Portrait of a noblewoman with book

Venetian school, late 16th century

Technique: Oil on canvas

Size: 88 x 73 cm./ (framed)109 x 95 cm.

The valuable painting, depicting a beautifully dressed young gentlewoman holding a small book, reflects the dictates typical of the Venetian High Renaissance, which, thanks to the figures of Giorgione, Veronese and Titian, made Venice flourish as one of the most important Italian cities.

The work fits easily into the Venetian taste, and it is especially Titian's influence that is predominant: the framing, with the rectangular window open to the landscape and the young noblewoman portrayed in three-quarter view, as well as the female prototype portrayed, dreamy but with character (see for instance Titian's Red Sultana, from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota), is here assimilated and masterfully resolved.

Given this, and given the extraordinary quality and stylistic taste of our beautiful lady, we are inclined to attribute it to the Venetian painter Parrasio Micheli (Venice, c. 1516 - 1578).

Known for his skills as a portrait painter, he was deeply influenced by Titian, whose pupil he was,

and Paolo Veronese, whose light, luminous colouring he adopted. The sensuality of the colours, the veiling of the complexion, the brocade of the veil masterfully resolved between the pearls of the headdress, as well as the wide sleeves that uncover the arms, are elements that stand out in many of his works.

This canvas bears remarkable similarities to Micheli's 'A Young Woman Playing the Lute' (now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: https://emuseum.mfah.org/people/7431/parrasio-micheli), painted in the last third of the 16th century. The almond-shaped black eyes, the finely outlined carmine lip, the turgidity of the complexions, the curled hair tied up in the same way with strings of pearls, the position of the fingers of the right hand delicately holding the book (in the painting in comparison they pluck the strings of the lute instead), the curtain behind her with the opening to a landscape, all appear similar.

Equal in quality to other works with the same subject such as the famous depictions in the Colonna Gallery in Rome and the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, but also the 'Portrait of a noblewoman' in the Gallery of Palazzo Rosso in Genoa (https://www.museidigenova.it/it/ritratto-di-dama).

In addition to these, we can mention some works that have appeared on the antiques market, such as:

- Lady with Parrot, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille (France): https://agorha.inha.fr/ark:/54721/1bfa0510-5053-44a3-a5e7-6059bbb68dbd

- Gentlewoman with lute https://drouot.com/it/l/20455723-scuola-veneziana-fine-del-xvi

- Portrait of a Venetian Courtesan, Hampel Fine Art Munich 24.09.2015 https://www.hampel-auctions.com/a/archive-catalogue-detail.html?la=it&a=102&s=463&id=529....

- Lute Player Friday, Hampel Fine Art Monac 3.42020 https://www.hampel-auctions.com/archive-catalogue-detail.php?a=122&s=-1&id=559647&kid=10....

The painting possesses an irresistible charm due to its very vivid colours and the voluptuous beauty of the lady, her jewellery and clothes. The portrait reflects the opulence and fashionable lifestyle of Venetian aristocratic society and yet is rendered in a very simple, charming and decorative style.

The seduction of the woman is barely hinted at (unlike other female portraits by the artist, in which he sought a more overt eroticism), and this characteristic is also reflected in the female ideal depicted here.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an antique gilded wooden frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

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