A lost work by the Renaissance’s most renowned female artist has been discovered on a North Carolina property.
The history of Portrait of a Canon Regular It begins in 1920, when it was photographed in black and white before disappearing from all records.
104 years later, art historian Michael Cole gave a lecture on the noted portrait painter Sofonisba Anguissola of Cremona, and posted it on YouTube. In Durham, North Carolina, a couple of art collectors happened to see the conference, which made them think they might have a work by Anguissola.
They contacted Cole and invited the historian to Durham to examine the piece, and there he confirmed that it was the Portrait of a Canon Regulara painting painted by Anguissola at age 20, showing a priest preaching a sermon from the Gospel according to Saint John. A spectral eagle with a halo, the avatar of Saint John, is seen over the figure’s right shoulder.
If the reader has never heard of Sofonisba Anguissola, please allow a brief interruption by Mr. Giorgio Vasari, a 16th century Renaissance artist and biographer.
“[Anguissola] she worked with deeper study and greater grace than any woman of our time on design problems. For not only did he learn to draw, paint and copy from nature, and to reproduce with great skill the works of other artists, but on his own he has painted some very rare and beautiful pictures.”
A lady of noble birth from Cremona, in northern Italy, Anguissola was encouraged to take painting and drawing lessons as a child by her father. After a brief debut painting particularly realistic portraits in Italy, she received a commission to become lady-in-waiting to the Queen of Spain, Isabel.
At the Spanish court he would produce dozens of portraits of the royal family while teaching royal children the arts. An iconic representation of Philip II, which hangs in the Prado Museum, was created under his brush.
MORE LOST WORKS OF ART: 17th-century Dutch painting rescued from dusty Connecticut attic sells for $7 million
She eventually married the brother of the Viceroy of Sicily, Orazio Lomellino, who loved her deeply all her life. Moving to that same island, he lived to the incredible age of 93, leaving Orazio a widower. He ordered this inscription to be carved on his tomb.
To Sofonisba, my wife, who is registered among the illustrious women of the world, outstanding in portraying the images of man. Orazio Lomellino, in sadness for the loss of his great love, in 1632, dedicated this small tribute to a great woman.
Portrait of a Canon Regularpainted by teacher In 1552, it was exhibited at The Winter Show, an art fair held at the Park Avenue Armory on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where it was on sale for half a million dollars.
WOMEN OF HISTORY: Metal detectorist stumbles upon 1,200-year-old tombs of stunning Viking women
Anguissola was particularly limited in her creativity after assuming the role at the Spanish court. Each portrait had to be of the same style, and in this way the works he completed before moving to Madrid are especially valued.
Not only the Portrait of a Canon Regular meets that criteria, but is one of only 20 Anguissola canvases that bear his signature.
Leave a Reply