Furini was a painter of biblical, allegorical and mythological set-pieces with a strong use of the
sfumato technique. His work reflects the tension between the
Mannerist style of Florence and the new
Baroque style. In the 1630s his style was similar to that of
Guido Reni. An important early work,
Hylas and the Nymphs (1630), features six female nudes that attest to the importance Furini placed upon drawing from life. Freedberg describes Furini's style as filled with "morbid sensuality". His frequent use of disrobed females is discordant with his excessive religious sentimentality while his polished stylization and poses are at odds with his aim of expressing highly emotional states. His stylistic choices did not go unnoticed by more puritanical contemporary biographers like
Baldinucci.
Ferdinando II de' Medici commissioned him to paint frescoes in
Palazzo Pitti which he completed between 1639 and 1642. Furini frescoed two large lunettes depicting the
Platonic Academy of Careggi and the
Allegory of the Death of Lorenzo the Magnificent, which are at odds with the style of his canvases. The frescoes can be seen as a response to
Pietro da Cortona, who was at work in the palazzo during these years.
Simone Pignoni was influenced by Furini's sensual style. ==Legacy==