Bardi Altarpiece

The Bardi Altarpiece of 1521 is one of Parmigianino's earliest known works, painted when he was approximately eighteen. The commission for this altarpiece from the Bardi family demonstrates that even at this young age, Parmigianino was already receiving significant commissions in Parma. The work shows him emerging from the shadow of Correggio to develop his own distinctive voice. Characteristic of Parmigianino's approach, the work displays extreme elegance, elongated forms, serpentine grace, refined palette.

The altarpiece format required the young artist to organize multiple figures within a structured devotional composition. The handling of drapery and spatial arrangement already shows considerable sophistication, with warm, luminous colors characteristic of the Emilian school.