These two state portraits were painted in florence around the middle of the 17th century. Stylistically, they are close to the work of the flemish painter justus sustermans (1597-1681), who trained first under willem de vos in antwerp and then in the workshop of frans pourbus the younger in paris. In 1620, at the urging of the medici, sustermans moved to florence and from then on was active as a portraitist of the ruling family and other members of the court. The artist was especially fond of vittoria della rovere, who commissioned numerous paintings from him to decorate her favorite residence, the villa del poggio imperiale. The grand duke of tuscany ferdinando ii de' medici (1610-1670) is depicted wearing a sumptuous black velvet suit with white lace cuffs and white lace collar. Around his neck he wears the eight-pointed red cross of the order of st. Stephen, founded in 1562 at the behest of cosimo i. Next to him are the grand ducal scepter and the ducal crown, recognizable by the prongs and the pearl and gemstone trim. Object Type: painting. Date: between 1637 and 1640. Dimensions: height: 203 cm (79.9 in); width: 121.5 cm (47.8 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Unidentified location. After Sustermans - Ferdinando II de' Medici, full length
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