THOSE LOVELY PORTRAITS
"Portrait of Vittoria Colonna" (possibly), 1540s?, Bartolomeo Cancellieri (Palazzo Colonna, Rome)
Still not a GOOD colour reproduction, but the best one I've found so far. I photographed a page from a book in the Colonna palace in Rome. Inside the palace itself photos were a big no-no. Alas, as they have some goodies there!
The woman in green dress is thought to be Vittoria Colonna (1490-1547), a celebrated poet and writer of the 16th century. She was a friend of Michelangelo, and her home hosted many a cultural event. I don't know why the portrait is thought to be of her, as the Colonna palace is a bit sparse with info on their works of art. But I guess there's a reason, possibly a document saying it's a Colonna family member and the poet is the only matching in age and year.
I am crazy about the dress. Like, I dig it. Both bodice and sleeves are decorated with fine horizontal gold cords, and the sleeves also have vertical slashes. From what I can tell, she wears a fabric "belt" around her waist, and it seems to be tucked under the pointed bodice front (more obvious in real life). The chemise has fine draw-worked lace, and she also wears a fine gauze partlet with pleated rows and a small collar.
But what fascinates me the most is the way the bodice curves. It seems to be a common feature of other the lady portraits of Cancellieri's hand as well:
1. Portrait of Margaret of Parma with a bust of Charles V in the background (location unknown).
2. Portrait of a Ferrarese lady a dog (Fondazione Federico Zeri)
So apparently it IS perfectly 16th century to have "ladies", if you're painted by the right artist...