After Pontormo

James Mahlon Rosen

Though this oil painting on a panel, "Portrait of a Woman in Red," was historically thought to have been by Jacopo Pontormo (as Rosen mentions in the titling), it is now considered to be the early mature work of Pontormo's student, Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo di Mariano, Italian, 1503-1572). It was done around 1532-'33 while he was in the service of Duke Alessandro de Medici. Noted as one of the most important Italian Mannerist paintings, it is housed in the Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (inventory number 1136). Despite the importance of the work, the sitter remains unknown, though some think it might be Francesca Salviati of the Medici family.

James Rosen was known in part for his small, intimate ink and watercolor sketches of Old Master works. Usually executed on delicate paper in miniature, his homages were intentionally simple, stripping away most color and detail to focus on a particular aspect. Here, he hones in on the elegant noblewoman's expression, a mixture of confidence and serenity. At left is her puppy, and the suggestion of a rosary draped from her wrist.