SUSTRIS, Friedrich
(b. ca. 1540, Venezia, d. 1599, München)

Birth of a Child

1563-67
Oil on canvas, 76 x 97 cm
Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence

The painting's unspecific title probably derives from an inventory. Sustris was famous for mythological and historical scenes in a late Mannerist style, especially visible in elongated bodies and almost precious draftsmanship. He was also a renowned designer, who obviously delighted in decorative details such as the ewer on the left, the table legs, and the figures adorning the bedstead.