Studio of Alessandro Allori Florence 1535 - 1607

Lord Chandos, Stowe, near Buckingham;
Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby-Parke-Bernet, 12 January 1979, lot 132 (as 'School of Agnolo Bronzino, Portrait of a lady said to be Eleanora of Toledo').

The painting is warmer and more colourful than it appears in the catalogue illustration. The thick panel support is uncradled but is held by a vertical baton on the reverse. An old horizontal crack runs across her hairline, approx. 7cm. from the top edge, and this is probably why the baton was attached. There are old wormholes on the reverse of the panel but woodworm is no longer 'live'. The painting has been cleaned relatively recently to reveal the intricate detail of the sitter's jewelry, collar and costume. The varnish is clear and even. There is a fine craquelure pattern, most visible on the flesh tones and lighter areas. Inspection under ultra-violet light reveals only minor retouchings in the background, more concentrated around the edges; a few spots on her face and chest (though these are minimal); minor strengthening to her pearl necklace; and a band of restoration along the edge lower centre across her hand, where there is also a paint loss of 0.5 by 1.5 cm. (see illustration). The varnish flouresces under ultra-violet light but there do not appear to be significant areas of restoration and apart from the retouchings mentioned above the painting is in good condition. This lot is offered in a modern wood frame, painted brick-red and gold, 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."

The sitter is believed to be Camilla Martelli (1545-1590), second wife of Cosimo I de' Medici by whom she had a daughter, Virginia, in 1568. Her appearance is not well documented but is known through an engraving of 1761 by Philip Morgan, based on a design by Giuseppe Zocchi and inscribed with the sitter's identity (see K. Langedijk, The Portraits of the Medici 15th-18th Centuries, Florence 1981, vol. I, p. 328, no. 13,1, reproduced). The sitter in the present painting resembles the woman represented in a group of portraits which are said to show Eleonora (or Dianora), niece of Eleonora di Toledo and wife of Pietro di Cosimo I. It is most closely related to a bust-length portrait from Allori's workshop, in which the sitter has a different costume but wears the same jewelled gold chain, in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (inv. no. 37.1112; reproduced in Langedijk, op. cit., p. 709, no. 36,1). A third portrait, in which the sitter's identity is inscribed as Eleonora, is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. 4440; Langedijk, ibid., p. 711, no. 36,5, reproduced).

This painting is accompanied by a letter, dated 26 February 2005, in which Dott.ssa Simona Lecchini Giovannoni ascribes the painting to Alessandro Allori and his workshop. Dott.ssa Lecchini Giovannoni identifies the present sitter as Camilla Martelli on the basis of the elaborate jewelled necklace she wears. Its appearance matches the description of a collare or cinta listed in the inventory of Camilla's jewellery, drawn up after Cosimo's death in 1574. Relegated to the convent of Santa Maria delle Murate after Cosimo's death, Camilla apparently gave the necklace to her daughter Virginia on the occasion of the latter's marriage to Cesare d'Este in 1587: indeed Virginia is shown wearing the same collare in a portrait by Jacopo Ligozzi (reproduced in I gioielli dei Medici dal vero e in ritratto, exhibition catalogue, Florence, 12 September 2003 - 2 February 2004, p. 73).

A label on the reverse of the panel states that the painting was from the Ducal Estate of Lord Chandos of Stowe, near Buckingham; a provenance also listed in the 1979 sale catalogue (see under Provenance). The painting was apparently sold by order of the Baroness Kinloss and Trustees of the late Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, although it does not appear to have been included in the House sale held on 4-15 July 1848.