A provincial museum located in northern France unveiled a painting on Friday, March 21, that is now recognized as the work of Lavinia Fontana, one of the most prominent female painters of the Italian Renaissance. This artwork had been stored away for many years.
The painting, titled Portrait of a Gentleman, his Daughter and a Servant, will now serve as a highlight of the collection at the Musée de la Chartreuse in Douai, northern France. Lavinia Fontana, who lived from 1552 to 1614, is celebrated as one of the earliest women to establish a career in painting within Western art and is a notable figure of the Italian Renaissance.
The artwork depicts three members of an affluent family, dressed in the fashion of their era, with remarkable attention to detail. It features a father in black attire and a large pleated collar, seated in an armchair, while his daughter, also adorned with a similar collar, presents him with flowers. In the background, a maid sets down a basket of fruit beside them.
In 2024, the museum initiated a project aimed at studying and restoring its collection of Italian paintings, backed by a panel of experts. Among them was Philippe Costamagna, an authority on Florentine and Roman art, who discovered the painting in storage. He remarked to Agence France-Presse (AFP), “People told me ‘it’s a northern painting,’ but I insisted ‘no, it’s an Italian painting, Bolognese in spirit from A to Z. Everything about it reflects that: the little girl with the flowers, the brushwork on the collar and sleeve.'” The painting, once thought to be by the Flemish Renaissance artist Pieter Pourbus (1523-1584), has now been correctly attributed to Fontana.
“The painting is in superb condition; it has not undergone any significant restoration in the past, which means it remains unaltered. The upcoming restoration will further enhance its quality,” stated Costamagna.
This nearly square canvas was donated to the Douai museum in 1857. The museum indicated that restoration is necessary before it can be added to the permanent collection.
Fontana, originally from Bologna and later passing away in Rome, was raised in an academic setting and learned to paint under the guidance of her father, Prospero Fontana. As a pioneering female artist, she laid the groundwork for the renowned Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, born in 1593, whose striking works are currently featured in a significant retrospective exhibition in Paris that opened this week.
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