Saint Lawrence with Angel

This Saint Lawrence with Angel by Bronzino, dated around 1523, is an early work created for the Florence Charterhouse (Certosa di Firenze). The Carthusian monastery on the outskirts of Florence was a significant patron of the arts, and this commission would have been an important early opportunity for the young Bronzino. Saint Lawrence, the third-century Roman deacon martyred on a gridiron, was a particularly venerated saint in Florence. The painting shows Bronzino still working under the strong influence of Pontormo's expressive Mannerism before developing his own cooler, more refined manner.

The composition pairs the saint with an attending angel in a devotional arrangement that shows the young Bronzino's developing command of figure painting. The influence of Pontormo is evident in the fluid brushwork and expressive intensity, contrasting with the more polished, restrained technique Bronzino would later adopt.