Bronzino, a mannerist artist, delighted in creating witty paintings with hidden, complex meanings. Bronzino’s Portrait of a Young Man contains many clues alluding to the young man’s identity, you just have to look closely! So, hone your inner Sherlock Holmes and let’s unmask the youth!
Bronzino’s Mannerism
Our wonderful artist of the hour, Bronzino, adhered to the mannerism movement. Mannerism spread between the High Renaissance and Baroque periods. Starting in Italy, it lasted from 1520 to 1600. The movement emphasized complexity in naturalistic representation. Mannerist artists loved creating compositional tension and instability. Sometimes, this involved the distortion of the human figure or the practice of intellectual sophistication. In fact, Bronzino’s An Allegory with Venus and Cupid is one of his most sophisticated works through its allusions to mythology and insights about love.
Bronzino’s Portrait of a Young Man
The Metropolitan Museum of Art contains Bronzino’s Portrait of a Young Man. Through this painting, Bronzino’s technical skill and intellectual complexity manifest through subjects pose, clothes, and accessories. Through his careful detail, we gain insight to the young man’s social status and learning.
Despite everything we can learn about this young man, his true identity still remains a mystery. What we do know is that this young man is probably amongst Bronzino’s close circle of Florentine literary friends. You see, alongside art, Bronzino was a poet too! He liked the beauty of art and language. Therefore, he surrounded himself with playful intellects like himself. This literary reference is supported by the book (most likely a poetry book) that the youth holds. At the very least we know that this young man is well-educated!
Man of Many Masks
With his fingers placed between the book’s pages, the young man leans against an intricate table. It appears like purplish, carved stone. Carved on this table is, what appears to be, a grotesque face! I don’t know about you but, to me, it resembles a Halloween creature or scarecrow! You’ll see a similar grotesque masklike face on the chair. But, surprise, surprise, there’s another hidden mask! Look closely at the youth’s breeches and you’ll see the impression of a mask in the fabric’s folds. These grotesque faces offer a distinct contrast to the youth’s handsome face. Furthermore, with the image of the handsome face floating above three masklike faces, Bronzino reminds us that identity is something like a self-formed mask. It reminds me of the saying, ‘a man of many masks.’
Pose and Clothes
They say that the way you dress has a lot to say about a person! It certainly is true for this young man. His hat, shirt, and pants reveal that this youth is well color-coordinated. By painting the fabric with a soft sheen, Bronzino alludes to the clothing’s expensive quality (it’s probably silk or cotton). Furthermore, the slashing on the clothing creates a jagged outline that alludes to an electric and fashionably decorative quality. This young man certainly has a hyper-sensitive taste!
Alongside the youth’s style, he poses arrogantly with his hand on his hip. His gaze radiates confidence too! He sure is self-assured. Putting everything together, we know that this youth is well-educated and probably enjoyed a high social status. He sure has the money to pay for education and nice clothes. Not to mention the aloofness and confidence associated with aristocrats.
There’s More!?
Interestingly, this painting is not the only Portrait of a Young Man by Bronzino. There’s one at the Louvre showing a youth holding a statue. There’s another at the National Gallery portraying a young man with a sculpture of Bacchus behind a pink curtain. Additionally, I encourage you to look at these paintings and see if you can uncover any hidden meanings! What can you learn about these youths?
If you want more art fun, there’s plenty of blog posts for you to check up on! Better yet, join us for a treasure hunt!
