Pygmalion1.0007_Pontormo

Pygmalion1.0007_Pontormo

Jacopo da Pontormo, 1494-1556, "Pygmalion and Galatea," oil on wood, 1529/30, Florence, Uffizi

or (nb: note in right sidebar)—— Agnolo Bronzino, 1503-1572, "Pygmalion and Galatea," oil on wood, c. 1529-30, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.
virtual visit to Pontormo Room, Uffizzi (where label attributes to Bronzino).

Reid cites for Bronzino: Edi Baccheschi, L'opera completa del Bronzino, Classici dell'arte, 70 (Milan: Rizzoli, 1973), no. 11; C. McCorquodale, Bronzino (New York: Harper & Row, 1981) fig. 33; Andrée de Bosque, Mythologie et manierisme aux Pays-Bays, 1570-1630 (Antwerp: Fonds Mercator, 1985) pp. 28;

for Pontormo, Reid cites B. Berenson, Italian Pictures of the Renaissance: Florentine School, rev. ed. 2 vols (London: Phaidon, 1963) p. 182.

Martin cites for Pontormo attribution: A. Blühm, Pygmalion: die Ikonographie eines Künstlermythos zwischen 1500 - 1900 (Frankfurt am Main, 1988), 34-44; cf. Martin's fig. 2 on p.579.

Pontormo, Pygmalion

(Moog-Gruenewald s.v. "Pygmalion" 584) Blühm argues that Pontormo's usage of Pygmalion engages the Paragone debate — which art is superior for achieving natural realism, sculpture or painting? — and demonstrates the superiority of painting here. (Summarized in Martin MOOG p. 580.)

Blühm also summarizes the disputed attribution to either Pontormo or to Bronzino in his monograph: Vasari 6.1881.275 introduced confusion but dated it to 1529/30: Ritrasse (Pontormo) similmente, nel tempo dell'assedio di Fiorenza, Francesco Guardi in abito di soldato, che fu opera bellissima: e nel coperchio poi di questio quadro dipinse Bronzino, Pigmalione che fa orazione a Venere [sic!], perché la sua statua, ricevendo lo spirito, s'avviva e divegna (come fece, secondo le favoe di poeti) di carne e d'ossa." Blühm: "Keine Einigung besteht in der Zuschreibung des Gemäldes bzw. seiner Aufteilung an Pontormo und Bronzino. ... Die schwierige Unterscheidbarkeit der Werke Pontormos mit denen des jungen Bronzino ist schon von Vasari selbst beschrieben worden." — Blühm, Pygmalion: die Ikonographie eines Künstlermythos zwischen 1500 und 1900 (Frankfurt: Lang, 1988), 174.