Lavinia Fontana

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Lavinia Fontana

1552-1614

Portrait of a Bearded Man

Red and black chalk. Ruled border in pen and brown ink, laid down, simulated frame in pen and brown ink.

4 1/8 x 3 inches (105 x 77 mm)

Purchased by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1909.

IV, 158g

Notes:

One of 19 drawings in an album of portrait studies by Fontana (IV, 158a-s), including the artist's self-portrait (IV, 158). Album description: dark blue goatskin, tooled in gold, 14 3/4 x 11 1/4 inches (334 x 284 mm).
This drawing appears on folio 7. The collector's mark in the upper right corner (small figure of an angel?) has not yet been identified. The present drawing is the largest of the male portraits in the album. This, together with the increased amount of the subject's body shown, suggests a more important individual, or one of particular interest to Fontana. Cantaro has considered the present drawing in relation to Fontana's Portrait of a Venetian Magistrate of 1601, (Rome, private collection). Another identification considered by Cantaro is Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605), a Bolognese naturalist.

Inscription:

Inscribed in pen and brown ink at upper left, Ritrato di Lavinia / propria.

Provenance:

Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston (1739-1802), Broadlands, near Romsey, Hampshire, and London; his son, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (1784-1865), Broadlands and London; his widow, Mary (née Clavering), Lady Palmerston (d. 1869), Broadlands; her grandson, the Rt. Hon. Evelyn Ashley (1836-1907), Broadlands; his sale, London, Christie's, 24 April 1891, as lot 200, "A Volume of Portraits - in colours - by Lavinia Fontana" (bought by Murray for 4.17.6); Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919), London and Florence; from whom purchased through Galerie Alexandre Imbert, Rome, in 1909 by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), New York (no mark; see Lugt 1509); his son, J. P. Morgan, Jr. (1867-1943), New York.

Associated names:

Palmerston, Henry Temple, Viscount, 1739-1802, former owner.
Palmerston, Henry John Temple, Viscount, 1784-1865, former owner.
Palmerston, Emily Lamb, Viscountess, 1787-1869, former owner.
Ashley, Evelyn, 1836-1907, former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.
Morgan, J. P. (John Pierpont), 1867-1943, former owner.

Bibliography:

Cantaro, Maria Teresa, Lavinia Fontana, Bolognese: "Pittora Singolare" 1552-1614, Milan, 1989.

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