Who painted A Young Woman and Her Little Boy?

A Young Woman and Her Little Boy was painted by Bronzino in c. 1540.

Where can I see A Young Woman and Her Little Boy?

A Young Woman and Her Little Boy is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Young Woman and Her Little Boy?

A Young Woman and Her Little Boy is associated with Mannerism.

Can I buy a print of A Young Woman and Her Little Boy?

Museum-quality prints of A Young Woman and Her Little Boy are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

A Young Woman and Her Little Boy by Bronzino (c. 1540)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting titled “A Young Woman and Her Little Boy” shows a youthful woman cradling a small boy, presenting them as mother and child in a tightly composed portrait. Executed in oil on panel in 1540 by Agnolo Bronzino, the work exemplifies High Renaissance portraiture that emphasizes intimate familial bonds while asserting the sitter’s genteel status. Its provenance traces the piece from the Seillière collection in Paris through the Widener estate to its present location at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains on public display.

Technique & Style

As a portrait by Agnolo Bronzino, the piece exemplifies the Mannerist style characteristic of the artist's mid-career period.

A Young Woman and Her Little Boy is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support. The work, dated to 1540, measures 99.5 cm in height and 76 cm in width. As a portrait by Agnolo Bronzino, the piece exemplifies the Mannerist style characteristic of the artist's mid-career period.

The medium and support combination was standard for high-status Italian Renaissance portraiture, ensuring durability and a smooth surface suitable for the artist's refined handling of flesh tones and textiles.

History & Provenance

The work, titled A Young Woman and Her Little Boy, was executed by Agnolo Bronzino in 1540 as an oil painting on panel, intended as a private portrait.

Its ownership history begins with the Parisian collector Baron Achille Seillière, who retained it until 1873, after which it passed to his daughter Jeanne Marguérite Seillière, Princesse de Sagan, and subsequently to the Duchess de Talleyrand-Périgord until at least 1896; it was then sold through Cottier and Co. to Peter A. B. Widener in 1905, remained in the Widener family, and was gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1942.

A Young Woman and Her Little Boy is housed in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection in 1942 as a gift from Joseph E. Widener; the museum records it as part of the institution’s permanent holdings. Its earlier ownership traced through the Seillière family, Peter A. B. Widener, and subsequent inheritance, as documented in provenance notes. No exhibition records specific to this work appear in the cited sources, indicating that the painting has not been featured in separate exhibition catalogues or shows according to the available documentation.

Context

The painting A Young Woman and Her Little Boy, executed by Agnolo Bronzino circa 1540, is documented in the National Gallery of Art’s collection. Its provenance traces from possible ownership by Baron Achille Seillière through inheritance to Jeanne Marguérite Seillière, then to Peter A. B. Widener in 1905, and finally to the NGA in 1942. Art historical analysis, notably by Bernard Berenson, situates the work within Bronzino’s elite portraiture, reflecting the refined courtly aesthetics of mid‑sixteenth‑century Florence.

The attribution has been reinforced by catalogues raisonnés and curatorial records, underscoring its significance in the artist’s oeuvre and in the narrative of Renaissance portraiture.

Overview

Agnolo Bronzino's "A Young Woman and Her Little Boy," an oil on panel painting from approximately 1540, presents a formal portrait. The composition features a woman with a young child, both depicted with meticulous attention to their elaborate attire and individual features. This work exemplifies the artist's precise approach to portraiture during the High Renaissance.

Portrait of a Lady with a Boy, Paris Bordone

Artist & collection

Artist

Bronzino

Agnolo di Cosimo (Italian:; 17 November 1503 – 23 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino (Italian: Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence.