In the 16th century, the genre of portrait, which was previously reserved for princes and popes, saw a growing success among the nobility.
This portrait of an unknown gentleman from Bologna, is proof of this. Seen sitting at his desk turned slightly towards us, he is holding open a large manuscript and making notes in the margins with his quill pen. In the background, we can see a studiolo, or office, filled with books and a window symbolising open-mindedness. The natural light emphasises the humanist scholar’s piercing eyes. Although the date on this signed work is slightly worn away, we know Lavinia Fontana left her hometown of Bologna shortly after she made this painting. And if you look more closely, you can see the signature is cleverly hidden on the back of the armchair.
The museum houses works by around 300 women artists out of more than 5000 artists in total. Very few female painters were recognized during the Renaissance and today, their work deserves to be brought into the spotlight. The artist, also the mother of eleven children, continued her illustrious career in Rome where she was accepted at the Saint-Luc Academy. Some of the most notable works she painted were the portraits of popes Gregory XIII and Clement VIII, with her husband as her assistant!