This portrait depicts the sitter at the age of about twenty. The miniature he holds has been identified as that of his sister, Lucrezia (1545-1561) who was married by proxy to Alfonso II, d’Este, Duke of Ferrrara, in 1558. The marriage was consummated when the sitter accompanied his sister to Ferrara in 1560 and it has been generally assumed that the versions of this picture both by Allori and by other artists were executed at about this time. Francesco de’Medici was the son of the great Cosimo I de’Medici and Eleanora da Toledo, both of whom were memorably painted by Bronzino. Francesco was a very different character from his energetic and charismatic father. Francesco’s short reign was characterised by his interest in architecture and painting, and his main court artist was Allori, although he also used Maso da San Friano (1531-1571) and Hans von Aachen (q.v.). Francesco was also painted by Bronzino when he was a boy (Florence, Uffizi) and possibly again as a young man with a light growth of moustache and beard (Florence, Museo Stibbert).

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