Agnolo Bronzino (1503–1572) was one of the most famous artists of the Mannerist era. He is known primarily as a portraitist, but he also painted religious subjects, mythological scenes, and allegories. Bronzino was court painter to Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici and the most important portraitist of the Florentine aristocracy.
Unable to surpass the great Renaissance masters such as Michelangelo and Raphael, the Mannerist painters developed a style that built on the achievements of their predecessors, but was entirely new, original, exciting, and at times extreme. Their works can be distinguished by their linear approach, strong color contrasts, luxurious costumes, lack of emotion, and the use of symbols or hidden messages.
Bronzino is often praised for his style, which has been described as elegant, refined, and intellectual; however, some critics have considered his work cold, emotionless, and eccentric. His subjects seem to have happily accepted this duality of interpretation.
This Portrait of a Boy is a magnificent example of Bronzino's style. Although the boy's identity remains unknown, the appearance of a gold sculpture of Dionysus behind pink curtains has led scholars to speculate that the sitter may have been a sculptor.
