Italian noblewoman Bianca Capello by artist Lavinia Fontana
A long-lost miniature portrait of an Italian Renaissance noblewoman, once an object of fascination for a pioneering English novelist, has been rediscovered at a Texas auction. What could you call that but serendipity?
Serendipity can be one of the greatest joys of collecting. Have you ever stopped by a shop just to browse, only to find the perfect addition to your collection? Or maybe you spent months pondering over a mystery item and then stumbled across the answer to your questions in a seemingly unrelated book. English writer and prolific collector Horace Walpole (1717-1797) is credited with coining the term to describe his discoveries relating to an antique miniature painting of an Italian noblewoman. What could be a better word when that miniature, presumed lost for years, is rediscovered at an auction?
The two-inch oval portrait, painted in oil on copper, was up for sale at an auction in Texas when it caught the expert eye of British art dealer Nick Cox, whose Period Portraits gallery specializes in portraits from the 17th to 20th century. The portrait had been missing for over a hundred years, but its appearance was still known to the art world, thanks to copies and a drawing of Walpole’s cabinet of miniatures.
The miniature cabinet of writer and collector Horace Walpole
Walpole believed the portrait depicted Italian noblewoman Bianca Capello (1548-1587), whose dramatic life and scandalous romances inspired some of his writings. At the time, the portrait was attributed to Italian painter Bronzino.
Cox not only rediscovered the painting but also had it reattributed. He suspected it was truly the work of Lavinia Fontana, one of the first women to have a career as an artist. This was confirmed with assistance from Fontana experts Dr. Aoife Brady and Maria Teresa Cantaro.
The painting will be displayed at Strawberry Hill House & Garden in Twickenham, England, formerly Walpole’s home and now a museum, in an exhibit called—what else?—“A Serendipitous Return.”
This shows that you never know what treasures you might find at auction. While background knowledge is always helpful, sometimes the key is serendipity.
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