Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici as Orpheus

Bronzino portrays Cosimo I de' Medici, Duke of Florence, in the guise of Orpheus, the legendary musician from Greek mythology. The duke holds a lyre, linking his rule to the civilizing power of music and poetry, while demonstrating the allegorical portraiture favored by Medici court artists.

The painting served political purposes, presenting Cosimo as a cultured ruler who brought harmony to Florence. It's now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.