Ecole française vers 1580

The painting is overall in good condition. the painting has been properly craddled, the panel is plane and has no slt or trace of slit. It is under an old, thick varnish and uniform but very dirty. There is a thin matter, delicate and transparent which let appear the under drawing. The black background is most probably completely repainted. Under UV light: The painting is under a green uniform varnish. There some traces of thin retouching in the body of the woman.
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Sabina Poppea est un sujet qui connut un réel succès au XVIe siècle et qui peut être apparenté aux multiples mentions de « Dames romaines » ou « Courtisanes romaines » que l’on retrouve dans les inventaires des XVIe et XVIIe siècles.  Ce sujet se rattache à l’iconographie des demi-figures du répertoire féminin de l’Ecole de Fontainebleau, notamment au célèbre tableau de Gabrielle d’Estrées et sa sœur conservé au Louvre.

Dans notre portrait, Sabina Poppea dont le regard chargé de malice défie le spectateur, feint la pudeur et révèle sa nudité sous un voile transparent. Cette œuvre est une des nombreuses variantes du célèbre portrait de l’Ecole de Fontainebleau conservé au Musée d’Art et d’histoire de Genève sur laquelle figure un cartouche portant l’inscription de Sabina Poppaea.

Selon les Annales XIII de Tacite, l’impératrice Poppée, épouse de Néron, éveillait la curiosité lors de ses apparitions en public avec un sourire légèrement ironique et enveloppée dans un voile transparent, appelé « gaze à la romaine », qui laissait apparaitre son corps. Le « gaze à la romaine » qui fut porté par les courtisanes du temps de Néron, nous mène directement aux thèmes chargés de symbolisme et de coquetterie que sont la « Dame à sa toilette » et la « Dame au bain », certes tirés de la mythologie mais transformés en véritables prétextes de scènes de genres par l’Ecole de Fontainebleau.
Sabina Poppea qui fut traité vers la seconde moitié du XVIe siècle est directement inspiré du thème de la courtisane. L’identification du modèle consacré a suscité plusieurs théories, toutefois, il s’agit probablement du portrait idéalisé de Diane de Poitiers  peinte en courtisane romaine, selon les études réalisées sur le tableau conservé au Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève.

Sabina Poppea was a frequently depicted subject in 16th century French art; her popularity is attested by the various mentions of “Dame Romaine” and “Courtisane Romaine” in 16th and 17th century inventories. This subject matter, whose origin has raised various interpretations, iconographically relates to the innovative half-length female nudes of the Fontainebleau school’s repertoire, notably the illustrious Double Portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées and one of her sisters in the Musée du Louvre.

In our present work, Sabina Poppea maliciously challenges the onlooker with her defiant look as she feigns timidity and reveals her naked body under a transparent veil, the “Roman gauze”. This painting is a version with differences, of the original Fontainebleau school portrait in which our sitter stands before a cartouche bearing the inscription Sabina Poppaea now in the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire of Geneva (see ill.below).  According to the Annales XIII of Tacitus, Nero’s spouse, the Empress Poppea, aroused curiosity during public processions by wrapping herself in a transparent veil, baring her body and slightly ironic smile. The nudity and mischievous symbolism provided by the Roman gauze, which was customarily worn by courtesans in Nero’s time rather than empresses, directly relate to the Fontainebleau school’s coquetry themes such as “Dame à sa toilette” and “Dame au bain” which although initially drawn from mythology have become real ruses for depicting female nude scenes by the artists of this school.

The portrait of Sabina Poppea which was treated during the second half of the 16^th century is directly inspired by elements borrowed from the highly sensual courtesan theme. Nevertheless, the identification of the sitter has provoked much debate.  According to studies conducted by the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire of Geneva on the on the original version, the painting is most likely an ideal portrait of Diane de Poitiers depicted as a Roman courtesan.