Portrait of Piero de' Medici

Dating to around 1550, this Portrait of Piero de' Medici in the National Gallery, London, presents a younger member of the Medici family in Bronzino's fully mature portrait style. The Medici were Bronzino's principal patrons, and portraying members of the family—including those not at the apex of power—was a regular part of his court function. Piero occupies a somewhat marginal position in the Medici genealogy of this period, but his portrait participates in the broader project of constructing and maintaining Medici dynastic identity through art. Bronzino's technique at this date is at its most polished: the enamel surface, the cool restrained palette, the controlled gaze are all consistent with his finest output of the decade. The National Gallery's holding of this work places it among the most publicly accessible examples of his portraiture outside Florence, where the majority of his major commissions remain in situ.

Panel support with Bronzino's characteristic oil glazing technique. The sitter's flesh is smoothed to an almost photographic evenness, and costume fabrics—likely rich silks or velvets—are differentiated through tonal and textural variation. The cool, slightly blue-tinged palette that Bronzino favoured for Medici portraits is evident throughout.