Lot n° 1
Estimation :
200000 - 300000
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Alessandro ALLORI (Florence, 1535–1607) - Lot 1
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 before 1884;
- Bernai Collection;
- Collection of the third Lord Northwick;
- Collection of Lord Margadale of Islay, Fontbill, Wiltshire; his estate sale, Christie’s, London, July 2, 1965, lot 53, illustrated (Bronzino).
- Auction in Paris, Hôtel Georges V, Tajan auction house, June 12, 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 teacher 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 depicting jewelry 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 tied to the Medici court. He worked for prominent members of the family, creating portraits, monumental decorations, religious and mythological paintings, as well as projects designed to adorn Medici palaces and villas.
In particular, the painter contributed to major projects at the Palazzo Vecchio, 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 portray Bianca Cappello at the moment she transitioned from the status of the prince’s favorite 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 then met Francesco de’ Medici, then heir to the Grand Duchy. Their relationship began while Francesco was still married to Jeanne of Austria. After her death in 1578, Francesco married Bianca. The secret wedding had taken place on June 5, 1578, before being made public in 1579. Their son, Antonio de’ Medici, was born in 1576.
Montaigne, who met her during a trip to 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 have 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 in Poggio a Caiano on October 20, 1587, within a few hours of one another. For centuries, their deaths fueled the legend of a poisoning ordered by Francesco’s brother, Ferdinand de’ Medici.
The portrait now considered one of the most reliable depictions is the one housed in the Uffizi Gallery, inventory 1890, no. 1514. Small in size, it is painted on copper and is generally dated to around 1578. But there are many 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?)—sometimes even to Bronzino himself (although it is impossible that he 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 figure an almost sculptural appearance. Pearls are particularly suited to the aesthetics of the court: they signify wealth, femininity, idealized chastity, and distinction, but they can also serve as a marker of identity.
Bianca’s portrait thus gradually becomes recognizable thanks to a set of characteristics repeated by Allori and his workshop.
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