Alessandro Allori

Alessandro Allori was a leading Florentine painter of the late sixteenth century, trained by Bronzino, whose polished style he carried on. His figures are smooth and sculptural, and he took special delight in textiles, jewellery, flowers and household objects, all painted with crisp detail.

Born in Florence, he was raised and trained by Bronzino and spent several years in Rome studying Michelangelo. Back in Florence he ran one of the city’s most important workshops, worked with Vasari on the Studiolo of Francesco I in the Palazzo Vecchio and headed the Medici tapestry workshop. His Pearl Fishing in the Studiolo is one of his best-known works.

His paintings are in the Uffizi, Santa Maria Novella and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Look for the fine patterns in clothing and the cool, clear colour.