Bronzino’s Letter about Sculpture and Painting

Authors

Keywords:

Agnolo Bronzino, Benedetto Varchi, mannerism, the Late Renaissance, art theory

Abstract

This article is an annotated translation of the letter of Florentine painter Agnolo Bronzino to Benedetto Varchi about sculpture and painting. Though incomplete, Bronzino’s letter is an important document for the scholars not only as the evidence of the increased interest of artists to self-reflection and comprehension of their work from a philosophical point of view, but also as a valuable source on the Cinquecento Art Theory. The purpose of the article is to publish the Russian translation of the letter along with its analysis in the context of paragon — Renaissance dispute of different arts on their advantages and disadvantages.

Author Biography

  • Pavel A. Aleshin, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
    Aleshin, Pavel A. — Ph.D. student, Lomonosov Moscow State University. 27-4 Lomonosovsky prospect, Moscow, Russian Federation, 119991.

References

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Holderbraum J. A Bronze by Giovanni Bologna and a Painting by Bronzino. The Burlington Magazine, 1956, no. 98, pp. 439–445.

Khachaturov S. The reverse side of image. Mysterious portrait painted by Bronzino. Dialog Iskusstv, 2013, no. 1, pp. 86–89 (in Russian).

Leonardo da Vinci. 1020 fragments. Moscow, Tsentr knigi Rudomino, 2012. 736 p. (Russian translation).

Masters of Art about Art. Guber A., Sidorov A. eds. Vol. 1. Moscow, Leningrad, Izogiz, 1937. 625 p. (in Russian).

Mendelsohn L. Paragoni: Benedetto Varchi’s “Due Lezzioni” and Cinquecento Art Theory. Ann Arbor, UMI Research Press, 1982. 316 p.

Renaissance Aesthetics. Shestakov V.P. comp. Vol. 1–2. Moscow, Iskusstvo, 1981. 496 p.; 639 p. (in Russian).

Schlosser J. La litteratura artistica: manuale delle fonti della storia dell’arte moderna. [1924]. Venezia, La Nuova Italia, 1956. 766 p.

Trattati d’arte del Cinquecento: Fra Manierismo e Controriforma. Barocchi P. ed. Vol. 1–3. Bari, Laterza, 1960–1962.

Vazari G. Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors and architects. Moscow, Al’fa-kniga, 2008. 1278 p. (Russian translation).

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Published

2014-10-11

Issue

Section

Medieval and Early Modern Western Art

How to Cite

Aleshin, P. A. (2014). Bronzino’s Letter about Sculpture and Painting. Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art, 4, 230–237. https://publ.actual-art.org/aptha/article/view/10021