Anthony van Dyck, 'Portrait of I. Cattaneo Della Volta Imperiale (?)', about 1625-7
About the work
Overview
The dark red curtain in the background gives a warm, luxurious atmosphere to this portrait and complements the sitter’s auburn hair and sparkling brown eyes. The rose – traditionally a nuptial flower – tucked over her ear accentuates her beauty and might suggest that this engaging young woman is married.
This painting from the collection of the prominent Cattaneo family in Genoa was acquired as a companion piece to Van Dyck’s Portrait of Giovanni Battista Cattaneo Della Volta, which is also in the National Gallery’s collection. The woman was assumed to represent the wife of the male sitter. However, pendant portraits of husband and wife in this period were almost invariably painted with the sitters facing each other, so it is highly unlikely that these portraits were conceived as a pair. Genealogical research now suggests that the woman in this portrait is a different member of the Cattaneo family. Fittingly, the sitter is drawing attention to her long gold necklace with her right hand, which might be a play on the family name, as Cattaneo phonetically recalls catena, the Italian word for chain.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Portrait of a Woman, possibly Isabella Cattaneo Della Volta Imperiale
- Artist
- Anthony van Dyck
- Artist dates
- 1599 - 1641
- Date made
- about 1625-7
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 74 × 60.4 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1907
- Inventory number
- NG2144
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 21st-century Replica Frame
Provenance
Coll. the Cattaneo family of Genoa; perhaps noted by Wilson in the palace of Nicola Cataneo (sic), Genoa, 1828; noted by Mündler in the Casa Casaretto, 1857; sold by the heirs of Marchese Giuseppe della Volta to Antonio Monti and Conte Trotti, 1907; purchased by Messrs. Colnaghi, 1907; from whom bought with the aid of a contribution from Messrs. Colnaghi, 1907.
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Gregory Martin, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School: circa 1600–circa 1900’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
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1843A. Cunningham, The Life of Sir David Wilkie: With His Journals, Tours, and Critical Remarks on Works of Art; and a Selection from His Correspondence, vol. 2, London 1843
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1897M. Mennotti, 'Van Dyck a Genova', Archivio storico dell'arte, 1897, pp. 298-300
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1900L.H. Cust, Anthony van Dyck: An Historical Study of his Life and Works, London 1900
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1907E. Modigliani, 'The Cattaneo van Dycks and the Italian Law. A Reply', The Connoisseur, XVIII, 1907
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1907W. Roberts, 'The Cattaneo van Dycks', The Connoisseur, XVIII, 1907
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1909E. Schaeffer, Van Dyck: Des Meisters Gemälde, Stuttgart 1909
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1909'Unanswered Questions about the Norfolk Holbein', The Burlington Magazine, XV/75, 1909, pp. 134-7
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1928L. Wittler, 'The Cattaneo-Lomellini van Dycks', International Studio, XC, 1928, pp. 38-9
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1931G. Glück, Van Dyck, des Meisters Gemälde, Stuttgart 1931
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1933G. Glück, Rubens, Van Dyck und ihr Kreis, Vienna 1933
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1950L. van Puyvelde, Van Dyck, Brussels 1950
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1970G. Martin, The Flemish School, circa 1600-circa 1900, London 1970
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1973M. Jaffé, [Review] 'National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School ca. 1600-ca. 1900 by Gregory Martin; Flemish Paintings and Drawings at 56 Princes Gate London, Addenda by Antoine Seilern', Art Bulletin, vol. 55, no. 3 (Sep.), 1973, pp. 462-4
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1985C.T. Dowd, 'The Travel Diary of Otto Mündler', The Walpole Society, LI, 1985
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1986Martin, Gregory, National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School, circa 1600 - circa 1900, London 1986
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1988E. Larsen, The Paintings of Anthony van Dyck, Freren 1988
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1994P. Boccardo, 'Ritratti di Genovesi di Rubens e di van Dyck: Contesto ed identificazioni', Studies in the History of Art, XLVI, 1994, pp. 77-102
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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2001F. Gennari Santori, '"Questo è il paese dei miliardi!" La vendita dei Van Dyck Cattaneo (1907-1909)', Ricerche di storia dell'arte, LXXIII, 2001, pp. 31-9
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2004H. Vey et al., Van Dyck: A Complete Catalogue of the Paintings, New Haven 2004
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2011S. Avery-Quash, 'The Travel Notebooks of Sir Charles Eastlake: Volume I', The Walpole Society, LXXIII, 2011, pp. i-xx, 1-49, 51-79, 81-674
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2017G. Montanari and P. Boccardo, 'I Cattaneo della Volta. Ritratti di una famiglia', in E. Chiavari Cattaneo Della Volta and A. Lercari (eds), I Cattaneo Della Volta: Vicende e protagonisti di una millenaria famiglia Genovese, Genoa 2017, pp. 460-91
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2018A. Orlando, 'Jan Roos e Van Dyck. Tracce di un connubio', in A. Orlando (ed.), Van Dyck e i suoi amici: Fiamminghi a Genova 1600-1640, Genoa 2018, pp. 85-127
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
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