\paperw4695 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 Italian painter.\par
Born in Florence in 1503, Agnolo entered the workshop of the painter Pontormo at a young age. His earliest known
works date from 1523-1525, when he frescoed two lunettes in the Galluzzo Charterhouse.\par
Summoned by the Montefeltro family, who ruled Urbino, he worked on the decoration of the Villa Imperiale in Pesaro in 1530. He also painted numerous portraits fo
r the Montefeltro, including one of Guidobaldo della Rovere (Florence, Uffizi). On his return to Florence in 1532, he continued to collaborate with Pontormo.\par
During this period, he launched his successful career as a portraitist, working chiefly for
the Florentine aristocracy.\par
Between 1540 and 1543 he was busy working on the decoration of the chapel of Grand Duchess Eleonora in Palazzo Vecchio. He painted the fresco the \i Crossing of the Red Sea \i0 on one of its walls between 1541 and 1542.
During that period he also painted several portraits of the grand duke and duchess and their children, such as the \i Portrait of Eleonora da Toledo with Her Son Giovanni\i0 (Florence, Uffizi), which dates around 1545.\par
In addition, he supplied cart
oons for the Medici tapestry factory. In 1548 the painter spent a brief period of time in Rome. Upon his return to Florence, he painted numerous portraits, including one of the poetess Laura Battiferri. He also painted many religious works for Florentine
churches, such as the \i Resurrection\i0 for the church of Santissima Annunziata and the fresco depicting the \i Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence\i0 in Santa Maria Novella. \par
An example of his mythological works character is the \i Allegory of Happines
