Madonna del Libro

The Madonna del Libro by Pontormo dates to around 1526, a turbulent period in Florence when the Medici had been temporarily expelled and religious fervor was intense. Pontormo, born Jacopo Carucci in the town of Pontorme near Empoli in 1494, was trained by Andrea del Sarto and became one of the founders of Florentine Mannerism alongside his close friend Rosso Fiorentino. Characteristic of Pontormo's approach, the work displays intense psychological expressiveness, acidic colors, compressed spatial drama, anti-classical tension.

Pontormo's characteristic high-keyed color palette and sinuous, elongated forms create an atmosphere of spiritual intensity. The Madonna's pose and the treatment of drapery reveal his departure from the balanced harmonies of his teacher Andrea del Sarto.