Cosimo I de' Medici (1519–1574), Duke of Florence
1539–40
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
Overall (confirmed): H. 31 1/2 x W. 30 7/8 x D. 12 in. (80 x 78.4 x 30.5 cm); Overall (height with socle): 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Marble
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Wrightsman Fund, 1987
Accession Number
1987.280
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking marble bust, created by the Florentine sculptor Baccio Bandinelli between 1539 and 1540, portrays Cosimo I de’ Medici shortly after he became Duke of Florence in 1537. At just twenty years old, Cosimo sought to consolidate Medici authority following a period of political instability, and this portrait served as a powerful statement of his new status. Bandinelli, a leading artist in the Medici court, captured the young ruler with a steady gaze and dignified bearing that conveyed both youthful vigor and commanding presence. Carved from a single block of marble, the bust reflects t...
About the Artist
Baccio Bandinelli · 1493–1560
Bandinelli was the son of Michelangelo de'Brandini, a successful Florentine goldsmith. Baccio was a loyal subject of the Medici, even when they were in exile 1494-1513; consequently he was rewarded by receiving commissions after the elections to the papacy of Leo X (Giovanni de' Medici) and Clement VII (Giulio de' Medici), and after Cosimo de' Medici became Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1537. His polit...