, called Bronzing, an eminent painter, was born at Florence in 1535,
, called Bronzing, an eminent
painter, was born at Florence in 1535, and was the disciple
of Agnolo Bronzino, likewise a distinguished painter, who
educated him with all the tenderness of a parent, Allori
having been deprived of his own father, when he was but
five years old. He was very studious, and applied himself
diligently, not only to imitate the manner of his master,
but the different manners of those masters who were in the
greatest reputation. When he commenced painter, his
first work was a crucifixion, intended for an altar-piece,
which was much praised, but his success in portrait-painting induced him to employ a great deal of his time in that
branch. Michael Angelo was the master whose works he
studied with the greatest attention, and he designed a picture of the Last Judgment, after the manner of that great
genius, which is preserved at Rome, and will perpetuate
the honour of Allori. He died in 1607, aged 72. It is
said that he wrote some burlesque poems, and a dialogue
on Design. The existence of this last is denied by his
French biographer, but we find its title in Haym’s Biblioteca Italiana, “Dialogo di Alessandro Allori pittore Florentine sopra l'arte del disegnare le figure principiando da
Muscoli, Ossa, Nervi, Vene, Membra, Notomia, e figura
perfetta,
” Florence,