Giovanni maria butteri (florence, italy, 1540 - 1606) title: portrait of francesco i medium: oil on panel dimensions: without frame cm. 47.7 x 39 - with frame cm. 55.2 x 46.5 not signed expertise by carlo falciani, art historian fairs: the international biennial of antiques in florence 2024 (biaf, biennale internazionale dell’antiquariato di firenze) publications: from sacro to profano, the giorgio baratti art collection from milan, exhibition catalogue curated by daiva mitrulevičiūtė, giovanni matteo guidetti and ileana maniscalco, (16 february – 27 september 2020), vilnius, national museum - palace of the grand dukes of lithuania, pp. 566-569. this valuable portrait, by the painter giovanni maria butteri, an exponent of mannerism and active mainly in florence, portrays francesco i de' medici (1541 - 1587) eldest son of the grand duke of tuscany cosimo i (1519 - 1574). The painting depicts a young francesco i easily recognisable by his sharp features, beard and austere profile. The painting was probably executed in the early 1670s when the medici court called in the leading artists from florence to decorate the studiolo that francesco had wanted inside palazzo vecchio in florence. Giovanni maria butteri, was a pupil of alessandro allori (1535 - 1607), and among his early works were two panels for the studiolo of francesco i de' medici.