An Unknown Young Boy with his Dog (possibly a Medici Prince)
attributed to Tiberio Titi (Florence 1573 - Florence 1627)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1600 - 1629
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1403 x 1124 mm (55 1/4 x 44 1/4 in)
Place of origin
Florence
Order this imageCollection
Charlecote Park, Warwickshire
NT 533872
Caption
This painting came from the collection of Carlo Ludovico di Borbone, Duke of Lucca. His crown and cipher are stamped on the back of the canvas. It is not known who the sitter is, but has been suggested that he is a Medici Prince, because of the form of the helmet on the table to the left. Neither are we sure of the relevance of the Lilies of the Valley, also on the table. In religious painting they represented humility, but could also symbolise man’s desire to envisage a better world. Pentimenti (painted outlines which have been changed) show that the dog was originally depicted lying on the floor.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas in a carved giltwood frame, An Unknown Small Boy with his Dog (possibly a Medici Prince), attributed to Tiberio Titi (Florence 1573 - Florence 1627) (previously possibly Italian (Tuscan) School, early 17th century). From the collection of Carlo Ludovico di Borbone, Duke of Lucca. A full-length portrait of a young boy in an interior, with a red curtain to the right, on a rail, and with a table, covered in a crimson cloth on the left, on which he has placed his hand and an elaborate plumed and jewelled helmet, and a vase containing two lilies of the valley. His sword is at his left hip, he wears a black suit with gold braiding and buttons and embroidered sleeves and a small dog stands beside him on the right.(A pentiment of a dog lying on the floor can be seen.)
Provenance
On loan from Sir Edmund Fairfax-Lucy, 6th Bt (b. 1945).
Makers and roles
attributed to Tiberio Titi (Florence 1573 - Florence 1627), artist previously catalogued as possibly Italian (Tuscan) School, artist previously catalogued as by Diego Velázquez (Seville 1599 - Madrid 1660), artist possibly Sofonisba Anguissola (Cremona c.1532 - Palermo 1625), artist