FERRUCCI, Francesco
(active 1589-1612 in Florence)

Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici

1598
Polychrome stone inlay, 50 x 65 cm
Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence

The workshop specialized in making semiprecious stone inlays was founded in 1588 by Ferdinando I de' Medici, and from the start specialized in producing elaborate creations through the combination of various pieces of stone as if in a sort of puzzle. The resulting objects may almost be considered paintings made of stone, using a technique capable of rendering a great variety of themes, including portraits of important people.