Artwork
Allegory of fortune
Allegory of fortune is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Bronzino. It dates from 1567 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Allegory of Fortune is a copper painting attributed to Italian Mannerist painter Bronzino, featuring a central female figure surrounded by symbolic characters. The work is signed 'BROZ. FAC.' and currently housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, within a 17th-century gilded frame.
Subject & Meaning
Accompanying figures include a globe-bearing man, an archeress, and nude subjects, set against a blue, clouded sky.
The painting depicts a woman, potentially a goddess, seated on a throne with a wand and fruit-filled cornucopia. Her attire consists of a pink top, blue skirt, and a necklace. Accompanying figures include a globe-bearing man, an archeress, and nude subjects, set against a blue, clouded sky. The central figure likely represents Fortune, given her symbols of abundance (cornucopia) and power (wand), while the surrounding characters may embody various aspects of her influence, such as global reach (globe) and the unpredictability of fate (archeress).
Technique & Style
Executed on copper, a medium conducive to detailed work, the painting showcases Bronzino's Mannerist style through its intricate, symbolic composition and character renderings. The use of copper allowed for precise, high-resolution details, characteristic of Mannerist attention to form.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1567 for possibly the Studiolo of Francesco I, the painting first appears in Uffizi records between 1635 and 1638. Its attribution to Bronzino is based on the signature 'BROZ. FAC.'
Context
Commissioned during the Italian Renaissance's Mannerist phase, the work reflects the era's fascination with allegory and symbolic representation. The Studiolo, a space for contemplation and learning, would have been an appropriate setting for such a thoughtful, emblematic piece.
Legacy
As part of the Uffizi's collection, Allegory of Fortune contributes to the gallery's comprehensive display of Renaissance and Mannerist art, offering insights into 16th-century artistic and intellectual preoccupations.
Artist & collection
Artist
Agnolo di Cosimo (Italian: ; 17 November 1503 – 23 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino (Italian: Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence.
