Portrait of Piero de' Medici ('The Gouty')
- Artist: Bronzino
- Date: probably about 1550-70
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Portrait of Piero de' Medici ('The Gouty') by Bronzino. Painted in the Italian north, around the mid-16th century, this posthumous portrait was based on a marble bust created earlier by Mino da Fiesole. You can see the influence of that original work in the subtle texture and features of Piero's face.
Bronzino was commissioned to create many such images as court artist to Cosimo I de' Medici, Duke of Florence and later Grand Duke of Tuscany. This painting, however, lacks the clarity and finesse typical of Bronzino's autograph work, suggesting it may have been largely executed by his assistants.
Piero de' Medici was a significant figure in Florentine politics during the Italian Renaissance. He was known as 'the Gouty' due to his struggles with the illness, which on occasion required him to rule from his bed.
See it in person
Portrait of Piero de' Medici ('The Gouty') hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
