Martin Gayford

The brilliant neurotics of the late Renaissance

Martin Gayford catches an exhibition of the peculiar but brilliant work of Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence

‘Portrait of a Bishop’, c.1541–2, by Jacopo Carrucci, known as Pontormo [Getty Images/Shutterstock/iStock/Alamy] 
issue 17 May 2014
  • Comments

  • Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino: Diverging Paths of Mannerism

    Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, until 20 July

In many respects the average art-lover remains a Victorian, and the Florentine Renaissance is one area in which that is decidedly so. Most of us, like Ruskin, love the works of 15th-century artists of that city — Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Ghiberti — and are much less enthusiastic about those of the 16th.

GIF Image

Disagree with half of it, enjoy reading all of it

TRY A MONTH FREE
Our magazine articles are for subscribers only. Try a month of Britain’s best writing, absolutely free.

Read next

Trending

Steerpike

Farage skips ‘Brexit reset’ debate for French holiday

To the Commons, where just after midday Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a statement on his brand new UK-EU deal. Sir Keir told MPs that the new agreement would ‘strengthen our borders’ and ‘release us from the tired arguments of the past’ on Brexit. But as opposition politicians heckled – ‘tell that to the fishermen!’

More on florence italy

Also by Martin Gayford

Latest

Comments

Join the debate, free for a month

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.

Already a subscriber? Log in