northwick;
- Collection of Lord Margadale of Islay, Fontbill, Wiltshire; his sale, Christie’s, London, 2 July 1965, lot 53, illustrated (Bronzino).
- Auction in Paris, Hôtel Georges V, Tajan auction house, 12 June 1995, lot 121 (sold for 900,000 francs).
Allori belongs to a pivotal generation of Florentine painting. His father, Cristofano di Lorenzo, died in 1540 when Alessandro was only five years old. He was then taken under the wing of Agnolo Bronzino, who became his master and patron. Tradition sometimes referred to him as Bronzino’s ‘nephew’, but this was an artistic and familial relationship of mentorship, not a true kinship.
Allori inherited from Bronzino a taste for and technique of rendering smooth, glazed skin tones, precision in the depiction of jewellery and fabrics, highly controlled silhouettes, the solemnity of the subject, but above all a conception of the portrait as a social and political image.
Allori’s career was closely linked to the Medici court. He worked for the family’s leading figures, producing portraits, monumental decorative works, religious and mythological paintings, as well as projects intended for the decoration of Medici palaces and villas.
In particular, the painter was involved in major projects at the Palazzo Vecchio, the Palazzo Pitti, Poggio a Caiano, Santa Maria Novella and other Florentine sites. The artist thus played a significant role in the development of late Florentine Mannerism.
His position at court explains why he became one of the artists particularly well-suited to portraying Bianca Cappello at the moment she transitioned from the status of the prince’s favourite to that of Grand Duchess.
The story of Bianca: a political novel.
Born in Venice in 1548 into a patrician family, she arrived in Florence at a very young age after leaving Venice with Pietro Buonaventuri, whom she married. She subsequently met Francesco de’ Medici, then heir to the Grand Duchy. Their relationship began whilst Francesco was still married to Jeanne of Austria. Following her death in 1578, Francesco married Bianca. The secret marriage had taken place on 5 June 1578, before being made public in 1579. Their son, Antonio de’ Medici, was born in 1576.
Montaigne, who met her whilst travelling in Italy, described her in these terms: ‘This duchess is beautiful by Italian standards, with a pleasant yet imperious face, a full bosom and breasts to one’s liking. She certainly seemed to possess the self-assurance to have charmed the prince and to keep him devoted to her for a long time.’
Thus, moving from the status of a Venetian foreigner, Bianca became an exceptional figure; as the prince’s former mistress, she managed to rise to the rank of Grand Duchess of Tuscany. This trajectory largely explains the significance of her official image.
Bianca and Francesco died at Poggio a Caiano on 20 October 1587, within a few hours of one another. For centuries, their deaths fuelled the legend of a poisoning ordered by Francesco’s brother, Ferdinand de’ Medici.
The portrait now regarded as one of the most reliable is the one held in the Galleria degli Uffizi, inventory 1890, no. 1514. Small in size, it is painted on copper and is generally dated to around 1578. However, there are numerous other portraits of Bianca Capello, often attributed to Allori or his workshop (Palazzo Pitti, Villa del Poggio, Yale University Art Gallery, Palazzo Mansi in Lucca?) and sometimes even to Bronzino himself (although it is impossible that he could have painted the Grand Duchess in 1578, having died in 1572). These various portraits share the same characteristics: a high forehead, an oval face, slightly elongated eyes, a slender nose, and a small mouth?
Our portrait also features the magnificent white ruff, a key element.
In late 16th-century portraits, the collar gradually became a veritable architectural feature surrounding the face. In Allori’s work and that of his circle, this element serves several functions: it isolates the face and accentuates the whiteness of the skin, creating a contrast with the dark clothing; it gives the subject an almost sculptural appearance. Pearls are particularly suited to the aesthetics of the court: they signify wealth, femininity, idealised chastity and distinction, but they can also serve as a marker of identity.
Bianca’s portrait thus gradually becomes recognisable thanks to a set of characteristics repeated by Allori and his workshop.
There is another work by Allori which sheds light on the personal relationship between the painter and the couple
Francesco and Bianca: The famous *Venus and Cupid* (Florence, Uffizi), painted by the artist around 1570 on wood (29 × 38.5 cm). This painting was probably commissioned by Francesco I to celebrate his love for Bianca Cappello.
Allori is therefore not merely the painter who arrived after the fact to immortalise the Grand Duchess; he was already part of the artistic circle surrounding the relationship between Francesco and Bianca.
Copies of letters by Giuliano Briganti and Simone Lecchini Giovannoni will be provided to the buyer. Both date our painting to the years 1560–1570.
Expert: Stéphane Pinta, Turquin consultancy (viewable by appointment at the expert’s office)
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Lot description modified on 09/04/2026 at 8:46 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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