Loading

Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici as Orpheus

Bronzinoc. 1537-1539

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, United States

Duke Cosimo I de' Medici is shown as the mythological musician and poet Orpheus after having calmed Cerberus, the doglike guardian to Hades from which Orpheus wished to retrieve his wife, Eurydice. The highly sensual portrait of the naked young duke may have several meanings: the peaceful age that the new generation of Medici wished to usher in, the duke's patronage of the arts and literature, or his marriage to Eleonora di Toledo in 1539. This painting could have been made in conjunction with ceremonies celebrating the latter occasion.

Details

  • Title: Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici as Orpheus
  • Creator Lifespan: 1503/1572
  • Creator Nationality: Italian (active Florence)
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Florence, Tuscany, Italy
  • Creator Birth Place: Monticelli, Tuscany, Italy
  • Date Created: c. 1537-1539
  • Location: Florence, Italy
  • Physical Dimensions: w30.08 x h36.88 in (Overall)
  • Provenance: Gift of Mrs. John Wintersteen, 1950
  • Type: Paintings
  • Rights: © 2014 Philadelphia Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
  • External Link: Philadelphia Museum of Art
  • Medium: Oil on panel
  • Artist/Maker: Agnolo Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo di Mariano), Italian (active Florence), 1503 - 1572

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Flash this QR Code to get the app
Google apps