Eleonora di Toledo

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, 2019

The sitter in this portrait, Eleanor of Toledo (1522 – 1562), was the daughter of Don Pedro de Toledo, Marqués de Villafrance and Viceroy of Napels. Her marriage to Cosimo I de Medici brought her husband much wealth and strengthened his political position in Florence. However, her position far exceeded the role of wife and child bearer. She ruled Tuscany as regent during her husband’s frequent absences and would advise him on many policies. As such, she has been identified as the first modern ‘first lady.’

This portrait by the studio of Bronzino depicts Eleanor as the perfect Renaissance woman, dressed in the finest silks and pearls. The painting is based on an earlier portrait in the Uffizi. However the inclusion of the urn and inscriptions above suggest that this portrait, unlike the Uffizi version, was painted after Eleanor’s death.