This fascinating and enigmatic portrait dates to around the last decade of the 16th century. It arose from the hand of an artist active in the ambit of the young Caravaggio, who, during this period, was active in Rome and worked in several artists workshops, including those of Antiveduto Grammatica, the Cavaliere d’Arpino and Lorenzo Carli. Historically, this painting bore the name of Caravaggio for a good portion of the early 20th century, having first been proposed by Herman Voss in 1927, a few years after it appeared on the market as Sofonisba Anguissola. Voss, who was then director at the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin, drew notable similarities between the present canvas and Caravaggio’s Portrait of Fillide Melandrone (circa 1598) that was in his museum’s collection at the time but destroyed in 1944 during the war (fig. 1). Prior the San Diego Museum's acquisition of the present portrait in 1942, Voss’ attribution to Caravaggio found support also amongst Lionello Venturi, Giuseppe Fiocco, Frederick Mason Perkins, Adolfo Venturi and Amadore Porcella.¹ Roberto Longhi was one of the earliest voices to reject an attribution to Caravaggio in 1943, preferring instead Ottavio Leoni. In 1981, Maurizio Marini reintroduced support for this painting's attribution to Caravaggio in his reevaluation of the artist's early career, particularly his activity as a portraitist. More recently, in 2016, Franco Moro reinstated an attribution to the young Caravaggio.

Indeed, there are elements within this portrait that are consistent with other examples that arose from Caravaggio’s early career from about 1594-1595, for example in the arched eyebrows that define the sitter’s expression and the way in which the highlights distinctly model her face. Other elements, such as the costume, do not match the high quality of the face, and the slight discrepancy in quality suggests the possibility of two hands, an idea first introduced by Marciari in 2015.

Other art historians have proposed alternate attributions for the artist responsible for this portrait. In addition to the suggestion that it could be by Scipione Pulzone, there has also been strong support for an attribution to Ottavio Leoni, datable to just after the turn of the seventeenth century. This idea was first proposed by Longhi in 1943 and has been firmly endorsed by Francesco Solinas and Yuri Primarosa. In his recent catalogue raisonné on Leoni, Primarosa dates this portrait to circa 1603-1605 and draws distinct comparisons between it and another autograph painting by the artist called the Woman of the Minerva² as well as a few drawings by the artist.³

While consensus on the present attribution may not yet be universal, what is certain is that the artist reused a canvas, a common practice in Rome during this period. As confirmed by modern technical imaging, including X-Radiography (fig. 2), visible beneath the painted surface are head studies and at least two gesturing hands. When the canvas is turned 180 degrees, three studies of male portraits can be seen, with the central study appearing most complete and leaving the strongest impression. While the attribution of the painting beneath the portrait also remains a mystery, it is consistent with other male portraits that arose in Rome during this period, including, but not limited to, artists such as Pulzone.

The sitter in this portrait is composed and assured, shown almost at three-quarter length. Her elegant attire affirms not only her elevated station within society, but it also helps to further place this painting towards the end of the sixteenth century in Rome. Her somewhat unusual costume, particularly the black sleeves with lace edging, was a fashion trend during this period in that city. Her rich red bodice is embroidered with delicate gold thread, and serves to contrast a delicate organza stole around her neckline. She has been adorned with various pieces of jewelry, and in addition to the rings on her fingers, and the exquisite pins in her hair, she dons a rare necklace made of garnet, gold, and black pearl, and draped over her shoulder is a gold necklace made of eight delicate gold chains worn as a bandoulière.

We are incredibly grateful to the many scholars consulted for the cataloguing of this entry.

1. Marciari 2016, p. 190, note. 4.

2. Primarosa 2017, cat. no. 18.

3. Primarosa 2017, cats. no. 208 and 397.