Child Sprezzatura

Today I was in the Uffizi on a tour with the British Institute and remembered these portraits of young Medici who also display some sprezzatura. These portraits are all in Room 18 of the Uffizi which is called “The Tribune” and was built by Grand Duke Ferdinand I, one of the sons of Cosimo I. The room held the special items in the Medici art collection which naturally changed as tastes changed. Unfortunately, it is a poorly lit room and the way you have to go through it doesn’t make it conducive to viewing art. It’s a shame because there are some interesting paintings in it. There are quite a few by Agnolo Bronzino who was the court painter for Cosimo I. Here are two that Bronzino painted that are in the Tribune room: Portrait of Bia de’Medici 1542 and Portrait of Francesco I de’ Medici 1551.