Customer Reviews

The Drawings of Bronzino (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

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This book is the catalog for the current show at the Met in NYC, which is the first exhibition ever devoted in the US to one of the masters of Mannerism in XVIth-century Florence. It is probably one of the best publications put out by the museum in recent years, both for the high-quality illustrations and for the scholarly text.

59 drawings by, or thought to be by, Bronzino, are studied here (his nearly entire known production) and the high point of the book is its explanation why they are thought to be by Bronzino himself and not by other contemporary mannerist artists such as Pontormo. The book also enables the reader to discover a master draughtsman, an artist who used the line as an unequalled means of expression, an artist much more impressive in these small works on paper than in his often pompous court portraits of the rich and famous of the time.

Agnolo Bronzino (1503-72) was the pupil, assistant and probably the lover of Pontormo. He was also the court painter for Cosimo I de' Medici. Today this mannerist artist is primarily remembered for his elegant portrait paintings; his drawings are seldom featured in the many exhibition catalogues that I have encountered. Thus it is a rare treat to encounter a volume that showcases his entire known output of drawings.

There are 60 drawings executed by or attributed to Bronzino presented in this superb Metropolitan Museum catalogue. 26 of these are in the possession of the Uffizi Museum in Florence. Bronzino's drawings, primarily figure studies, were executed as preparatory sketches for paintings. The works are generally of exceptional quality and interest; one is left to wonder why they have received such scant attention in the past. Although they might not approach the originality and standard of the great drawers such as Rubens, Raphael or Michelangelo, Bronzino's efforts are not far behind.

Additional to the drawings are 62 unannotated color reproductions of Bronzino's paintings and tapestry designs. The standard of the color reproductions (mostly life sized for the drawings) are exceptional as is the general printing and paper quality. The essays and annotations are by authorities on Bronzino. Three cheers to the Metropolitan for a wonderful publication.

This is one of the best show catalogs that I have ever seen. The reproductions of Bronzino's masterful drawings are exceptionally accurate and vivid. Anyone interested in drawing should have this book!

Gave this book as a gift and he just loved it. Would buy it again as a gift.