Alessandro de’ Medici
- Workshop of
- Florentine
- Date
- 1570s
- Material
- Oil on panel
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- European Art to 1800
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 21 × 16 11/16 in. (53.3 × 42.3 cm)
- Credit Line
- Friends Endowment Fund and the Edwin and Betty Greenfield Grossman Endowment
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 127:2024
NOTES
Clad in shining armor and staring directly at the viewer, this portrait of Alessandro de’ Medici was painted to affirm the masculine power of the Medici dynasty. Alessandro was named the first duke of Florence in 1530 and then assassinated by his cousin in 1537. He was nicknamed “Il Moro,” meaning “The Moor,” a name for those with non-white heritage. His mother, Simonetta da Collevecchio, was a servant of the Medici family and is thought to have been of African descent. Alessandro’s probable biracial heritage is further supported by his features in this painting, including his dark complexion and tightly coiled hair.
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