Cristofano Allori Facts for Kids

Detail of Holofernes' head from Judith with the Head of Holofernes, which some people think is a self-portrait of the artist.

Cristofano Allori (born October 17, 1577 – died April 1, 1621) was an Italian painter. He lived in Florence and was part of the late Florentine Mannerist art style. He mostly painted pictures of people (portraits) and religious scenes.

About Cristofano Allori
- Becoming a Court Painter
- His Most Famous Painting
Gallery
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About Cristofano Allori

Cristofano Allori was born in Florence, Italy. He first learned to paint from his father, Alessandro Allori. But Cristofano wasn't happy with his father's style. His father focused a lot on strict drawing of bodies and used cool, dull colors.

So, Cristofano joined the studio of Gregorio Pagani. Pagani was a leader of a new art group in Florence. This group wanted to mix the rich, bright colors of Venetian painters with Florence's careful drawing style. Allori also seemed to work with another artist named Cigoli.

Becoming a Court Painter

When he was still young, Cristofano became a painter for the powerful Medici family. They were very important rulers in Florence. He often painted copies of portraits made by an earlier artist, Bronzino. Sometimes, other artists helped him with these paintings.

Allori's paintings are known for looking very real, almost like photographs. They also show great skill and care in how they were made. He was so good that some copies he made of works by Correggio were thought to be original paintings by Correggio himself!

Cristofano was very particular about his work. This meant he didn't paint a huge number of pictures. You can see many of his paintings in Florence and other places today.

His Most Famous Painting

His most famous painting is called Judith with the Head of Holofernes. It was very popular when he was alive and still is today. Allori painted at least two versions of this artwork. One important version from 1613 is in the British Royal Collection.

Another well-known version from 1620 is in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Many copies of this painting were made by his studio and other artists. There's also a copy from 1613 in the Vatican Pinacoteca and one in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.

The story of the painting comes from the Book of Judith in the Bible. It tells how a brave woman named Judith saved her people. She tricked and then killed a powerful enemy general named Holofernes.

According to a biography written soon after Allori's time, the woman who modeled for Judith was someone he knew well, named "La Mazzafirra." The head of Holofernes in the painting is actually a self-portrait of Cristofano Allori himself! The maid in the painting was the mother of "La Mazzafirra."