Alessandro Allori

• Time, Venus and Love

  Louvre

  Paris, France

  3 works

  Museum details

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• What is Alessandro Allori known for?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7] is known for his contributions to the Studiolo of Francesco I, including a Banquet of Cleopatra and the celebrated Pearl Fishing. The latter is a marine scene populated with ideally proportioned figures derived directly from classical sculpture and his anatomical drawings.
• What is Alessandro Allori's most famous work?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7] (1577-1621) was a Florentine mannerist painter, the son of Cristofano Allori and grandson of Agnolo Allori, who was known as Bronzino. Cristofano trained in the style of his father and grandfather. Cristofano is regarded as an artist who broke with late Mannerist tendencies, becoming an early proponent of Baroque reform ideas. However, he continued to borrow certain traits of 'Mannerist physiognomy' to heighten the effect of a picture. Cristofano Allori's most famous painting is Judith with the Head of Holofernes, completed in 1613. It is an oil on canvas, now located in the Galleria Pitti, Florence. Allori is said to have created a portrait of his mistress Mazzafirra in the figure of Judith, and her mother as the elderly servant woman. The head of Holofernes may be a self-portrait. The painting presents the extreme contrast between the dark, bearded head of Holofernes and the angelic face of Judith. The painting's erotic tension emanates from the faces of Judith and Holofernes, and from the sensuality with which Judith is portrayed.
• What should I know about Alessandro Allori's prints?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7] (1535^[3]-1607^[3]) was a Florentine painter, and studies of his portraits include Simona Lecchini Giovannoni's 'Alcune proposte per l’attivita ritrattistica di Alessandro Allori,' which appeared in *Antichita viva* in 1968. Luciano Bellosi's 'II ritratto fiorentino del Cinquecento,' in *Firenze e la Toscana dei Medici nell’Europa del Cinquecento: Il primato del disegno* (1980), also discusses Allori. For information on portraits of Francesco I de’ Medici, see Karla Langedijk, *The Portraits of the Medici: 15th-18th Centuries* (1983). Gabrielle Langdon's 'A Reattribution: Alessandro Allori’s Lady with a Cameo,' *Zeitschrift fiir Kunstgeschichte* (1989) analyses Allori's *Portrait of a Young Collector* (1561) in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. A *Portrait of a Young Man* (1560), attributed to Allori, was shown at the Walpole Gallery's *The Cinquecento* exhibition in London (1991).
• What style or movement did Alessandro Allori belong to?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7] belonged to the Mannerist movement, which emerged in Italy during the 16th century. Mannerism^[3] overlapped with the High Renaissance, arising around 1520 and lasting roughly sixty years. Mannerism, derived from the Italian "maniera" (meaning style or manner), is characterised by artifice, complex compositions, and sophisticated elegance. Mannerist artists consciously revealed the constructed nature of their art, unlike High Renaissance artists who sought to create a natural appearance. Allori's teacher Bronzino was a key Mannerist painter in Florence. Bronzino's paintings often featured learned allegories with lascivious undertones, a shift from the High Renaissance's simple forms. His figures were placed around the front plane, blocking the space, with strong contours and smooth surfaces. Mannerist painters considered extremities (heads, hands, and feet) as carriers of grace, demonstrating artistic skill through their depiction.
• What techniques or materials did Alessandro Allori use?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7]'s painting techniques involved careful consideration of materials, and conservators have noted the importance of understanding the individual 'character' of each painting. This includes its fabric, ground preparation, pigments, and reactions to time. There is no single method or material appropriate for every picture; the painting itself dictates the choice of methods and materials. Allori's approach would involve preliminary study to understand deeply the materials, techniques, and present condition of a painting to define customised treatments for conservation. This means considering a wide range of possibilities and employing different materials in different ways. For example, conservators at the Laboratorio degli Angeli in Bologna restored a large canvas painting by Allori for the exhibition *Ferdinando I de’ Medici: Maiestate tantum* at the Medici Chapels in Florence, using customised methodologies to solve complex problems.
• What was Alessandro Allori known for?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7], also known as Bronzino the Younger, was a Florentine Mannerist painter. He trained with his father and his grandfather, Agnolo Allori (Bronzino). Allori is known for works that display traits of "Mannerist physiognomy". Allori's painting *Judith with the Head of Holofernes* (1613) is perhaps his most famous work. Some believe the figures in the painting are portraits. It is suggested that Allori depicted himself as Holofernes and his lover, Mazzafirra, as Judith. The painting is celebrated for its photorealistic precision, particularly in the depiction of fabrics. Allori was a pupil of Cigoli, and a friend of Galileo. Galileo favoured naturalism in painting; he preferred works that matched the painted object.
• When did Alessandro Allori live and work?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7] was born in Florence in 1535^[3] and died there in 1607^[3]. He came from an artistic family; his adoptive father was the celebrated Florentine Mannerist Agnolo Allori, known as Bronzino, who was born in 1503 and died in 1572. Alessandro trained in Bronzino's workshop. Bronzino's Mannerist style, with its emphasis on distorted poses, exaggerated expressions, and dynamic movement, influenced Allori's early work. Allori received several important commissions throughout his career. In 1575-79, he completed the Last Judgement in the cupola of the Cathedral of S. Maria dei Fiore, a project begun by Giorgio Vasari. He became a member of the Accademia del Disegno in 1577. He is known to have bought a house and studio in via Capponi that same year.
• Where can I see Alessandro Allori's work?+

