Elisabetta Sirani

Barone Franco della Gulfa;
His sale, Rome, Casa d'Aste Sanpaolo, 26 March 1985, where acquired by the present owner.

G. Manni et al., Arte Emiliana, dalle raccolte storiche al nuovo collezionismo, Modena 1989, p. 108, cat. no. 76, reproduced in colour p. 108;
F. Frisoni in La Scuola di Guido Reni, M. Pirondini and E. Negro (eds), Modena 1992, pp. 344, 347, reproduced in colour p. 353;
A. Modesti, Elisabetta Sirani, una virtuosa del Seicento Bolognese, Bologna 2004, p. 18 and p. 37 under note 63, reproduced in colour p. 18, fig. 6;
C. Steffan, 'Di Trionfo in trionfo: Indizi sull'immaginario iconografico del primo oratorio händeliano', in G. F. Händel: Aufbruch nach Italien, H. Geyer and B. J. Wertenson (eds), Rome 2013, pp. 285–302, reproduced fig. 6.

The canvas has a firm and effective relining. The paint surface is stable and there are no major damages visible to the naked eye. The varnish is discoloured and there is some surface dirt and tiny accretions. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a very patchy varnish and scattered strengthenings and retouchings throughout - particularly in the dark tones of the shadows and background. There is a horizontal well-restored old tear, 6 inches in length, in the fabric below the still life at the lower right corner, and some small repaired damages in the upper torso of the child. There is a small restored old damage above the head of Time, and some strengthenings throughout the shadows at the left of his torso; the faces of all three figures have relatively little intervention and appear to be in good condition. This lot is offered in a carved and gilt wood frame in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In her short lifetime, Elisabetta Sirani enjoyed enormous success, forging a prolific career as a painter and draftsman and becoming one of the the most celebrated Bolognese artists of the mid-seventeenth century. She likely received her initial training from her father, Giovanni Andrea Sirani, who was principal assistant in the workshop of Guido Reni. By the age of twenty, however, she was head of her own workshop and was later the first woman to found an academy of design for female artists.¹  

The figure of Beauty in this painting appears to be an idealised self-portrait of the artist. In a lively self-portrait sketch, now in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Elisabetta depicted herself with a neat mouth and large eyes, meeting closely at the bridge of an elegant, long nose; the physiognomy is certainly comparable to that of this female nude.² As a lady of social rank and commercial success, Elisabetta became a recognizable figure and was renowned for her beauty. She used her looks and status to her advantage, both posing for her father and inserting her image into her own paintings. She appears as a seductive heroine in numerous historical and mythological paintings, including Giovanni Andrea's Venus and Cupid in the collection of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, Bologna, and her own Self-Portrait as an Allegory of Painting, in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow.³ 

1. Modesti 2004, p. 11.
2. Modesti 2004, pp. 17–18, reproduced fig. 5.
3. Modesti 2004, reproduced p. 19, fig. 7 and p. 15, fig. 3 respectively.