An Unknown Man and Woman (once called Vasari and his Wife by Sophonisba Anguissola)
Italian (North Italian) School
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1500 - 1599
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1168 x 978 mm (46 x 38 1/2 in)
Place of origin
Italy
Order this imageCollection
Attingham Park, Shropshire
NT 609032
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, An Unknown Man and Woman (once called Vasari and his Wife by Sophonisba Anguissola), Northern Italian School, 16th century. A double portrait, the man is seated, three-quarter length at the left, wearing black and holding an open book in his right hand, his left hand holding the arm-rest of his chair; the woman, three-quarter length, is leaning over his shoulder, turned three-quarters to the left, wearing a pink and white striped dress and green cloak and holding a handkerchief in her left hand, the index finger of which has a ring.
Provenance
Attingham collection. 1847 Catalogue of Paintings, p.20; 1861 Inventory p.225; 1913 Inventory p.79; bequeathed to the National Trust with the estate, house and contents of Attingham by Thomas Henry Noel-Hill, 8th Baron Berwick (1877-1947) on 15th May 1953.
Credit line
Attingham Park, The Berwick Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
On reverse of canvas (top): Red wax customs seal of Venice (indecipherable), depicting a double-headed eagle with a shield bearing a castle superimposed (the achievement of Venice under Austro-Hungarian rule ?) and around the rim the remains of an inscription ...... di Vinezi On stretcher (top): Remnants of two printed labels On stretcher (top): No. 12 Drawing Room (in chalk, rubbed) ... Bombo On stretcher (left) : Lord Berwick xx3 On stretcher (bottom): Remnants of two labels over the corners On stretcher (bottom): ATT/P/096 On stretcher (right): 17 On reverse of frame (top): 17 On reverse of frame (bottom): ATT/P/096
Makers and roles
Italian (North Italian) School, artist Italian School, artist previously catalogued as by Sofonisba Anguissola (Cremona c.1532 - Palermo 1625), artist previously catalogued as attributed to Romanino (c.1484 - after 1562), artist style of Bartolomeo Veneto (fl.1502 - 1531), artist