  To view paintings by Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7], visit collections in Europe and the United States. In Italy, Allori's work can be seen at the Galleria Borghese, Galleria Colonna, and Pinacoteca Vaticana, all in Rome. Other Italian cities with works by Allori include Florence (Settignano, Vannella Chapel), Siena (Palazzo Chigi Saracini), and Piacenza (Pinacoteca Civica). Previously, Allori's paintings were displayed in Volterra (Villa dello Spedaletto) and Pisa (Cathedral). Outside of Italy, Allori's art can be found in Strasbourg (Musee des Beaux-Arts), Vienna (Akademie der bildenden Kunste), and Zurich (Abegg Stockar Collection). In the United States, notable locations include the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Sterling Clark Museum in Williamstown, and the Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina. Previously, Allori's works were held in collections in Santa Monica, California.
• Where was Alessandro Allori from?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7] was from Florence. The city plays a prominent role in Giorgio Vasari's *Lives*, as the birthplace or training location for many significant artists, from Giotto to Michelangelo. Vasari, a Florentine himself, considered Tuscan intellects superior due to their devotion to skill and labour. Vasari's geographical bias, however, was ideological. He wrote as a subject of the modernising Tuscan duchy, which had a bureaucratic and military apparatus. This included a top-down organisation of culture, such as academies that promoted Tuscan language, literature, and visual arts. The Medici family's rise to power and establishment of the ducal regime in Florence brought stability, but also marked a shift in the city's artistic prominence. Michelangelo's departure in 1534 further signalled this change.
• Who did Alessandro Allori influence?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7], also known as Bronzino the Younger, came from a family of Florentine artists; his father and grandfather was Agnolo Allori, known as Bronzino. Cristofano Allori trained in the school of his father and grandfather. Cristofano may be regarded as an artist who broke with late Mannerist tendencies. He borrowed certain traits of "Mannerist physiognomy" to heighten the effect of a picture. Cristofano's most famous painting, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, owes much to the Mannerist school in which he trained. Allori is said to have created a portrait of his mistress Mazzafirra in the figure of Judith and her mother in the figure of the elderly servant woman. The head of Holofernes may be a self-portrait. Allori's painting of Judith made him famous, because the viewer recognises him in Holofernes and Mazzafirra in Judith. Galileo was a friend of Allori's. Sagredo shared Galileo’s distaste for Mannerism^[3], whereas Allori seemed to surpass by far both modern and ancient artists.
• Who influenced Alessandro Allori?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7], a Florentine painter of the late Renaissance, absorbed a range of influences that shaped his artistic style. Titian's Venetian painting techniques had an impact. Allori's work shows an awareness of Venetian colourism and painterly handling, elements he likely encountered through exposure to Titian's art or the works of his followers. Figures such as Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese also affected Allori's artistic development. Their compositions, use of light and shadow, and dramatic narratives contributed to Allori's artistic vocabulary. These artists, along with others, helped Allori form a synthesis of Florentine and Venetian artistic principles. He combined the emphasis on disegno (drawing) with the Venetian focus on colour and atmosphere.
• Who was Alessandro Allori?+

  Alessandro Allori^[3]-1607^[3]/","used_for":"biography"}">[7] (1535^[3]-1607^[3]) was a Florentine painter of the late Mannerist style. He trained in Florence, and also in Rome under Michelangelo, whose influence is apparent in Allori's work. Allori is known for his frescoes, and panel paintings. One of his significant commissions was for the Accademia del Disegno (Academy of Art and Design) in Florence. He painted a fresco of the Trinity for their chapel in the Santissima Annunziata. The commission was initially given to Bronzino and Allori in 1567, but Allori completed it alone by 1571. Giorgio Vasari also contributed frescoes to this chapel. Allori's portraits are also well regarded. Examples include his "Portrait of a Young Collector" (1561) now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. His portrait style has been analysed by Simona Lecchini Giovannoni, Luciano Bellosi, and Gabrielle Langdon.