(Antwerp 1597–1681 Florence)
Portrait of Grand Duke Ferdinand II de’ Medici of Tuscany wearing the robes of the Order of Saint Stephen oil on canvas, 74.5 x 59.5 cm, framed

Justus Sustermans was appointed court painter to the house of Medici upon the ascension of Ferdinand II to the throne in 1621, a position which he held until his death in 1681. It is remarkable that his very personal style, influenced by the Antwerp School as well as by the Venetian, was to be responsible for the public image of the Medici dynasty for a period of sixty years, longer than most other similar patronages. This portrait of the young ruler appears very simply arranged, almost modern in scale and composition, yet it conveys a great naturalism and austerity. In order to keep up with the constant flow of private and grand ducal commissions, Sustermans had to keep a large studio which, under his guidance and occasional intervention was responsible for duplicating the portraits most in demand. Several variants from the studio of this unusual image of the young Grand duke exist, the prime version is believed to be the one in the Galleria Rizzi in Sestri Levante. It can be dated to circa 1635 and shows Ferdinand at the age of 25.

He was one of the most popular rulers of Florence. When his father, who had been a very promising figure, died unexpectedly at the young age of only 31, Ferdinand was only eleven years old, so that his mother, Archduchess Maria Magdalene of Austria, and his grandmother Christine of Lothringen ruled as regents assisted by a regency council. Ferdinand’s personal rule began in 1628. When a plague swept through Florence in 1630, and took more than ten percent of the population, he gained great popularity, as he, unlike the Tuscan nobility and almost the whole court, stayed in the city to try to ameliorate the general suffering. Ferdinand was also responsible for the last military triumph of the duchy when during the wars of Castro he inflicted a decisive defeat on the forces of Pope Urban VIII in 1643. From his marriage with Vittoria della Rovere, a granddaughter of the then incumbent Duke of Urbino, he had two children: Cosimo, born in 1642, and Francesco Maria de‘ Medici, born in 1660. Grand Duke Ferdinando was obsessed with new technology, and had several hygrometers, barometers, thermometers, and telescopes installed in the Pitti. In 1657, Leopoldo de‘ Medici, the Grand Duke’s youngest brother, established the Accademia del Cimento. It was set up to attract scientists from all over Tuscany to Florence for mutual study.

Justus Sustermans was appointed court painter to the house of Medici upon the ascension of Ferdinand II. to the throne in 1621, a position which he held until his death in 1681. It is remarkable that his very personal style, influenced by the Antwerp School as well as by the Venetian, was to be responsible for the public image of the Medici dynasty for a period of sixty years, longer than most other similar patronages. This portrait of the young ruler appears very simply arranged, almost modern in scale and composition, yet it conveys a great naturalism and austerity. In order to keep up with the constant flow of private and grand ducal commissions, Sustermans had to keep a large studio which, under his guidance and occasional intervention was responsible for duplicating the portraits most in demand. Several variants from the studio of this unusual image of the young Grand duke exist, the prime version is believed to be the one in the Galleria Rizzi in Sestri Levante. It can be dated to ca. 1635 and shows Ferdinand at the age of 25.

He was one of the most popular rulers of Florence. When his father, who had been a very promising figure, died unexpectedly at the young age of only 31, Ferdinand was only eleven years old, so that his mother, Archduchess Maria Magdalene of Austria and his grandmother Christine of Lothringen ruled as regents assisted by a regency council. Ferdinand’s personal rule began in 1628. When a plague swept through Florence in 1630, and took more than ten percent of the population, he gained great popularity, as he, unlike the Tuscan nobility and almost the whole court, stayed in the city to try to ameliorate the general suffering. Ferdinand was also responsible for the last military triumph of the duchy when during the wars of Castro he inflicted a decisive defeat on the forces of Pope Urban VIII in 1643. From his marriage with Vittoria della Rovere, a granddaughter of the then incumbent Duke of Urbino, he had two children: Cosimo, born in 1642, and Francesco Maria de‘ Medici, born in 1660. Grand Duke Ferdinando was obsessed with new technology, and had several hygrometers, barometers, thermometers, and telescopes installed in the Pitti. In 1657, Leopoldo de‘ Medici, the Grand Duke’s youngest brother, established the Accademia del Cimento. It was set up to attract scientists from all over Tuscany to Florence for mutual study.