MORE PORTRAIT CLOSEUPS
Seems it's my destiny to be the only one awake around here... Which means more Bronzino beauties! This time Bronzino's portrait of young Eleonora di Toledo, painted ca. 1543 (some place it a bit earlier), today in Prague.
The partlet. Seems like it's made of a "bowed" gold thread of some sort, with a blue (silk?) core. The blue is also used for tieing the front, if desireable. Pearls are placed on top, at every point where the braid/trim cross eachother.
A gold embroidered chemise peaks out from the partlet. Gold is repeated in the beautiful and ornamental trims (embroidery, entwined gold threads or cut-out trims?) adorning the bodice and sleeves (and probably also skirt). There are "snipped" piping at bodice and shoulders, and the sleeves are tie-ons.
The other shoulder. Shows more of the chemise embroidery, and it looks like it's both gold and black pattern. There's some funky pearl-and-gold "aglets" at the sleeves, echoing the look of the partlet.
The sleeve cuffs repeats the gold embroidery seen at the neck lining, but there's also some blackwork here.
The rings. The upper one seems to be a facete cut diamons with gold framing, the lower one is described as Florentine craftmanship with an ancient Roman stone in the middle. The latter description is so specific because this ring has assumedly survivied?!? I didn't know this!!
The actual ring. OMG!! "Florentine manufacture with an ancient Roman (?) stone. Chalcedony, gold with traces of enamel, diameter 7/8 inch (22 millimeter). Florence, Museo degli Argenti, inv. depositi p. 95"
Further on, about the portrait:
"This painting depicts Duke Cosimo I de' Medici's wife, Eleonora di Toledo, bust lenght in an elaborate pink dress with gold embroidery and a pearl-studded collar. The dress corresponds to the one she wore the day after her entry into Pisa in the summer of 1539, on her way to marry Cosimo (1). On her right hand, there are two rings: the diamond wedding ring she was given by Cosimo's proxy at her wedding in Naples in March 1539, and another ring whose stone is an ancient Roman cameo showing two cornucopiae, a bird and two joined hands, all marriage symbols (2)."
REFERENCES:
(1): Una veste pavonaza di velluto et ricamata d'oro (a reddish velvet dress embroidered in gold). Anna Baia, "Leonora di Toledo, duchessa di Firenze e Siena"
Is she really wearing a velvet dress in the portrait? Looks more like silk to me. I don't have "Moda a Firenze" handy right now, but I seem to remember they describe it as silk as well?
(2): The ring was found at the opening of Eleonora's tomb in 1948.
I didn't know this... I thought all jewellery was gone. But if it's correct: how incredibly cool!! Is it mentioned in the "Moda a Firenze"?
One of my Livejournal friends, isabelladangelo, just finished a dress modelled after this portrait. It is gorgeous!!! You can see photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jubileel/sets/72157604956712538/