ALLORI, ALESSANDRO
(1535?1607), Italian painter of the
Florentine school, was brought up and trained in art by his uncle,
Angelo Bronzino
(
q.v.
) whose name he sometimes assumed in
his pictures. Visiting Rome in his nineteenth year, he carefully
studied the works of Michelangelo; but the influence of that
great master can only be traced in the anatomical correctness
of his drawing of nude figures. He was successful as a portrait
painter. His son
Cristofano Allori
(1577?1621), born at
Florence, received his first lessons in painting from his father,
but becoming dissatisfied with the hard anatomical drawing and
cold colouring of the latter, he entered the studio of Gregorio
Pagani (1558?1605) who was one of the leaders of that later
Florentine school which endeavoured to unite the rich colouring
of the Venetians with the correct drawing of Michelangelo’s
disciples. Allori became one of the foremost of this school.
His pictures are distinguished by their close adherence to nature
and the delicacy and technical perfection of their execution.
His technical skill is proved by the fact that several copies he
made after Correggio have been taken to be duplicates by
Correggio himself. His extreme fastidiousness limited his power
of production, though the number of his works is not so small
as is sometimes asserted. Several specimens are to be seen at
Florence and elsewhere. The finest of all his works is his “Judith
and Holofernes,” in the Pitti Palace. The model for the Judith
was his mistress, the beautiful Mazzafirra, who is also represented
in his Magdalene; and the head of Holofernes is generally
supposed to represent himself.