Portrait of Laura Battiferri – Bronzino

In addition to being a painter, Bronzino was also a poet, and his most personal portraits are those of other literary figures such as that of his friend the poet Laura Battiferri.

Vocal – Judy Kuhn

Guitar, mandolin – Ted Stafford

Bass – George Rush

Drums – Mark Brotter

Trumpets – Jim Hynes

Violins – Cenovia Cummins, Rachel Handman

Viola – Hiroko Taguchi

Cello – Kate Spingarn

Synth programming – Kris Kusnierz, Mel Marvin, Greg Pliska

Strings and trumpet arranged by Greg Pliska and Mel Marvin

You painted my portrait,

My forehead, my nose,

In shades of black and white,

You painted my clothes.

But a slit at my waist,

A hint of a rose.

Secrets of color,

Nobody knows.

You painted my portrait,

My necklace, my lace,

In shades of black and white

You painted my face.

But your brush found a sunrise

Under my clothes.

Rainbows of color,

Nobody knows.

Inside fire,

Outside ice,

Sprinkled with sonnets,

Sugared with free advice,

Life in a bubble, virtue and vice,

Inside fire,

Outside ice.

You painted their portraits,

Their gowns and their masks,

You wrote me in black and white,

With answers unasked.

I sent you my verses,

Too private for prose.

Couplets of color,

Nobody knows.

Inside fire,

Outside ice,

Poisoned with poetry,

Strangled with a man’s advice,

Drowning in bubbles,

My virtue, your vice,

Inside fire,

Outside ice.

Inside fire,

Outside ice,

Sprinkled with sonnets,

Sugared with free advice,

Life in a bubble, virtue and vice,

Inside fire,

Outside ice.