Bronzino, Il

orig. Agnolo di Cosimo

(born Nov. 17, 1503, Monticelli, duchy of Milan—died Nov. 23, 1572, Florence) Italian painter active in Florence. He was the student and adopted son of Jacopo da Pontormo. He excelled as a portraitist and was court painter to Cosimo I for most of his career. His portraits were emotionally inexpressive, but in their elegance and decorative qualities they embodied the courtly ideal under the Medici dukes. His work influenced European court portraiture for the next century, while his polished, sophisticated religious and mythological paintings epitomized the Mannerist style of his time (see Mannerism). In 1563 he became a founding member of the Accademia del Disegno.

Find more information on Bronzino, Il. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Bronzino, Il.