Style of Domenico Ghirlandaio, 'Costanza Caetani', probably about 1480-90
About the work
Overview
The Latin inscription identifies this woman as Costanza de‘ Medici, the wife of an important Florentine citizen of the Caetani family. The portrait was clearly made to celebrate their marriage: she holds a sprig of orange blossom, which was associated with chastity and traditionally worn by brides and wives. The jewellery on the ledge may have been part of the ’counter-dowry‘, the gifts given by the groom. There is a ruby necklace finished off with three pearls, symbols of purity, and three rings on a bolster, which also refer to marriage. The gold pins and the needle are an expression of her domestic skills.
Records show that Costanza de’ Medici was born in about 1469 and was married by 1489. The picture was probably made around this time. It belongs to a group of portraits which are close in style to those produced by Domenico Ghirlandaio and his workshop, but the individual artist cannot be identified.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Costanza Caetani
- Artist
- Style of Domenico Ghirlandaio
- Artist dates
- 1449 - 1494
- Date made
- probably about 1480-90
- Medium and support
- egg tempera and oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 57.2 × 37.5 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Salting Bequest, 1910
- Inventory number
- NG2490
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Martin Davies, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
-
2023Painted Love: Renaissance Marriage PortraitsHolburne Museum of Art26 May 2023 - 1 October 2023
Bibliography
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1901E. Jacobsen, 'Italienische Gemälde in der National Galerie zu London: Kritische Notizen zum Katalog von 1898', Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft, XXIV, 1901
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1904E. Schaeffer, Das florentiner Bildnis, Munich 1904
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1907H. Hauvette, Ghirlandaio, Paris 1907
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1910W. Roberts, 'The Salting Collection, I: Pictures', The Connoisseur, XXVI, 1910, pp. 212-3
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1910C. Phillips, 'The Salting Collection, II: The Italian Pictures', The Burlington Magazine, XVII/85, 1910, pp. 9-22
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1916P.E. Küppers, Die Tafelbilder des Domenico Ghirlandajo, Strasbourg 1916
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1923R. van Marle, The Development of the Italian Schools of Painting, 19 vols, The Hague 1923
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1930G. de Francovich, 'David Ghirlandaio, II', Dedalo, 1930
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1951Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, London 1951
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1961M. Davies, The Earlier Italian Schools, 2nd edn, London 1961
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1966G. Dalli Regoli, Lorenzo di Credi, Cremona 1966
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1969E. Fahy, 'The Earliest Works of Fra Bartolommeo', Art Bulletin, 1969
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1976E. Fahy, Some Followers of Domenico Ghirlandajo, New York 1976
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1986Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools, revised edn, London 1986
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1990D. Scarisbrick, 'Jewels for Emphasis', Country Life, 1990
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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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