Ferdinando I de’Medici (1549–1609). Younger son of Cosimo I and Eleonora di Toledo. Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587. Contributed to Henri IV’s ascension to the French throne; he strengthened relations with Austria and helped them drive away the Turks. His reign led to the economic flourishing of Tuscany. An outstanding patron of architecture, the visual arts and music.

The sculpture, which in earlier literature was defined as an image of an unidentified male from the de’Medici family, was identified by Przemysław Mrozowski as a portrait of the Grand Duke Ferdinando I (Mrozowski 1998, p. 28). This identification is highly likely when comparing the bust to other certain portraits of Ferdinando I, e.g. the bust by Domenico Poggini (Galleria degli Uffizi) or full figures by Giovanni Bandini in Livorno and Giambologna in Florence. The identification of the model also allows a more precise dating of the sculpture, earlier considered to have been made in the last quarter of the 16th century. Taking into account the model’s youthful appearance, around twenty years of age, it can be assumed the bust was made c. 1570.
[Artur Badach]