FG FINE ART LTD
Michele Tosini, called Michele di Ridolfo
del Ghirlandaio
Florence, 1503 - 1577
The present work was painted by Michele Tosini, the most important artist to emerge from the significant workshop of the painter Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, and his most faithful follower. As the latter advanced into old age, Michele begun collaborating with his master on several important works. Having previously studied under both Lorenzo di Credi and Antonio del Ceraiolo, he was later involved with his friend Giorgio Vasari’s founding of the Accademia del Disegno. The two also collaborated on the decoration of the Salone dei Cinquecento at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Taking up the mantle after his master, Michele continued running a workshop that received praise from Vasari and Cosimo de’ Medici, among others.
Portrait of a Boy
Oil on panel, 43 x 33 cm
PROVENANCE
London, Sir Austen Henry Layard (1817-1894)
London, Christie’s, 24November 1961, lot 57 (£420 to Duets)
London, Sotheby's, 15 December 1982, lot 6
Private collection
1. Michele Tosini, also known as Michele di Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, Portrait of a boy, Private collection
A skilled and notable portraitist, Michele Tosini completed other comparable portraits to that of our young boy. The half-length Portrait of a Young Man with a Letter – now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence – is similarly lit from the upper left, and also captures an earnest young subject with vulnerable immediacy. Formerly considered to be by Salviati, it has later been confirmed as by the hand of Michele Tosini. Another work of similar composition is a bust-length Portrait of a Young Man, sold by Sotheby’s in 1974. Also originally thought to be by Salviati, an attribution to Michele Tosini was later confirmed by Federico Zeri. Fascinatingly, a smaller portrait of the same sitter as that of our Portrait of a Boy, now in a private collection, was sold at Sotheby’s in 2016, painted at when it was a child (Fig. 1). Both works have been firmly attributed to the artist by Carlo Falciani.
Although the identity of the sitter is unknown, it is probable that the work was commissioned by his parents as a present. Whatever the circumstances, the timelessness of this arresting portrait is a testament to the impressive talents of its painter. Inspired by friends such as Vasari and Agnolo Bronzino, he was one of the most prominent portraitists of cinquecento Florence.
Previously part of Sir Austen Henry Layard (1817-1894) collection, the portrait arrived in England as part of his London collection, housed in his small London flat at 21 Grafton Street, and entered the actual private collection only after the Christie’s sale in November 1961. Considered a distinguished art historian, collector, and archaeologist, Sir Austen Henry Layard was renowned for unearthing the Assyrian cities of Nimrud and Nineveh. Born in Paris and raised in Italy, Layard’s career was multifaceted, involving significant political roles such as MP for Aylesbury and Southwark, Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and British Ambassador to Spain and Turkey. A Trustee of the National Gallery, Layard was passionate about early Italian art. His significant role in the London art panorama included the donation to the National Gallery of a remarkable collection of artworks, particularly Italian paintings, as well as his several temporary loans to the South Kensington Museum.
A full fact sheet is available on request.
