Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time (The Exposure of Luxury)
Agnolo di Cosmo (Bronzino)
1546
Oil on wood
National Gallery, London
Agonolo di Cosmo (1503-1572), referred to by the name Bronzino was a Florentine portrait painter. Based in Florence he often painted portraits and mythological scenes of figures and symbolism.
Bronzino painted in a Mannerist style. The characteristics of the style placed a lot of emphasis on being stylish, cultured, and elegant. His paintings, like The Exposure of Luxury, often are filled with symbolism and include acute attention to detail of the heads, hands, and feet. These are considered as evidence of artistic skill in the Mannerist style.