This woman’s exquisite attire indicates her likely wealth and importance. Gold disks decorate the edge of her collar while rubies and emeralds adorn her hair. She wears an extravagant necklace with a large cut diamond and luxurious pearl. The fashion suggests the portrait was made in the 1570s by Alessandro Allori (1535—1607), who was one of the most prolific and active painters in late 16h century Florence. On his father's death in 1540, the young Alessandro Allori was adopted by Bronzino (1503—1572), becoming his pupil and a significant disseminator of his elegant Mannerist vocabulary.
It is possibly a representation of Camilla Martelli, mistress and later second wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de'Medici. Unlike other portraits depicting individuals who themselves may have collected art or created a studioli, or private studies, Camilla herself would not have had access to such a study room. However, the Medici family had one of the most celebrated studioli in all of Italy.
Alessandro Allori, Portrait of a Lady, probably Camilla Martelli de’Medici, 1570s, Saint Louis Art Museum, US @stlartmuseum#portraitpainting#femaleportrait#alessandroallori#paintingdetail#allori#femaleportraits#baroqueart#historyofart#arthistory#artoftheday#oldmasters#oldmasterpaintings#16thcentury#15thcentury#neoclassical#classicalpainting#classicart#classicpainting#artdaily#artmuseum#artdetail#artlover#italianart#renaissanceart#renaissance#arthistorydiary
Source: Wikimedia Commons & slam.org
Las week I discovered the story of 'Clara'. She was an Indian rhinoceros who traveled all over Europe in the eighteenth century. Meeting kings, queens and popes alike. For the majority, she was the first animal of this kind that they had ever seen. I can only imagine the magic thrill of meeting her, when at the time information was so scarce and distorted, there was no way for common people to know about the existence of rhinoceros. Here we see her in one of her trips to Venice, year 1751. Painted by Pietro Longhi.
Ps: obvs I don’t condone treating animals as toys for the entertainment of humans, just found the story fascinating.
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#rinocerontes#rhinoceros#venice#venezia#artdetail#18thcentury#18thcenturyfashion#18thcenturyart#menagerie#artdetails#arthistory#history#historian#europeanhistory#historylovers#historyfacts#periodfashion