Portrait of Pianerlotto

This portrait of Pianerlotto dates to around 1528, during Parmigianino's period in Bologna. Now in the Borghese Collection in Rome, the portrait exemplifies the psychological depth that distinguished Parmigianino's portraiture from that of his contemporaries. The Bologna years were among his most productive for portraiture, as the city's wealthy citizens sought commissions from the celebrated artist. His portraiture combined the Raphaelesque grace he absorbed in Rome with the Lombard refinement of his Parma training, achieving a psychological intensity within an envelope of extreme formal elegance that made him the most distinctive portrait painter of the Italian Mannerist generation.

The sitter is presented with restrained dignity against a neutral background, with attention focused on the expressive face. Parmigianino's refined technique produces subtle gradations of tone in the flesh, conveying both physical likeness and inner character.