Photo credit: www.smithsonianmag.com

Rediscovery of Lavinia Fontana’s Artwork at Musée de la Chartreuse

Picture this: you are strolling down a familiar street when suddenly, you spot an old friend from your childhood, someone you haven’t seen in years. Despite the passage of time and life’s changes, you instantly recognize them. This is akin to the experience of Philippe Costamagna, a renowned art expert whose discerning eye can identify an artist’s distinct style with remarkable ease.

As detailed by Pierre Bonnaure, director of the Musée de la Chartreuse in Douai, France, this precise recognition played a pivotal role in an exciting discovery last year when the museum enlisted Costamagna and fellow experts to examine and restore its notable collection of Italian artworks.

While inspecting the museum’s storage, Costamagna came across a previously overlooked painting, Portrait of a Gentleman, His Daughter and a Servant. This darkly hued artwork struck him with a sense of familiarity that echoed his previous experiences.

Initially attributed to the 16th-century Flemish artist Pieter Pourbus, the painting features a solemn man with his young daughter, both adorned in matching ruffs, while a servant reveals a basket of fruit in the background. Discrepancies in its style led Costamagna to suspect a different origin.

“People told me it’s a northern painting,” Costamagna recounted to Agence France-Presse (AFP), defending his position. “But I believe it’s Italian, embodying the spirit of Bologna. The details—the flowers in the girl’s hands, the brushwork on the collar—indicate this.”

A Transformative Attribution

After thorough research and careful analysis, Costamagna concluded that Portrait of a Gentleman, His Daughter and a Servant was misattributed. In fact, it belonged to the esteemed collection of Lavinia Fontana, a celebrated Renaissance artist recognized as one of the earliest professional female painters.

Fontana was born in Bologna in 1552 and received artistic training from her father, Prospero Fontana, a respected Mannerist. At 25, she married Gian Paolo Zappi, who became her agent, helping her secure significant commissions, including work for influential popes like Gregory XIII and Clement VIII.

Despite raising 11 children, Fontana continued to create a diverse body of work, including portraits, mythological themes, and large altar pieces throughout Italy. Uniquely for a woman of her time, she was able to generate income from her artistry and was posthumously recognized as the first woman to be admitted to the elite Accademia di San Luca in Rome.

Interestingly, while her contributions to art history are significant, Fontana does not enjoy the same level of recognition as many of her male contemporaries, particularly in France, where her works are seldom displayed.

The Impact of Discovery