Anton Francesco degli Albizzi

This portrait of Anton Francesco degli Albizzi by Sebastiano del Piombo, painted around 1525 and held in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, depicts a member of one of Florence's most prominent families. The Albizzi had been rivals of the Medici in the fifteenth century, and their continued prominence in Florentine society made them significant cultural patrons. Sebastiano's portrait demonstrates his ability to combine Venetian chromatic richness with the psychological depth expected of a major Renaissance portrait, creating an image of cultivated authority.

The portrait combines Sebastiano's Venetian warmth of palette with the monumental presence he developed in Rome. The sitter is rendered with carefully observed individual features set against a dark background that concentrates attention on the face, while the rich rendering of the costume demonstrates the artist's mastery of fabric textures.