Artwork
Giancarlo de' Medici (1611-1663), Cardinal, at the age of 10.
Giancarlo de' Medici (1611-1663), Cardinal, at the age of 10. is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Francesco Bianchi Buonavita. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1622 by Francesco Bianchi Buonavita, the work functions as a formal portrait capturing the young nobleman during his childhood.
This oil painting on canvas depicts Giancarlo de' Medici, who would later become a cardinal, at the specific age of ten. Created in 1622 by Francesco Bianchi Buonavita, the work functions as a formal portrait capturing the young nobleman during his childhood. The image serves as a historical record of the Medici lineage, documenting the subject's appearance prior to his ecclesiastical rise.
By fixing his likeness at this youthful stage, the artwork represents the early life of a significant figure in Florentine and church history, preserving his identity before he assumed the titles and responsibilities associated with his later career.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas, a portrait created when the sitter was ten years old. It measures 164 centimeters in height and 118 centimeters in width. The portrait depicts Gian Carlo de' Medici, son of Cosimo I de' Medici, and is part of the collection at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
History & Provenance
Francesco Bianchi Buonavita painted this portrait of Giancarlo de' Medici in 1622, depicting the future cardinal at the age of ten. The work is executed in oil paint on canvas and measures 164 by 118 cm. The painting is now held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, housed at Schloss Ambras Innsbruck.
The portrait is held by the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. It is inventoried as GG_566 in the museum’s holdings, where it remains as part of the permanent collection. The painting has not been recorded in any documented loan exhibitions since its acquisition by the museum.
Overview
Francesco Bianchi Buonavita’s 1622 oil portrait presents the ten‑year‑old Giancarlo de’ Medici, later a cardinal, in a poised stance before a dark backdrop. The work is part of the collection of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains on display as a representative example of early‑17th‑century court portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Bianchi Buonavita (1590–1658) was an artist, born in Florence.
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