Museo Galileo
italiano
Virtual Museum
Alessandro Allori
1535-1607

Florentine artist, disciple of Agnolo Bronzino (1503-1572). Had close ties to the Medici court, which commissioned many works from him. For the study of Francis I, produced Pesca delle perle [Pearl fishing] (c. 1570, Florence, Palazzo Vecchio, Studiolo di Francesco I). His paintings and frescoes often depict glassware from which we can determine at least rough dates for items similar to those in the Medici collections - for example, the glassware in the scientific apparatus of the Accademia del Cimento. Allori's famous anatomical drawings illustrate the special links between the arts and the study of the human body. Draftsmanship and anatomical practice were two essential aspects of Allori's artistic training.