Agnolo Bronzino
García de’Medici (1547–1562) was the third son of Cosimo de’Medici and Leonor de Toledo. Little García is seen here primarily as an heir to the dukedom of Tuscany and for this reason the artist omits any expression or gesture that may encourage us to see a child. His status is reflected in his sumptuous red silk and gold jacket, richly adorned at the neck and wrists with pearl-sewn embroidery. This jewel was an amulet intended to ward off the evil eye. Amulets with harpies or mermaids were used by Neapolitan women for protection during pregnancy, and it may thus have been given to García by his mother, Leonor, or by his grandfather, Pedro de Toledo, Viceroy of Naples. In his other hand the child holds a recently opened orange blossom, a symbol of the purity and innocence characteristic of his age.
15-year-old García died of malaria along with his mother while traveling to Pisa, a few days after his brother, Cardinal Giovanni, also died of the disease.
P.S. Bronzino portraited little García several times, he also painted his mother, Leonor de Toledo. She's among a few other powerful and beautiful Renaissance women perpetuated by Bronzino, meet them here. <3