Holy Family with St. Anne and the Infant St. John 1545 - 1546

Agnolo Bronzino painted this oil on panel of The Holy Family with St. Anne and the Infant St. John in Florence, sometime in the mid-16th century. Here, the artist arranges these religious figures in a complex, artificial composition. Note the smooth surfaces, elongated limbs, and elegant poses. Bronzino was a court painter for the Medici family, and this painting reflects the sophisticated and mannered style that was fashionable among the elite in Florence at the time. It's an example of the refined aesthetic and aristocratic patronage system that defined artistic production in the Italian Renaissance. Art historians consult archival documents, letters, and other primary sources to understand the social and political context in which works like these were created. By studying these materials, we can better understand the complex interplay between art, power, and society in Renaissance Italy.