Sofonisba Anguissola, um 1530 Cremona – 1625 ... Lot n° 326

Portrait of four children Oil on canvas. Doubled. 103 x 102 cm. In richly decorated with acanthus leaf gilded frame. Attached elaboration by Marco Tanzi, Cremona, 2022. Four children of about the same height stand close together in contemporary dress against an indeterminate background, all looking at the viewer. As a woman, Anguissola was still an outsider in her time in a profession dominated by men. Thanks to her father's encouragement, however, she made it so far that she became court painter to Philip II of Spain and teacher to Queen Isabella of Valois. Because of this, but especially because of her intimate painting style, her works were particularly sought after. Early on, she traveled to Rome, where she was introduced to Michelangelo, who immediately recognized her talent, and to Milan, where she painted the Duke of Alba. King Philip of Spain allowed her to marry aristocratically; later she moved to Sicily, then to Pisa and Genoa. In the painting offered here, you can see very beautifully how the tender nature of children is reflected in their smiles - a peculiarity that fascinated many contemporaries. (†) Provenance: Royal House of Hanover, Marienburg. Sotheby's, Works of Art of the Royal House of Hanover, Marienburg Castle, October 5-15, 2005, lot 494. With a suggested date of circa 1590. Note 1: Sofonisba Anguissola was born circa 1532 in Cremona, Lombardy, the eldest of seven children. Her father Amilcare Anguissola was a representative of the Genoese minor nobility. Her mother, Bianca Ponzone, also came from a wealthy family of noble birth. Her mother died when Sofonisba was just four or five years old. Amilcare Anguissola encouraged all his daughters (Sofonisba, Elena, Lucia, Europa, Minerva and Anna Maria) to develop their talents. Four of their sisters became painters, but Sofonisba was by far the most talented and eventually the only one of the sisters whose name survives to this day. Her aristocratic father made sure that Sofonisba and her sisters received a well-rounded education. Sofonisba was 14 years old when he sent her, along with her sister Elena, to be trained by Bernardino Campi, a respected portrait and religious painter from Sofonisba's hometown of Cremona. Note 2: There are several known portraits of children by Anguissola that will be used as comparisons. One was auctioned on May 31, 1929 at Cassirer Helbing in Berlin under lot 10 and is now in the J. Spiridon collection in Paris. However, one painting in particular with three side by side in the Lord Methuen collection in Corsham clearly shows that the attribution of our painting to Anguissola is obvious. Another portrait with two children is in the Allen Memorial Art Museum in Oberlin and is worked as a tondo. (13305110) (13) Sofonisba Anguissola, ca. 1530 Cremona - 1625 Palermo PORTRAIT OF FOUR CHILDREN Oil on canvas. Relined. 103 x 102 cm. Accompanied by elaboration by Marco Tanzi, Cremona, 2022. (†) Provenance: Royal House of Hanover, Marienburg. Sotheby's, works of art from the Royal House of Hanover, Marienburg Castle, 5 - 15 October 2005, lot 494 with a suggested creation date of ca. 1590. Notes: Several portraits of children by Anguissola are known, which can be used to draw comparisons. One was sold at auction on 31 May 1929 at Cassirer Helbing in Berlin under lot 10 and is now held at the J. Spiridon Collection in Paris. A portrait of three children held at the Lord Methuen Collection in Corsham clearly shows that the attribution of our painting to Anguissola is obvious. Another example is a portrait of two children in tondo format held at the Allen Memorial Art Museum in Oberlin.