Portrait of a Woman, possibly Ginevra d'Antonio Lupari Gozzadini

Attributed to the Maestro delle Storie del Pane  (Italian (Emilian), active late 15th century)

Date:
1494?
Culture:
Italian, Emilia Romagna
Medium:
Tempera on wood
Dimensions:
Overall 19 3/4 x 14 5/8 in. (50.2 x 37.1 cm); painted surface 19 1/8 x 14 1/8 in. (48.6 x 35.9 cm)
Classification:
Paintings
Credit Line:
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number:
1975.1.96
  • Description

    From a pair of portraits of husband and wife, painted in celebration of betrothal or marriage, this panel represents a lady of the Gozzadini family of Bologna. To the right of her shoulder a maiden, eyes downcast, unknowingly attracts the attention of a unicorn, which represents the lover drawn to his chaste bride. The lady holds an apple or a peach, fruits that are common symbols of love and marriage. A pair of rabbits, representing fertility, feed in a small garden at the right. The frieze at the top bears the second half of a Latin inscription attesting to the couple's intentions in having their portraits painted: "In order that our features may survive."

  • Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

    Inscription: Inscribed (upper left, on building): . . . FORMA·SVPERSTES ( . . . features may survive)

  • Provenance

    Contessa Gozzadini, Bologna; Stefano Bardini, Florence; Bardini sale, Christie's, London, May 26-30, 1902, lot 600 (bt. Anderson); [Galerie Trotti, Paris, 1909]; Acquired by Philip Lehman from Trotti in October 1911.

150000086

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